Fifty Before '50: Nightmare Fuel

 by JB

Have you been sleeping a little too soundly lately? I have a solution for THAT!

In my ever-widening search for antique film rarities and oddities, I sometimes chance upon strangeness that was completely unexpected, found lying by the side of the information superhighway when I was on my way to somewhere else.

Alice in Wonderland (1915) and Le Cochon Danseur (1907) are two such films. I discovered the silent Alice while researching my column on Disney’s Alice a few weeks ago, and I discovered the other in a Google search for “dancing pig.” Don’t judge me.

Alice in Wonderland is the longest of these nightmares. The restored print runs almost an hour! For those with very little free time, I will direct you to all the good parts. And by “good parts,” I mean “very, very bad parts.”



THE PLOT IN BRIEF: While Alice’s mother busies herself in the kitchen making tarts, Alice herself is bored. She goes for a walk with her sister, chases the White Rabbit, and winds up quite lost. She begins to cry and literally swims in her own tears. The Dormouse, the Dodo, and the Owl show up for fun. (Apparently, the four of them originally engaged in a race, but that footage has been lost to time, along with appearances by Tweedledum and Tweedledee). Alice meets the Caterpillar. She meets the Cheshire Cat. She meets the Beatles. (JUST KIDDING!) She chances upon a tea party in the woods attended by the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. Just when we are ready to abandon watching this film, Alice meets the Queen of Hearts, who chokes her soundly. Alice wakes up on the banks of a river. It was all a dream... and an hour of my life I will never get back... until the inevitable nightmares come calling tonight.

Particularly disturbing imagery can be found at the following time codes: 29:39, 32:19, 34:40, and 48:27

Le Cochon Danseur (The Dancing Pig) (1907) Apparently, images from this one-of-a-kind film have become an internet meme for “general strangeness.” I have never before encountered these, but rest assured that tonight while I sleep, I’m sure I will.



THE PLOT IN BRIEF: Before she will dance with it, an unidentified woman forces a giant anthropomorphic pig to strip naked. (Because OBVIOUSLY.) The pig begs to be released from this humiliation, but the woman simply grabs his tail and forces him back into the designated performance space. The pig is then dressed in drag and forced to dance in a pretty little dress and fancy bonnet until it is thoroughly embarrassed and exhausted. Although the woman is smiling all the time, one starts to wonder what kind of grudge she bears against the pig. As if all of this were not disturbing enough, the film ends with a closeup of the pig, licking his chops and making random faces.

Particularly disturbing imagery can be found at the following time codes: 1:02, 2:34, 3:57, and 4:17.

BONUS SHORT: La Maison Ensorcelée (The Haunted House) (1907) This atypical George Méliès short features surrealistic imagery, nightmare logic, and a giant bedroom demon.



THE PLOT IN BRIEF: Three travelers happen to chance upon a haunted house. (The witches flying by on their broomsticks should have tipped them off, but I don't know; maybe "times were different then" or whatever.) The house is so haunted that it’s hard to stay standing. Their luggage flies out the door. A bedroom demon appears briefly in a picture frame—Don’t worry, he’ll be back! Though the travelers are terrified, they remove their coats and decide to stay. Multiple sets of chairs disappear. (This IS still a Méliès film.) Empty coats become animated. Ghosts dance. The travelers decide to make dinner. (Because OBVIOUSLY.) The food and place settings become animated. Whose house is this? The travelers stare at these strange spectacles, mouths agape. They decide to call it a night. The room is full of flames. While preparing to sleep, guess who makes a return appearance?

Particularly disturbing imagery can be found at the following time codes: 0:25, 0:50, 3:59, 5:25, and 5:44.

You will dream about at least one or more of these films tonight. Oh yes, you will.