Tchin-Chao, the Chinese Conjurer
About Tchin-Chao, the Chinese Conjurer
Georges Méliès, as the conjurer Tchin-Chao, stands by one table and makes it two. A fan becomes a parasol, lanterns appear and vanish, and a dog leaps out when he spins the parasol. The dog turns into a woman, a masked man appears, and the two trade places while seated on boxes. The swaps keep going against a plain backdrop.
Cast & crew
More about Tchin-Chao, the Chinese Conjurer
French title Le Thaumaturge chinois, British title The Chinese Juggler, Star Film numbers 578–580. The tricks are substitution splices and dissolves. The action is fast even at 16 frames a second, and Méliès may have had the camera undercranked on purpose.
Themes
Music
Silent.
Notes
- Méliès himself plays the conjurer.
- The parasol spin is the cover for the dog's entrance.
- The woman and the masked man change seats without a walk across the gap.
- The backdrop stays bare so each substitution reads clearly.
Scenes
- A dog jumps out from behind the spinning parasol.
- The seated woman and the masked man change places.
