The Mysterious Retort

(1906)

3:17 minutes

Fantasy / Mystery / Silent

Directed by Georges Méliès

The original French title is L'alchimiste Parafaragaramus ou la cornue infernale ue infernale. One of Georges Méliès fairly typical trick photography films. In it, the alchemist Parafaragamus falls asleep in his laboratory chair while a snake slithers out of his infernal furnace. The snake transforms into a jester who teleports himself into an oversized beaker. He then transforms into a spider and a woman before pouring himself out of the beaker. Finally he scares off the alchemist's assistants and declares victory.