Ferdinand Zecca — Director (27)

Movie

The Fantastic Plunger (1901)
Plongeur fantastique WikiData IMDb TMDB
other title: Plongeur fantastique / ‎The Fantastic Plunger
A diver jumps into a body of water-- and then comes right back out! This film should not be confused with Ferdinand Zecca's own remake of the same name (Plongeur fantastique, 1905).

Movie

Scenes of Convict Life (1905)
Au bagne IMDb TMDB
other title: Au bagne
At an island penal institution, new prisoners are brought in one-by-one, and introduced to the harsh realities of prison life. They are put in fetters, sent to perform hard physical labor, and treated brutally. One convict manages to cut through the bars on his cell window. He climbs out, steals a boat, and begins a desperate attempt to escape from the island.

Movie

The Regret (1905)
Le Remords IMDb TMDB
other title: Le Remords
A servant kills his miser master and buries his corpse. The murderer is haunted by the ghost of his victim....or is it his own conscience?

Movie

A Father's Honor (1905)
L'Honneur d’un père IMDb TMDB
other title: L'Honneur d’un père
A young woman receives a message, and hurriedly leaves home. But the message was a trick to lure her into a trap, where she is assaulted and killed. When her body is found floating in the river, it is brought to her father. Once he realizes what has been done to his daughter, the father immediately sets out in an effort to extract vengeance.

Movie

Drama at the Bottom of the Sea (1901)
Un drame au fond de la mer WikiData IMDb TMDB
other title: Un drame au fond de la mer
Using a blue tint to set the scene under the sea, this is a short, surprisingly violent film where two divers fight to the death with axes over some treasure beneath the waves.

Movie

The Fairy of Spring (1902)
La Fée printemps WikiData IMDb TMDB
other title: El hada primavera / La Fée printemps …
It is the depths of winter, and the snow is falling. The desolate landscape casts a melancholic note over the scene. A poor peasant woman awaits her husband, who has gone to gather firewood in the forest. When he finally arrives, they lament their sad fate. If only they had a child! This wish has been granted by the Spring Fairy, who appears before them. With a wave of her magic wand, she transforms the scene into a cheerful, flowery landscape. They themselves are dressed in rich costumes. The fairy summons flowers, which flow into her hand to form a magnificent bouquet, instantly transformed into a beautiful pink baby, which she gives to them. Then she vanishes, leaving them overflowing with joy and longing. This film, tinted in Barcelona by Segundo de Chomón, is currently lost and should not be confused with the remake done by Vincent Lorant-Heilbronn in 1905, also tinted by Chomón in Paris, which is widely available to watch.

Movie

How Monsieur Takes His Bath (1903)
Comment monsieur prend son bain WikiData IMDb TMDB
other title: Comment monsieur prend son bain
A hapless man tries to get undressed only to find himself magically layered in even more clothes. There is no credited director for this film. Modern attributions go to either Alice Guy or Ferdinand Zecca, according to the PG archives.

Movie

Metempsychosis (1907)
Métempsycose Douban
other title: 转生 / Métempsycose …
The special effects pioneer Segundo de Chomón reinterprets for the camera a famous stage illusion that featured a metamorphosis from one object (or person) into another. Here a statue turns into a butterfly fairy who performs a number of dazzling costume transformations that are a feast for the eyes.