Public Domain Movies

"The Inventor Crazybrains and his Wonderful Airship" by Georges Méliès (Le Dirigeable Fantastique ou le Cauchemar d'un Inventeur) A Jules Verne-like flying airship soars the skies with floating mermaids before out of control fireworks put an end to the crazy inventor's dreams. Unlike the Technicolor wonders that would come decades later, this Georges Méliès film from 1905 achieved its color the old-fashioned way; they were painted on the film by hand.

Wise Guys Prefer Brunettes (1926) starring James Finlayson, Helene Chadwick, Ted Healy - directed by Stan Laurel In Wise Guys Prefer Brunettes stuffy college dean James Finlayson wants to shut down the "outrageous" female behavior - until he sits on Ted Healy's rejuvenation plaster and becomes young again!

Le Papillon Fantastique (1909) by Georges Méliès, aka The Spider and the Butterfly On exiting a strange cone a young girl deploys her butterfly wings. Mr Méliès is preparing for the show. In a puff of smoke, a star in the centre of which a second young girl appears, occupies the centre of the stage. As quick as lightning and the young girl from the star is transformed into a threatening spider-woman. But Méliès is there! With a magical gunshot the sprawling creature disappears in an enormous cloud of smoke. His mastery of special effects through spectacular staging allowed Méliès to transfer this magic filmed in 1909 onto the big screen. Director: Georges Méliès Nationality: French Actor: Georges Méliès Length: 1' 58" Also Known As (AKA) A csodálatos pillangó Hungary The Spider and the Butterfly (UK)

Le Monstre (1903) by Georges Méliès An Egyptian prince has lost his beloved wife and he has sought a dervish who dwells at the base of the sphinx. The prince promises him a vast fortune if the dervish will only give him the opportunity of gazing once more upon the features of his wife. The dervish accepts the offer. He brings in from a neighboring tomb the receptacle containing the remains of the princess. He opens it and removes the skeleton, which he places upon the ground close beside him. Then, turning to the moon and raising his arms outstretched toward it, he invokes the moon to give back life to her who is no more. The skeleton begins to move about, becomes animated, and arises. The dervish puts it upon a bench and covers it with a white linen; a masque conceals its ghostly face. At a second invocation the skeleton begins again to move, arises, and performs a weird dance. In performing its contortions it partly disappears in the ground. While performing its feats it increases gradually in size, its neck assuming enormous proportions, much to the horror of the prince, who fails to see in this grotesque character the wife whom he has lost. The dance ceases. The dervish throws a veil over the hideous creature. Then appear the real princess as she was when her husband possessed her. The prince darts forward to take her into his arms to give her a last kiss, but the dervish stops him, wraps the young lady in the veil and throws her into the arms of the prince. When he removes the veil he finds only the skeleton of his former wife. The vision has disappeared, and the princess has returned to dust. The dervish withdraws, and the prince pursues him with his threats and curses. Written by Lubin Catalog Director: Georges Méliès Stars: Georges Mélièsz Country: France Release Date: 15 August 1903 (USA) Country Date USA 15 August 1903 Portugal 28 November 2009 (Cinemateca Portuguesa) Also Known As (AKA) Le monstre France (original title) A szörny Hungary The Monster USA

L'alchimiste Parafaragaramus ou la Cornue Infernale [tinted] (1906) by Georges Méliès A wizard sleeps at a table in his well-appointed sitting room. From a drawer in the table, a snake appears. The snake begins a series of transformations: he becomes a jester, a spider, and a woman. Each approaches the wizard as he sleeps. Each also works its magic on a glass vial on the wizard's table. Soon the vial has grown in size and is full of a bubbling liquid. The wizard wakes, the vial explodes. Who emerges victorious from the spells and dreams? Also Known As (AKA) Alchimiste Parafaragamus ou La cornue infernale France (original title) Parafaragaramus alkímista Hungary The Mysterious Retort USA

His New Mamma (1924) starring Harry Langdon His New Mamma: A farm lad's aging father thinks that the boy is after Dad's fiancée, so he banishes the young man, who heads to California. He gets employed to drive a cab, and through a fare, he meets a lovely young lady. His work takes him to the beach, where he sees Dad's fiancée with another man. He calls home and learns that she has deserted his father after cleaning him out. The lad and his lassie follow the woman and try to prevent her from marrying yet another rich man, but she's abetted by her chauffeur. Will our farm boy and his sweetie stop injustice from happening again?

The Marriage Bond - part of Charlie Chaplin's 1918 film, The Bond - a patriotic film for the war effort (World War I) – a few short skits illustrate the different kind of bonds, including the most important – Liberty Bonds!

The Devil in a Convent - a short silent film byGeorges Méliès. The father of movie special effects, he was a magician who invented the art of movie effects, and many of his films are really an excuse to demonstrate some of that. Here, the devil literally comes to a convent, is resisted, but is only defeated when the archangel Michael arrives. Writer: Georges Méliès Stars: Georges Méliès (as The Devil) Country: France Release Date: 30 June 1900 (USA) Also Known As: The Devil in a Convent Also Known As: The Sign of the Cross

The Hilarious Posters by Georges Méliès (1902) - a very early silent short, by the great magician & father of special effects. Very short, but funny, as a series of posters seem to come to life & interact with each other - enjoy!