OTHER FACES FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE CENTURY

Not to be an indie hipster type, but Georges Méliès (December 8, 1861 – January 21, 1938) Is sooooo commercial... Just kidding, I think there are two characters parallel to him that should also be recognized, but they always seem to be overlooked.

Segundo de Chomón ( October 1871 - May 1929)

 (say-goon-doh-day-show-mon)

He was a spanish pioneer of films. He copied many ideas from Méliès, but the greatest pieces he produced were original concepts like one of his most recognized works: The Electric Hotel (1906) which kind of reminds me of Chaplin´s modern times.




He also does some great stop motion in "Modern Sculpture" (1908)



I don´t know, but I see a lot of this guy´s work influencing Svankmajer.

Wladyslaw Starewicz ( August 1882 - February 1965)

(Many people spell it differently) 

An entomologist turned animator which worked a little later in the century but also a pioneer, mostly in the technique of stop-motion. Which marks a difference with Méliès and De Chomón because he didn't do any live action. The Cameraman´s revenge (1911) is his most recognized work. Is a very adult drama about infidelity.

All of these films are public domain, so you can download them from archive.org in pretty good quality.

El Hotel Electrico (The Electric Hotel) (1908)

http://www.archive.org/details/El_Hotel_Electrico_1908

Miest Kinooperatora ( Cameraman´s revenge) (1911)

http://www.archive.org/details/MiestKinooperatorawladyslawStarewicz1911