Scullion's Dream (1908) [N/A]
Written by:
Segundo de Chomón
Directed by:
Segundo de Chomón
Release Date:
January 24, 1908
Original Title:
Le rêve des marmitons
Alternate Titles:
El sueño de los pinches
Genres:
Comedy | Fantasy
Production Companies:
Pathé Frères
Production Countries:
France
Ratings / Certifications:
N/A
Runtime: 7
When the entire kitchen staff falls asleep from exhaustion, a dwarf appears and animates various objects via stop motion -- including their hands, which he cuts off while they snooze -- to do their work.
The view is that of the interior of a kitchen where, under the watchful eyes of the chef, the scullions and dishwashers are engaged at their work industriously. When the chef leaves the chamber for a moment there is pandemonium, for the scullions prove to be good acrobats and they tumble and fly around the room, cutting up all sorts of high jinks; but as soon as they hear his heavy footsteps they jump to their little stools once more and resume their labors innocently. The unsuspecting chef takes his seat in his big chair, and soon all are at work, forgetful of all else. So innocently do they perform their labors that soon, they begin to nod drowsily, and one of them, a peeler, falls asleep. A close view now shows his dream. A huge knife moving on its own accord, cuts off his hands; one of them grasps the knife, while the other holds a beet, and both hands cut the beet into slices; the pieces go through some stunts of evolution, after which they spring back into place, and the beet is whole again, while the two hands fasten themselves on the wrists from which they came. The next dream shown is that of the dispenser of linens. A small cane disk appears on the table before him and from this hops out some more cane which begins to weave itself into a basket of its own accord; the work goes on until there is a fine, large basket completed. from this a napkin pops out, opens itself up, then folds itself and lies down on the table. It is followed by another and another, each one of them laying itself on the pile and making a neat, tidy stack, which then moves itself into the basket and shuffles itself away. The fat old chef who is continually figuring, next dreams that his hands are cut off. They bring to him his slate, and one of them seizes the chalk while the other grasps the sponge. One of the hands writes a long row of figures, and when it makes a mistake, the hand with the sponge eradicates the error. After quite a little figuring the hands go back to their owner. A bald-headed scullion is next to dream, and his is a weird one. A fly mounts his pate and begins to crawl over it, drawing a picture of a grotesque face as it goes. Each drawing: disappears when completed, and the fly with lightning bounds draws another. This artistic piece of work done, the sleepers suddenly awake, and each remembering his weird dream, accuses the other of being responsible for it with the result that there is a grand mêlée.
