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The Humpty Dumpty Circus (1898) Online

The Humpty Dumpty Circus (1898) Online
1898 J. Stuart Blackton Albert E. Smith
Original Title :
The Humpty Dumpty Circus
Genre :
Movie / Animation / Short / Comedy
Year :
1898
Directror :
J. Stuart Blackton,Albert E. Smith
Writer :
J. Stuart Blackton
Type :
Movie
Rating :
5.7/10

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A reel of mirth-provoking stunts that will draw the pennies from the children, but which is of much interest to young and old alike. It opens with a crowd of children leaving school and ... See full summary

The Humpty Dumpty Circus (1898) Online

A reel of mirth-provoking stunts that will draw the pennies from the children, but which is of much interest to young and old alike. It opens with a crowd of children leaving school and marching through the streets to the "Humpty Dumpty Circus." We see them crowd into the tent and at the end of each act they vociferously applaud the performers These are the little wooden toys that are familiar to all, and which are made to perform all the usual acrobatic stunts of the circus performer in a remarkably realistic manner. Some of the scenes are really comical and it is hard to believe that the elephants and donkeys are not alive.


User reviews

Jugore

Jugore

In other sources, the release date for Humpty Dumpty Circus is normally listed as 1898. The IMDb entry is the only one which asserts 1908. Smith and Blackton were making much more sophisticated stop-motion films by 1908, so that makes the 1898 date more plausible.

There seem to be no existing prints of the film, and non-internet references are not available.

Until someone can find more definite references about the film, the release date remains a mystery. One wonders where Guiness Book of World Records got their information about the content of the film (they go with the 1898 date).
Umge

Umge

Considered one if not THE first stop-motion picture of all time. J.S. Blackton simply moves his sons toys around 1 frame at a time so that they appear to move around without anyone person physically moving them on camera. Film has for some time been lost and cannot be found, only information about the film exists.
Nten

Nten

It may interest some of our readers to know how these pictures are made, where inanimate articles are seemingly given life. The figures are posed in front of the camera, one picture exposed, then they are moved slightly and another picture exposed, and so on, the photographer being careful not to move the figures or their limbs too far at one time or else a jerky movement is presented. When we consider that there are twelve pictures to a foot of film and that there are 885 feet in the "Humpty Dumpty" subject we begin to realize the magnitude of the task. We are not surprised to learn that the producer worked for several months on the negative, almost without intermission. The negative was made for the Kalem Company by F. E. Dobson, an adept at this kind of work, who was for many years with the Biograph Company. The cost to the Kalem Company far exceeded that of some of their most pretentious dramatic productions, in which large companies of actors are employed. On the standing order basis they expect to just come out about even, but it is a film that should bring many re-orders, as it will be especially popular during the holiday season. -- The Moving Picture World, October 30, 1908