ARTE Distribution

THE DWARF AND THE GIANT - THE LIVING PLAYING CARDS - THE SCHEMING GAMBLERS' PARADISE - A CRAZY COMPOSER - PHARMACEUTICAL HALLUCINATIONS

THE DWARF AND THE GIANT
France 1901
Méliès splits in two. One of the two personalities turns out to be annoying.

THE LIVING PLAYING CARDS
France 1905
An illusionist performs in front of the audience a variety of famous card tricks magnified
by magic. He makes the Queen of Hearts and the King of Clubs come to life, in the size
of real humans. This trick is also a chance to use magic to perform substitutions,
apparitions and disappearances.

THE SCHEMING GAMBLERS' PARADISE
France 1905
Card players assemble underground, circled around a table. A croupier leads the group.
Suddenly, a manservant announces the arrival of the police. The setting immediately
transforms into a fashion boutique and sewing shop. False alarm, the game resumes.
But the police captain and officers return. This time, everyone disappears and the
policemen seat themselves at the game table and begin to play.

A CRAZY COMPOSER
France 1905

PHARMACEUTICAL HALLUCINATIONS
France 1908
The three assistants of an apothecary play a joke on him and make him drink a
hallucinogenic potion. The apothecary falls asleep in his laboratory and sees ghosts
appear before his very eyes. Frightened, he fights against them. After, he wakes up and
recounts his adventures to his assistants who advise him to go see a famous sorceror.
He visits the sorceror, who introduces him to a fairy. She transforms his pharmacy into a
candy and pastry shop where all the poor people come to eat.