THE BEWITCHED TRAVELLER (1904)
Article 2528 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 3-6-2008
Posting Date: 7-14-2008
Directed by Cecil M. Hepworth
Cast unknown
Country: UK

A traveler finds his life plagued by mysterious disappearances and reappearances.

This is an early silent short that uses trick photography to tell its amusing story of a traveler who finds things vanishing around him, starting with tables, chairs and clothing, and then works itself up to coaches and trains, thereby frustrating his attempts to get anywhere. It’s quite well done, and it manages to work up to an effective ending which, in its way, is quite logical and even a little bit scary, though the movie is comic in tone. Another example of the creative early origins of cinema.