This very early Emile Cohl short does not survive in particularly good shape, but it is key in his transformation from trick films -- often in collaboration with Segundo de Chomon, one of Gaumont's directors meant to compete with Melies -- into the first regular animation director: a little girl has a friend bend a stick into a hoop, then magically stretch it; she chases it with a stick, and then hangs it on a wall.... and we see animated bits in it, at first origami, and latter drawn items.
Cohl would direct a large number of these for Gaumont and his FANTASMAGORIA is considered seminal, but animation would remain a very expensive and time-consuming operating for another eight years, when Bray would begin to invent and buy patents for some of the basic tools of the industry. In the meantime, Cohl's stuff remains unique.
Cohl would direct a large number of these for Gaumont and his FANTASMAGORIA is considered seminal, but animation would remain a very expensive and time-consuming operating for another eight years, when Bray would begin to invent and buy patents for some of the basic tools of the industry. In the meantime, Cohl's stuff remains unique.
