Le papillon fantastique (1909)
Article 5657 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 3-26-2019
Directed Georges Melies
Featuring Georges Melies
Country: France
What it is: Magic short fragment

A magician performs magic involving a giant butterfly and a spider creature.

Apparently, all that is left of this short is a two-minute fragment, but given that it’s a magic trick short, I’m guessing all I’m missing is a few tricks. The best thing about this is its switch of mood halfway through; the sequence with the butterfly is all bright and cheery, but things turn dark and ominous when the spider shows up. Outside of that, it looks like your typical Melies magic trick short – entertaining, but hardly essential.