Le Diable Noir by Georges Melies (1905)

A traveler at an inn is harassed by a mischievous devil in his room.

(In 1913 Georges Méliès' film company was forced into bankruptcy by the large French and American studios and his company was bought out of receivership by Pathé Frères. After being driven out of business Méliès became a toy salesman at the Montparnasse station. In 1932 the Cinema Society gave Méliès a home in Chateau D'Orly. Melies did not grasp the value of his films, and having some 500 films recorded on cellulose the French Army seized most of this stock to be melted down into boot heels during World War I. Many of the other films were sold to be recycled into new film. As a result many of these films do not exist today.)

Director: Georges Méliès
Producer: Georges Melies
Production Company: Star Film Paris
Music, Black & White

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• le
• diable
• noir
• film
• 1905
• georges
• melies
• fantasy
• fiction
• comedy
• classic

[ordjay]

a master of early cinema. Thanks for posting it here.

[CarLosSanCas]

it would be great if this guy lived now and had the great technological advances of nowadays... im sure he would use them wisely, unlike james cameron and his horrible plots

[josharnfield]

Silly question I know, but how did he manage to get the smoke clouds. As in, what did he use?

[udawey91]

gracias melies, por crear este maravilloso espectaculo, que hiy en dia conocemos como el cine

[Balthamous]

Dear Hollywood, bring back quality films like this

[marco39325]

OUELA

[er10b]

Just watched a few of Melies' films and another by a Spanish dude who made the funniest haunted house movie ever - modern horror has nothing on these pioneers.

[afreak]

fake

[SuspenseSmith]

@munnonockspirit ....except for Hugo, which pays appropriate homage to Melies' work.

[SuspenseSmith]

Is it sad that the "effects" in this film makes it look more believable than most CGI nowadays?

[joraygordy]

I can't believe they did this in 1905! It is fluid!!!!