January 18, 2008
Fantasmagorie (1908) by Emile Cohl
Émile Cohl created Fantasmagorie in 1908. To make this film, Cohl placed each drawing on an illuminated glass plate and then traced the next drawing-with variations-on top of it until he had some 700 drawings. In 1908, chalkboard caricaturists were common vaudeville attractions and the characters in the film look as though they've been drawn on a chalkboard, but it's an illusion. By filming black lines on paper and then printing in negative Cohl makes his animations appear to be chalk drawings
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The Hasher's Delirium (1910) is also good
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Oh, wow, that's really amazing! And just because freaky silent animation is cool, have you seen The Adventures of Prince Achmed?
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Just watched a bunch of the Cohl clips. Absolutely charming! I especially liked the felefant (below). Limey, I caught Prince Achmed on TCM's SIlent Sunday a few years back. I was spellbound.
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Thought it was Chris Ware for a second...
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Silent Sunday? What is this thing you say, and where can I find it?!
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The Turner Classic Movies cable network shows silent movies late Sunday nights.Here's this month's guide.
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ZOMG Fatty Arbuckle! How awesome! I didn't know any of his movies had survived. Thanks so much for turning me on to this, TUMmy!
