The Magician's Cavern
About The Magician's Cavern
A magician comes into his cavern and works a skeleton. He turns it into a woman with a shield, then into a dressed lady, and lifts her. He turns her back into the skeleton and dances with it. A table slides around the room. A stool rises onto the table. He tries to catch four dancing spirits, sets more furniture dancing, and flies up through the ceiling. He comes back, rips off the outer clothes to show a dress suit, lights a smoke, and walks off.
Cast & crew
More about The Magician's Cavern
Georges Méliès directed the trick film. Star Film listed it as numbers 345–347. The French title is L'Antre des esprits. Britain called it The House of Mystery. A timing is 2 minutes 50 seconds. Another listing gives 3 minutes.
Themes
Making
Méliès uses substitutions for the skeleton, the woman, the floating furniture, and the flight through the roof.
Preservation
A print survives.
Notes
- The first change is skeleton to woman to skeleton again, then a dance.
- The exit is through the ceiling, not the door.
- He finishes in a dress suit with a cigarette.
- The British title, The House of Mystery, is the same negative.
Scenes
- The skeleton becomes a woman carrying a shield.
- He dances with the skeleton after she is changed back.
- He flies through the ceiling and returns in a dress suit.
Also available
- Wikimedia Commons (L'Antre des esprits.webm)
