LE TROUBADOUR (1906)
aka The Troubadour
Article 4292 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 8-20-2013
Directed by Segundo de Chomon
Featuring Gabrielle Robinne
Country: France
What it is: Trick film

A troubadour performs tricks in which he duplicates himself.

The basic trick of this film is that the troubadour makes duplicates of himself so he can have an orchestra. It’s basically the same sort of trick that Melies did six years earlier with THE ONE MAN BAND, and though this short isn’t a complete imitation of the earlier movie, it still doesn’t come up with anything really new using the idea. There’s a minor trick involving a fan presenting a scene in which the troubadour serenades a woman, but there’s not much to this section, either. This one ranks with Chomon’s less inspired efforts.