1900s

A series of fantastical wrestling matches.

People riding on a moving platform / walkway.

Sailors row a whaling boat in a medium-tight shot.

This 1905 Gaumont produced film attributed to Alice Guy is lost. It has no surviving plot, summary or synopsis. Only a few stills are extant.

A green-skinned demon places a woman and two courtiers into a flaming cauldron.

Pluto, having seen the earth, comes back home amazed at the success of that well-known dance, the "cake-walk." He has brought back with him two noted well-known dancers, who start their favorite dance amidst the flames.

A man misses his train due to his clothes turning into other types of clothes.

A chemist carries out a bizarre experiment with his own head.

Two impish clowns construct a magic lantern. They prop it up at an angle, and use it to project pictures onto a wall. When the picture show ends, they open up the lantern to reveal a group of dancing girls inside - and this is only the first of the indications that this lantern really is magical.

1903 American silent short Western film directed by Edwin Stanton Porter

A cook has his hands full with three mischievous devils, who pop in and out of his kitchen.

Pierrot goes to the house of his love to serenade her, but her father kicks him out. Soon the moon and its goddess Diana come towards the man and offers him something better.

Here is a most novel picture. A prominent actor with wonderful talent for facial contortion is standing some distance from the camera. As the film is set in motion, he walks toward the lens until his head grows into enormous proportions. He then stands so close to the camera that every wrinkle in his face, and in fact, the pores of his skin are plainly shown and greatly magnified. As he comes closer to the lens he opens his mouth wide, and is biting at the instrument all the while. He is then seen to swallow the camera, operator and all. He is next seen backing away from the instrument, smacking lips and rubbing his stomach in great glee. Very funny and a great hit. 【Written by Edison Catalog】

A most interesting picture at the Pan-American Exposition. The picture was taken from the north side of the Electric Tower. It presents the most perfect and diversified views of the Transportation Building, Mexican Plaza, the Stadium and the north side of the Electric Tower. (Edison Catalog, 1902)

The leader of a marching band demonstrates an unusual way of writing music.

It's late in the evening, and the ballet master's bed has been prepared for him. But he cannot take his mind off of his work, and instead of going to sleep he paces the floor and tries out dance steps. Finally, he goes to bed and falls asleep, but ballet dominates even his dreams. He sees two dancers who seem to come right into his room as they perform, and that's just the beginning.

Time-lapse photography showing the one month-long demolition of the Star Theatre in New York.

Laura Bayley, the most prolific British actress of the period and the wife of director G.A. Smith, shows her flare for clowning in this uproarious black comedy. Mary Jane learns that lighting your hearth with a tank full of paraffin may not be the safest of household chores, in a stern tale that could have come from the pages of 'Struwwelpeter'.
As in much of Smith's work, the film delights in its trick effects, including an explosion and the apparition of a ghost. (Alex Davidson)

Rescued by Rover is a film about a dog. Not only is it a film about a dog it is also a film about the kidnaping of a young baby by an old woman. With these two classical Hollywood ingredients and some stunning dialogue, (It's silent!), Rescued by Rover really hits a nerve. The repeated shots provide some interest in what, surprisingly, is an entertaining example of early cinema, canine heroics and a man wearing mascara.