Works by Pathé (71)

Histoire d'un crime

Sometimes dead men do tell tales...In jail for murder, a man tells the story of his road to ruin from drinking - via a thought balloon on the prison wall, an effective early flashback technique. Then he is led off to a gruesome end. A noir tale without noir visuals.

Les Victimes De L'alcoolisme

A moralizing tale of intemperance. First of numerous adaptations of the novel 'L'Assommoir' (1877), by Émile Zola

Despite its story - of the type hilariously parodied in W.C. Fields' The Fatal Glass of Beer (1933) - the film is still impressive, featuring:

  • An early use of expository intertitles
  • An extended opening shot that establishes the “Interieur du ménage ouvrier, heureux et prospère”: the worker's happy and prosperous home (although his slovenly personal hygiene seems a fatal flaw as bad as booze: coming in off the mean streets of the early industrial era, and immediately sitting down to dinner without washing hands - ugh! But the film is not titled “Victims of Slovenly Personal Hygiene”, so that has to be overlooked).
  • A street scene and tavern scene that somewhat capture the feel of the actual locations, even though they were obviously shot on sets. Unfortunately, as with too many films of this era, the sets dwarf the actors, who never occupy more than half the screen height.

And all capped with an over the top performance of a delirium tremens attack (undoubtedly worsened by his slovenly personal hygiene) - for a full 1.2 minutes (that feels like hours).

La danse des apaches

According to the Oxford dictionary of dance, the Apaché did not appear in France until about 1908. But here it is, in full bloom, in 1904. Is Oxford lying to us? Check out this Stanford post “The hidden story of the Apache dance” for an explanation. TLDR: Mistinguett's autobiography claims that she created the dance before 1908, as early as 1903.

The Torn Trousers/In A Difficult Position (Mon Pantalon Est Décousu)

Max uses finesse to try to hide a rip in his trousers during a dance. This is quintessential Max: the dapper and loveable upper-class twit whose efforts to impress ladies crash and burn while he tries to keep face, in the modern man's dilemma of maintaining the delusion of stability as his world falls apart.

His First Cigar (Premier Cigare d'un Collegien)

This is not Max, the dapper and loveable upper-class twit, but appears to be the same schoolboy in 'In Love With The Bearded Woman' (same uniform and still living with parents), who takes a crack at cigar-smoking. Closeup shots showcase Linder's remarkable expressive abilities, as he demonstrates how to choke with finesse.

Troubles Of A Grasswidower (Vive La Vie de Garçon)

Max has a wife who tires of his annoying behavior and returns to her mother. At first, Max is quite pleased to have the house all to himself. But he quickly discovers that even the most basic domestic chores can be fraught with difficulty. Introduces the Crazy Max dance

In Love With The Bearded Woman (Amoureux de la Femme à Barbe)

This is not Max, the dapper and loveable upper-class twit, but appears to be the same schoolboy in His First Cigar (same uniform and still living with parents), who now has lovesick eyes for big bush.

The Surprises of a Flirtation (Les surprises de l'amour)

A father and two sons pursue the same dame. Even though this release date is not in Linder's early period, this is not Max, the dapper and loveable upper-class twit.