Georges Méliès

Personal Info

Known For

Directing

Known Credits

148

Gender

Male

Birthday

1861-12-08

Day of death

1938-01-21 (76 years old)

Place of Birth

Paris, France

Georges Méliès

Biography

Georges Méliès (December 8, 1861 - January 21, 1938), full name Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès, was a French illusionist and filmmaker famous for leading many technical and narrative developments in the earliest days of cinema. One of the first filmmakers to use multiple exposures, time-lapse photography, tracking shots, dissolves, and hand-painted color in his work, Méliès pioneered effects that would define cinematic special effects for decades to come.  A prolific innovator in the use of special effects, Méliès accidentally discovered the substitution stop trick in 1896, a method of creating seamless disappearing and/or appearing effects used throughout both films and television for decades to come.  Because of his ability to seemingly manipulate and transform reality through cinematography, Méliès is sometimes referred to as the first "Cinemagician". Two of his best-known films are A Trip to the Moon (1902) and The Impossible Voyage (1904). Both stories involve strange, surreal voyages, somewhat in the style of Jules Verne, and are considered among the most important early science fiction films, though their approach is closer to fantasy. Méliès was also an early pioneer of horror cinema, which can be traced back to his Le Manoir du diable (1896).   In early 1909 Méliès stopped making films to protest Thomas Edison's Motion Pictures Parents Company monopoly, and presided over the first meeting of the International Filmmakers Congress in Paris.  Further financial hardships created by his opposition to Edison and diminishing influence, Méliès disappeared from public life. By the mid-1920s he made a meager living as a candy and toy salesma in Paris, with the assistance of funds collected by other filmmakers.  Although he was recognized for his contributions in cinema, Méliès spent most of his later years in poverty before being accepted into La Maison du Retraite du Cinéma, the film industry's retirement home in Orly.  

Known For

  • A Trip to the Moon

    A Trip to the Moon

  • El hombre que quiso ser Segundo

    El hombre que quiso ser Segundo

  • The Astronomer's Dream

    The Astronomer's Dream

  • Cinderella

    Cinderella

  • Bluebeard

    Bluebeard

  • The Good Luck of a 'Souse'

    The Good Luck of a 'Souse'

  • The Extraordinary Voyage

    The Extraordinary Voyage

  • The Méliès Mystery

    The Méliès Mystery

  • The Magic of Méliès

    The Magic of Méliès

  • The Mystical Flame

    The Mystical Flame

  • The Pillar of Fire

    The Pillar of Fire

  • Gulliver's Travels Among the Lilliputians and the Giants

    Gulliver's Travels Among the Lilliputians and the Giants

  • The Cinemagician, Georges Méliès

    The Cinemagician, Georges Méliès

  • The Kingdom of the Fairies

    The Kingdom of the Fairies

  • Ulysses and the Giant Polyphemus

    Ulysses and the Giant Polyphemus

  • A Nightmare

    A Nightmare

  • The Eclipse: Courtship of the Sun and Moon

    The Eclipse: Courtship of the Sun and Moon

  • The Impossible Voyage

    The Impossible Voyage

  • Encyclopédie audiovisuelle du cinéma

    Encyclopédie audiovisuelle du cinéma

  • Le manoir du diable

    Le manoir du diable

  • Cinematógrafo 1900

    Cinematógrafo 1900

  • Cleopatra's Tomb

    Cleopatra's Tomb

  • The Witch

    The Witch

  • Joan of Arc

    Joan of Arc

  • The Vanishing Lady

    The Vanishing Lady

  • The Bridegroom's Dilemma

    The Bridegroom's Dilemma

  • Le château hanté

    Le château hanté

  • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

    20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

  • The Man with the Rubber Head

    The Man with the Rubber Head

  • The Devil and the Statue

    The Devil and the Statue

  • The Temple of the Sun

    The Temple of the Sun

  • The Infernal Cauldron

    The Infernal Cauldron

  • The One-Man Band

    The One-Man Band

  • An Up-to-Date Conjurer

    An Up-to-Date Conjurer

  • The Fortune Favors the Brave

    The Fortune Favors the Brave

  • The Diabolic Tenant

    The Diabolic Tenant

  • The Doctor's Secret

    The Doctor's Secret

  • Misfortune Never Comes Alone

    Misfortune Never Comes Alone

  • The Wizard, the Prince and the Good Fairy

    The Wizard, the Prince and the Good Fairy

  • A Moonlight Serenade

    A Moonlight Serenade

  • The Melomaniac

    The Melomaniac

  • Tchin-Chao, the Chinese Conjurer

    Tchin-Chao, the Chinese Conjurer

  • Robinson Crusoe

    Robinson Crusoe

  • Apparitions

    Apparitions

  • The Conquest of the Pole

    The Conquest of the Pole

  • The Christmas Dream

    The Christmas Dream

  • The Magician

    The Magician

  • Going to Bed Under Difficulties

    Going to Bed Under Difficulties

  • Extraordinary Illusions

    Extraordinary Illusions

  • Alcofribas, The Master Magician

    Alcofribas, The Master Magician

  • The Bewitched Inn

    The Bewitched Inn

  • The Four Troublesome Heads

    The Four Troublesome Heads

  • The Magic Lantern

    The Magic Lantern

  • The Temptation of St. Anthony

    The Temptation of St. Anthony

  • A Terrible Night

    A Terrible Night

  • The Monster

    The Monster

  • Pygmalion and Galatea

    Pygmalion and Galatea

  • Rip's Dream

    Rip's Dream

  • The Ballet Master's Dream

    The Ballet Master's Dream

  • Faust and Marguerite

    Faust and Marguerite

  • Tunneling the English Channel

    Tunneling the English Channel

  • Faust in the Underworld

    Faust in the Underworld

  • The Fat and Lean Wrestling Match

    The Fat and Lean Wrestling Match

  • The Cook in Trouble

    The Cook in Trouble

  • Naval Combat in Greece

    Naval Combat in Greece

  • The Human Fly

    The Human Fly

  • The Mermaid

    The Mermaid

  • Playing Cards

    Playing Cards

  • A Desperate Crime

    A Desperate Crime

  • The Brahmin and the Butterfly

    The Brahmin and the Butterfly

  • The Dreyfus Affair

    The Dreyfus Affair

  • Gala Méliès

    Gala Méliès

  • The Merry Frolics of Satan

    The Merry Frolics of Satan

  • The Terrible Turkish Executioner

    The Terrible Turkish Executioner

  • Sure Cure for Indigestion

    Sure Cure for Indigestion

  • The Mysterious Box

    The Mysterious Box

  • The Devilish Plank

    The Devilish Plank

  • Whimsical Illusions

    Whimsical Illusions

  • The New Lord of the Village

    The New Lord of the Village

  • Summoning the Spirits

    Summoning the Spirits

  • The Devil in a Convent

    The Devil in a Convent

  • The Palace of the Arabian Nights

    The Palace of the Arabian Nights

  • Up-to-Date Spiritualism

    Up-to-Date Spiritualism

  • The Clockmaker's Dream

    The Clockmaker's Dream

  • The Untamable Whiskers

    The Untamable Whiskers

  • A Maiden's Paradise

    A Maiden's Paradise

  • Jupiter's Thunderballs

    Jupiter's Thunderballs

  • Tit for Tat

    Tit for Tat

  • The Prince of Magicians

    The Prince of Magicians

  • The Oracle of Delphi

    The Oracle of Delphi

  • The Prolific Magical Egg

    The Prolific Magical Egg

  • French Cops Learning English

    French Cops Learning English

  • The Firefall

    The Firefall

  • Between Calais and Dover

    Between Calais and Dover

  • The Magician's Cavern

    The Magician's Cavern

  • The Human Pyramid

    The Human Pyramid

  • The Hilarious Posters

    The Hilarious Posters

  • Long Distance Wireless Photography

    Long Distance Wireless Photography

  • Conjuring

    Conjuring

  • The Famous Box Trick

    The Famous Box Trick

  • Delirium in a Studio

    Delirium in a Studio

  • Tribulations; or, The Misfortunes of a Cobbler

    Tribulations; or, The Misfortunes of a Cobbler

  • A Midnight Episode

    A Midnight Episode

  • A Fantastical Meal

    A Fantastical Meal

  • The Black Imp

    The Black Imp

  • Les infortunes des patineurs

    Les infortunes des patineurs

  • The Infernal Cake-Walk

    The Infernal Cake-Walk

  • The Marvellous Wreath

    The Marvellous Wreath

  • The Dwarf and the Giant

    The Dwarf and the Giant

  • The Treasures of Satan

    The Treasures of Satan

  • Bob Kick, the Mischievous Kid

    Bob Kick, the Mischievous Kid

  • The Lilliputian Minuet

    The Lilliputian Minuet

  • Good Glue Sticks

    Good Glue Sticks

  • The Diabolical Church Window

    The Diabolical Church Window

  • Every Man His Own Cigar Lighter

    Every Man His Own Cigar Lighter

  • The Knight of the Snow

    The Knight of the Snow

  • The King and the Jester

    The King and the Jester

  • Not Guilty

    Not Guilty

  • The Mysterious Knight

    The Mysterious Knight

  • A Roadside Inn

    A Roadside Inn

  • The Christmas Angel

    The Christmas Angel

  • Satan in Prison

    Satan in Prison

  • The Fugitive Apparitions

    The Fugitive Apparitions

  • An Impossible Balancing Feat

    An Impossible Balancing Feat

  • The Inventor Crazybrains and His Wonderful Airship

    The Inventor Crazybrains and His Wonderful Airship

  • A Funny Mahometan

    A Funny Mahometan

  • The Indian Sorcerer

    The Indian Sorcerer

  • The Mysterious Portrait

    The Mysterious Portrait

  • Méliès: Tales of Terror

    Méliès: Tales of Terror

  • The Living Playing Cards

    The Living Playing Cards

  • A Trip to the Melisverse

    A Trip to the Melisverse

  • Violons d'Ingres

    Violons d'Ingres

  • The Enchanted Basket

    The Enchanted Basket

  • The Triple Conjurer and the Living Head

    The Triple Conjurer and the Living Head

  • Beelzebub's Daughters

    Beelzebub's Daughters

  • Hat of Many Surprises

    Hat of Many Surprises

  • The Triple Headed Lady

    The Triple Headed Lady

  • The Mysterious Retort

    The Mysterious Retort

  • The Wandering Jew

    The Wandering Jew

  • A Wager Between Two Magicians, or, Jealous of Myself

    A Wager Between Two Magicians, or, Jealous of Myself

  • The Wonderful Living Fan

    The Wonderful Living Fan

  • Alcoléa & cie Documentary

    Alcoléa & cie Documentary

  • The Artist and the Dummy

    The Artist and the Dummy

  • A Mesmerian Experiment

    A Mesmerian Experiment

  • The Magic Book

    The Magic Book

  • Dancing in a Harem

    Dancing in a Harem

  • In the Barber Shop

    In the Barber Shop

  • Satans Sacrilegious Saga

    Satans Sacrilegious Saga