Underplayed Gems

The Mischances of a Photographer (1908)

The Mischances of a Photographer poster
Original title
Les malheurs d'un photographe
Directed by
Georges Méliès
Genre
silent film
Country
France
Runtime
3 min
Rating
4.8 of 10 from 14 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A photographer tries to take a picture but everything goes wrong. He struggles with his camera and the people around him cause more trouble.

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What happens

The Mischances of a Photographer is a 1908 French silent trick film by Georges Méliès. In the United States, it was sold by Méliès's Star Film Company and is numbered 1250–1252 in its catalogues. No French release is known to have occurred at the time. The first scene notably includes, as part of the set decor, a bust of Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, Méliès's predecessor for whom his Théâtre Robert-Houdin was named. Many of the film's props were recycled from earlier Méliès films or would be recycled later: the wardrobe had been used in Rogues' Tricks (1907) and the photographic apparatus in A Mix-up in the Gallery (1906), while the fireplace and candlesticks reappear in The Diabolic Tenant (1909). The lead is unidentified, but appears to be the same actor as the lead in Méliès's The Dream of an Opium Fiend, made the same year. The second scene is filmed outdoors, in front of the larger of Méliès's two studio buildings (Studio B); its glass wall can be seen in the background. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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