BOB’S ELECTRIC THEATER (1906)
aka LE THEATRE DE BOB
Article 2055 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 10-30-2006
Posting Date: 3-29-2007
Directed by Segundo de Chomon
Featuring Three Kids, Two Fighting Puppets, and a Tumbling Vaudevillian Puppet with Big Feet

Three kids decide to keep themselves entertained by watching a four act play on Bob’s Electric Theater.

Act 1 – Two puppets come out. They fight.
Act 2 – Two puppets come out. They fight.
Act 3 – Two puppets come out. They fight.
Act 4 – A tumbling vaudevillian puppet with big feet comes out. He tumbles.

This early work of stop-motion animation is fairly entertaining as an early example of that sort of thing, and the hand tinting is quite charming. The plot needs a little work, though, despite the unforeseeable twist in act four. I wonder if Ken’s Electric Theater is any better. Or maybe Hubie’s Electric Theater down the block.

Today, children have television and video games.

I’ll leave it to you to decide if this is progress.