Comments on: Georges Méliès, magicien du cinéma http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/georges-melies-magicien-du-cinema/ Reporting on the world of early and silent cinema Fri, 16 May 2008 06:09:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: urbanora http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/georges-melies-magicien-du-cinema/#comment-5228 urbanora Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:37:51 +0000 http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/?p=1051#comment-5228 Thank you so much for sharing the programme notes. I'm pleased to say that the BFI has now found its missing notes - there were ten programmes in all, as you say. Thank you so much for sharing the programme notes. I’m pleased to say that the BFI has now found its missing notes - there were ten programmes in all, as you say.

]]> By: Dave Hartley http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/georges-melies-magicien-du-cinema/#comment-5224 Dave Hartley Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:51:29 +0000 http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/?p=1051#comment-5224 I think there were originally intended to be ten programmes from March to May 1992 - according to the MOMI flyer for the associated exhibition the other programme titles were Méliès Comedy & Farce, The Magic of Fairies, The Magic of the East and Méliès Documentary, Oddities and Magic. Unfortunately I can only find my copies of the programme notes for seven of them. Here they are as a pdf. (I've erased most of my scrawled notes in the interests of legibility). One of the titles given didn't match what was screened in the first programme. http://rapidshare.com/files/111181183/1992NFT.pdf The Studio Canal DVD set uses different prints from the Flicker Alley box but the few I've compared are in poorer condition. (Oddly although the version of The Conquest of the Pole (1911) derives from the same Austrian print it's not tinted like the Flicker Alley version. My guess is that this set has used a b&w print struck for the Cinémathèque Méliès, and that may be the source for other titles). However the set contains one unadvertised additional film that's not in the Flicker Alley box. One of the extra's is listed as 'Interview de Marie-Hélène Lehérissey'. Aside from a couple of interesting shots of the 16 and 35mm cans in the Cinémathèque Méliès collection this also includes what looks like the whole of 78-80. Le Manoir du diable (1896). I think there were originally intended to be ten programmes from March to May 1992 - according to the MOMI flyer for the associated exhibition the other programme titles were Méliès Comedy & Farce, The Magic of Fairies, The Magic of the East and Méliès Documentary, Oddities and Magic. Unfortunately I can only find my copies of the programme notes for seven of them. Here they are as a pdf. (I’ve erased most of my scrawled notes in the interests of legibility). One of the titles given didn’t match what was screened in the first programme.

http://rapidshare.com/files/111181183/1992NFT.pdf

The Studio Canal DVD set uses different prints from the Flicker Alley box but the few I’ve compared are in poorer condition. (Oddly although the version of The Conquest of the Pole (1911) derives from the same Austrian print it’s not tinted like the Flicker Alley version. My guess is that this set has used a b&w print struck for the Cinémathèque Méliès, and that may be the source for other titles).

However the set contains one unadvertised additional film that’s not in the Flicker Alley box. One of the extra’s is listed as ‘Interview de Marie-Hélène Lehérissey’. Aside from a couple of interesting shots of the 16 and 35mm cans in the Cinémathèque Méliès collection this also includes what looks like the whole of 78-80. Le Manoir du diable (1896).

]]> By: urbanora http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/georges-melies-magicien-du-cinema/#comment-5221 urbanora Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:17:46 +0000 http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/?p=1051#comment-5221 Unfortunately the BFI doesn't have a copy of the programmes notes. The only information I have is that there were two programmes, in April and May 1993, entitled 'The Thousand Eyes of Georges Melies': April 1993 Programme 1: The Magic of the Devil Programme 2: Legends & Fairies Programme 3: Magic and the Media May 1993 Programme 4: Magic and the Moon Programme 5: Magic and the Gothic Imagination Programme 6: Traveller's Magic The NFT booklet itself doesn't give the titles being shown (bar one or two). The season was programmed by Paolo Cherchi Usai, so he might know. Unfortunately the BFI doesn’t have a copy of the programmes notes. The only information I have is that there were two programmes, in April and May 1993, entitled ‘The Thousand Eyes of Georges Melies’:

April 1993
Programme 1: The Magic of the Devil
Programme 2: Legends & Fairies
Programme 3: Magic and the Media
May 1993
Programme 4: Magic and the Moon
Programme 5: Magic and the Gothic Imagination
Programme 6: Traveller’s Magic

The NFT booklet itself doesn’t give the titles being shown (bar one or two). The season was programmed by Paolo Cherchi Usai, so he might know.

]]> By: urbanora http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/georges-melies-magicien-du-cinema/#comment-5166 urbanora Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:40:57 +0000 http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/?p=1051#comment-5166 I'll see if I can find the programme for the 1992 retrospective (the BFI should have it tucked away somewhere). I'm puzzled that some films I know are in the BFI - Combat Naval en Grèce and La Prise de Tournavos for example - aren't included, though other prints from the BFI are. And yes, what happened to Cléopâtre which got all that publicity a few years ago? I don't think we were ever told who actually found it, or was (presumably) preserving it. I don't know about the Madeleine Malthête-Méliès sale, sorry. I do know that CNC through the Cinémathèque Française has the Will Day collection of early films which includes Sous Les Toits, another title missing from the Flicker Alley set. Maybe Flicker Alley will issue a follow-up disc with all of the absent titles. We can dream. I’ll see if I can find the programme for the 1992 retrospective (the BFI should have it tucked away somewhere). I’m puzzled that some films I know are in the BFI - Combat Naval en Grèce and La Prise de Tournavos for example - aren’t included, though other prints from the BFI are. And yes, what happened to Cléopâtre which got all that publicity a few years ago? I don’t think we were ever told who actually found it, or was (presumably) preserving it. I don’t know about the Madeleine Malthête-Méliès sale, sorry. I do know that CNC through the Cinémathèque Française has the Will Day collection of early films which includes Sous Les Toits, another title missing from the Flicker Alley set.

Maybe Flicker Alley will issue a follow-up disc with all of the absent titles. We can dream.

]]> By: Dave Hartley http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/georges-melies-magicien-du-cinema/#comment-5165 Dave Hartley Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:49:13 +0000 http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/?p=1051#comment-5165 Well I'm pretty sure I saw some titles at the 1992 London retrospective that aren't included : 888-905. Robert Macaire et Bertrand, les rois des cambrioleurs (1905), 560-561. Benvenuto Cellini ou Curieuse Évasion (1904) and 78-80. Le Manoir du diable (1896). The latter is a rather surprising missing title given that before a copy was located its catalogue description led to it being commonly described (rightly or wrongly) as the first horror or vampire film and it's thus sought after. The filmography in Malthête and Mannoni's 2002 Méliès Magie et Cinéma puts stars against those films which exist in part or in whole (but didn't distinguish complete from incomplete). Heres a pdf table comparing that filmography to the Flicker Alley set : http://rapidshare.com/files/97619834/melies.pdf Including non-Star Catalogue and Pathé titles I make it 33 starred titles not in the Flicker Alley box. Of course that filmography isn't the last word - 96 Le Château hanté (1897) isn't listed as existing but there it is in the Flicker Alley box. And in addition to the titles you mentioned in 2005 it was announced that 175-76 Cléopâtra (1899) had been found in France. Utopian to expect that all will emerge but print-holders willing there's clearly enough titles for a couple more DVD's. I know the CNC bought Madeleine Malthête-Méliès archives and turned them over to the Cinémathèque Française (it's now part of their exhibition) - do you know if the sale included the original prints held by the Cinémathèque Méliès ? Well I’m pretty sure I saw some titles at the 1992 London retrospective that aren’t included : 888-905. Robert Macaire et Bertrand, les rois des cambrioleurs (1905), 560-561. Benvenuto Cellini ou Curieuse Évasion (1904) and 78-80. Le Manoir du diable (1896). The latter is a rather surprising missing title given that before a copy was located its catalogue description led to it being commonly described (rightly or wrongly) as the first horror or vampire film and it’s thus sought after.

The filmography in Malthête and Mannoni’s 2002 Méliès Magie et Cinéma puts stars against those films which exist in part or in whole (but didn’t distinguish complete from incomplete). Heres a pdf table comparing that filmography to the Flicker Alley set :
http://rapidshare.com/files/97619834/melies.pdf

Including non-Star Catalogue and Pathé titles I make it 33 starred titles not in the Flicker Alley box.

Of course that filmography isn’t the last word - 96 Le Château hanté (1897) isn’t listed as existing but there it is in the Flicker Alley box. And in addition to the titles you mentioned in 2005 it was announced that 175-76 Cléopâtra (1899) had been found in France.

Utopian to expect that all will emerge but print-holders willing there’s clearly enough titles for a couple more DVD’s.

I know the CNC bought Madeleine Malthête-Méliès archives and turned them over to the Cinémathèque Française (it’s now part of their exhibition) - do you know if the sale included the original prints held by the Cinémathèque Méliès ?

]]> By: urbanora http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/georges-melies-magicien-du-cinema/#comment-5164 urbanora Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:18:30 +0000 http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/?p=1051#comment-5164 In answer to my own query, Skatta on the <a href="http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/2267/t/Melies-DVD-compilation-from-Film-Preservation-Associates.html?page=2" rel="nofollow">Classic Horror Film Board</a> lists these titles as being given as extant in Malthête and Mannoni's 2002 <em>Méliès Magie et Cinéma</em>, but not appearing on the Flicker Alley set: <blockquote> Star Catalogue titles 78-80. Le Manoir du diable, 75 m. 1896 100. Sur les toits, 20 m. 1897 105. Bombardement d'une maison, 20 m. 1897 110. Combat naval en Grèce, 20 m. 1897 156. Pygmalion et Galathée, 20 m. 1898 171. Salle à manger fantastique, 20 m. 1899 180. Luttes extravagantes, 20 m. 1899 237-240. Les Miracles du Brahmine, 80 m. 1900 284. L'Artiste et le Mannequin, 20 m. 1900 392-393. L'Oeuf du sorcier, 40 m. 1902 417-418. La Femme volante, 40 m. 1902 422-425. Une indigestion, 85 m. 1902 430-443. Les Aventures de Robinson Crusoé, 280 m. 1902 472. La Flamme merveilleuse, 35 m. 1903 550-551. Les Apparitions fugitives, 40 m. 1904 560-561. Benvenuto Cellini ou Curieuse Évasion, 55 m. 1904 662-664. Le Juif errant, 60 m. 1904 669-677. Détresse et Charité, 190 m. 1904 693-695. Le Baquet de Mesmer, 60 m. 1905 750-752. L'Île de Calypso, 70 m. 1905 786-788. Le Dirigeable fantastique ou le Cauchemar d'un inventeur, 60 m. 1905 888-905. Robert Macaire et Bertrand, les rois des cambrioleurs, 364 m. 1905 912-924. Deux Cents Milles sous les mers ou le Cauchemar du pêcheur, 265 m. 1907 929-935. Le Mariage de Victorine, 142 m. 1907 1010-1013. Satan en prison, 90 m. 1907 1023-1029. La Perle des servantes, 150 m. 1907 1040-1043. François P' et Triboulet, 95 m. 1907 1476-1485. Hydrothérapie fantastique, 240 m. 1909 Made for Pathe : Le Vitrail diabolique, 195 m. 1911 Non-Star Catalogue titles : - Un film dont il ne subsiste que quelques images montrant Méliès en clochard, manipulant un cigare. [date unknown] - L'Agent gelé, 175 m. 1908 - Tribulation or the Misfortunes of a Cobbler. 1908 - Publicité pour la Régie des tabacs. 1933 (The box contains one film listed as Unidentified 1908 which might be one of those non-Star catalogue titles). </blockquote> In answer to my own query, Skatta on the Classic Horror Film Board lists these titles as being given as extant in Malthête and Mannoni’s 2002 Méliès Magie et Cinéma, but not appearing on the Flicker Alley set:

Star Catalogue titles
78-80. Le Manoir du diable, 75 m. 1896
100. Sur les toits, 20 m. 1897
105. Bombardement d’une maison, 20 m. 1897
110. Combat naval en Grèce, 20 m. 1897
156. Pygmalion et Galathée, 20 m. 1898
171. Salle à manger fantastique, 20 m. 1899
180. Luttes extravagantes, 20 m. 1899
237-240. Les Miracles du Brahmine, 80 m. 1900
284. L’Artiste et le Mannequin, 20 m. 1900
392-393. L’Oeuf du sorcier, 40 m. 1902
417-418. La Femme volante, 40 m. 1902
422-425. Une indigestion, 85 m. 1902
430-443. Les Aventures de Robinson Crusoé, 280 m. 1902
472. La Flamme merveilleuse, 35 m. 1903
550-551. Les Apparitions fugitives, 40 m. 1904
560-561. Benvenuto Cellini ou Curieuse Évasion, 55 m. 1904
662-664. Le Juif errant, 60 m. 1904
669-677. Détresse et Charité, 190 m. 1904
693-695. Le Baquet de Mesmer, 60 m. 1905
750-752. L’Île de Calypso, 70 m. 1905
786-788. Le Dirigeable fantastique ou le Cauchemar d’un inventeur, 60 m. 1905
888-905. Robert Macaire et Bertrand, les rois des cambrioleurs, 364 m. 1905
912-924. Deux Cents Milles sous les mers ou le Cauchemar du pêcheur, 265 m. 1907
929-935. Le Mariage de Victorine, 142 m. 1907
1010-1013. Satan en prison, 90 m. 1907
1023-1029. La Perle des servantes, 150 m. 1907
1040-1043. François P’ et Triboulet, 95 m. 1907
1476-1485. Hydrothérapie fantastique, 240 m. 1909

Made for Pathe :
Le Vitrail diabolique, 195 m. 1911

Non-Star Catalogue titles :
- Un film dont il ne subsiste que quelques images montrant Méliès en clochard, manipulant un cigare. [date unknown]
- L’Agent gelé, 175 m. 1908
- Tribulation or the Misfortunes of a Cobbler. 1908
- Publicité pour la Régie des tabacs. 1933
(The box contains one film listed as Unidentified 1908 which might be one of those non-Star catalogue titles).

]]> By: urbanora http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/georges-melies-magicien-du-cinema/#comment-5163 urbanora Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:16:45 +0000 http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/?p=1051#comment-5163 Thanks very much for this. It would be handy to know what extant Méliès titles are missing from the Flicker Alley set. I know that five titles shown at Pordenone last year aren't there: Evocation Spirite, La Pyramide du Triboulet, L'Artiste et le Mannequin and Eruption Volcanique a la Martinique, plus there's Dirigeable fantastique as you say. What are the others? (I'm slowly working on a Méliès filmography with cross-references to archive holdings and titles available on DVD, but have only got so far as yet). On another issue - has anyone (despite the several musicians involved in the Flicker Alley set) really come up with a satisfactory solution for musical accompaniment to Méliès' work? Thanks very much for this. It would be handy to know what extant Méliès titles are missing from the Flicker Alley set. I know that five titles shown at Pordenone last year aren’t there: Evocation Spirite, La Pyramide du Triboulet, L’Artiste et le Mannequin and Eruption Volcanique a la Martinique, plus there’s Dirigeable fantastique as you say. What are the others? (I’m slowly working on a Méliès filmography with cross-references to archive holdings and titles available on DVD, but have only got so far as yet).

On another issue - has anyone (despite the several musicians involved in the Flicker Alley set) really come up with a satisfactory solution for musical accompaniment to Méliès’ work?

]]> By: Dave Hartley http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/georges-melies-magicien-du-cinema/#comment-5160 Dave Hartley Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:26:06 +0000 http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/?p=1051#comment-5160 Full details of the StudioCanal DVD can be found here : http://www.filmsactu.com/test-dvd-zone-2-coffret-georges-melies-1755.htm I note that it doesn't include anything that's not in the Flicker Alley set - I'd have assumed some of the existing titles not included in that were held by the Cinémathèque française or the Méliès family. There's another recent DVD Het Fantastische Luchtschip 1904-1908 issued by the Amsterdam Filmmuseum. Six Méliès films in colour : Le Raid Paris-Monte Carlo en deux heures en automobile (1905), Le merveilleux eventail vivant (1904), Un locataire diabolique (1908), Le diregeable fantastiqe (1905) [not in the Flicker Alley set], Le voyage à travers l'impossible (1904), Les quatres cents coups du diable (1906). (Pretty dreadful music accompaniment though). Hopefully there will be further DVDs - by my calculation there are between 30 and 40 existing films and fragments of films as yet unreleased. Full details of the StudioCanal DVD can be found here :
http://www.filmsactu.com/test-dvd-zone-2-coffret-georges-melies-1755.htm

I note that it doesn’t include anything that’s not in the Flicker Alley set - I’d have assumed some of the existing titles not included in that were held by the Cinémathèque française or the Méliès family.

There’s another recent DVD Het Fantastische Luchtschip 1904-1908 issued by the Amsterdam Filmmuseum. Six Méliès films in colour :
Le Raid Paris-Monte Carlo en deux heures en automobile (1905), Le merveilleux eventail vivant (1904), Un locataire diabolique (1908), Le diregeable fantastiqe (1905) [not in the Flicker Alley set], Le voyage à travers l’impossible (1904), Les quatres cents coups du diable (1906). (Pretty dreadful music accompaniment though).

Hopefully there will be further DVDs - by my calculation there are between 30 and 40 existing films and fragments of films as yet unreleased.

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