Wednesday, 20 June 2012

The King and the Jester (1907) Georges Méliès



This silent film era film was released in France by creator/director Georges Méliès in 1907.

In the film a jester attempts to make the king smile and laugh. He tries falling down several times, juggling, making a tower of chairs and blowing them down. The king isn't impressed and gives the jester the boot but as he goes off screen he reappears coming out of one of his boxes. 

The king gives him another chance and the jester brings in the queen. He performs a bit of magic making her clothing change to to those of an Egyptian, possibly Cleopatra then he has her balanced on two poles by her hands and then amazingly one pole. The king is uninterested in the magic but sits with the queen and gives her a kiss. The jester disappears and after the kiss the king realizes that the queen has disappeared and in her place is the jester! At first he scowls but after a moment is amused. He walks off screen with the jester.

Toward the end this film due to age has suffered a bit. For the most part you can see what is happening but it appears as though parts of the film were partially burned.

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