The Awful Symphony(1909)

Strange shadows form into a band of bizarre performers, who march down the near-deserted streets putting on the most surreal parade ever...

The year is 1909, director Segundo de Chomon is at the height of his skills and Pathe studios is still solvent enough to bankroll him. New advances in film allow precision outdoor shooting which then are blended seamlessly with realistically painted sets. Meanwhile the filmmaker's command of stop-motion has advanced by leaps and bounds since the award-winning Electric Hotel(1908) and his camera effects are crisp, clean and hilarious. The performers in this 3-and-a-half minute feature appear to be having the time of their lives in front of the camera, and while the music was added later by third parties it fits the film quite well. Traces of the original hand-tinting remain throughout most of the work...Silent, Tinted.