Video Curators discover lost 1897 film featuring one of cinema’s earliest ‘robots’
Library of Congress curators identified the long-lost Georges Méliès film "Gugusse and the Automaton" after spotting a subtle clue in a deteriorating reel. (Credit: Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division)
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What started as a typical day for Library of Congress librarians transformed into a significant discovery when they unearthed a missing 1897 film showcasing one of the earliest cinematic automatons.
The motion picture, titled “Gugusse and the Automaton,” was produced by the renowned French director Georges Méliès in 1897.
Méliès was a trailblazer in visual effects, directing the celebrated 1902 work “A Trip to the Moon.”
The recently found film depicts a magician engaging in a brief, comedic confrontation with a playful automaton.
The Library of Congress has characterized the film as “the first instance of what could be considered a robot.”
It was brought to light by librarians who were examining a collection of degrading film stock. Their identification of the film occurred in September, though officials kept the find confidential until late February.
A previously missing 1897 film by Georges Méliès (pictured on the right) has reappeared at the Library of Congress after being unseen for over a century. (Shawn Miller/Library of Congress; Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)
“It had likely not been viewed by anyone in more than a hundred years,” the announcement stated.
The curators were initially uncertain about the film’s identity, according to Jason Evans Groth, a curator at the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center’s Moving Image Section in Culpeper, Virginia.
Groth informed Fox News Digital that the team observed a “slight indication” within a frame that prompted them to suspect it might be a Méliès production.
“Upon close examination of the film on their viewing equipment, they noticed a star emblem painted on one of the props,” he remarked.
Librarians recently pinpointed “Gugusse and the Automaton,” an early short by Méliès that may feature cinema’s inaugural robot. (Shawn Miller/Library of Congress)
“Aware that Méliès’ film company was named Star Film and that he frequently incorporated that imagery into his works, they reached out to a Méliès specialist colleague with a photograph of the frame,” Groth explained.
The colleague responded enthusiastically, “Congratulations! You’ve found a lost Méliès film!”
Groth added, “They also provided us with the title — which was known to cinema and Méliès historians to exist but had been missing for decades.”
The film reel was forwarded to the Library of Congress by Bill McFarland, an individual from Michigan whose family had maintained possession of the films for many years, storing them in various locations such as basements, barns, and garages.
Groth characterized the film as being of low quality, suggesting it had probably been copied and distributed numerous times.
While reviewing decaying films from a private collection, the Library of Congress identified the delicate reel. (Shawn Miller/Library of Congress)
“We’re not precisely certain how [McFarland’s great-grandfather] William DeLyle Frisbee acquired this particular film, or if it was one of his favorites, but presenting a French magic trick movie to audiences in Pennsylvania — especially one with an automaton! — must have been quite a spectacle,” he commented.
For those unfamiliar with Méliès’ cinematic contributions, Groth noted that his impact extends from the nascent stages of filmmaking to the 2011 movie “Hugo” by Martin Scorsese, where Méliès himself is depicted as a character.
Méliès “created hundreds of films, and instead of merely documenting reality, he succeeded in incorporating imaginative narratives into his short works, evoking atmospheres and moods rooted in fantasy, early science fiction, and illusion,” stated Groth.
The Library of Congress has described the film as “the initial appearance of what could be termed a robot.” (Library of Congress)
“He constructed new realms and astonished viewers, relying on narrative storytelling to captivate the audience’s attention and imagination rather than simply presenting them with the world on the screen.”
Groth pointed out that a “very substantial portion” of early silent films have vanished from history, making this discovery particularly noteworthy.
Méliès, recognized for “A Trip to the Moon,” produced numerous short films that blended illusion with narrative. (Bettmann via Getty Images)
“Fortunately, an increasing number of films presumed lost are coming to light,” he added.
“Some are discovered within larger archives,” he elaborated. “Others, as in this instance, are passed down through generations but are not easily playable, consequently lying dormant until they fall into the appropriate hands.”