Comedy (Sorted by Release Date Ascending)
1. Poor Pierrot (1892)
4 min | Animation, Comedy, Short
One night, Arlequin come to see his lover Colombine. But then Pierrot knocks at the door and Colombine and Arlequin hide. Pierrot starts singing but Arlequin scares him and the poor man goes away.
Director: Émile Reynaud
Votes: 1,220
2. Blacksmith Scene (1893)
Unrated | 1 min | Short, Comedy
Three men hammer on an anvil and pass a bottle of beer around.
Director: William K.L. Dickson | Stars: Charles Kayser, John Ott
Votes: 1,948
3. The Boxing Cats (Prof. Welton's) (1894)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Action, Comedy
"A glove contest between trained cats. A very comical and amusing subject, and is sure to create a great laugh." (by Edison Films)
Directors: William K.L. Dickson, William Heise | Star: Henry Welton
Votes: 939
4. Glenroy Bros., No. 2 (1894)
1 min | Short, Comedy
The Glenroy Brothers perform a portion of their vaudeville act, "The Comic View of Boxing: The Tramp & the Athlete".
Directors: William K.L. Dickson, William Heise | Stars: The Glenroy Brothers, Thomas Glenroy, William Glrenroy
Votes: 369
5. Chinese Laundry Scene (1894)
1 min | Short, Comedy
The pursuit of Hop Lee by an irate policeman.
Directors: William K.L. Dickson, William Heise | Stars: Phil Doreto, Robetta
Votes: 419
6. Band Drill (1894)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Comedy
A scene from Charles Hoyt's 'A Milk White Flag': A brass band marches out, led by bandmaster Steele Ayers. When Ayers reaches his position, he turns around and directs the musicians as they take up their own positions.
Directors: William K.L. Dickson, William Heise | Stars: Fred W. Boardman, William Cushing, Ad Dorsch, E.P. Brown
Votes: 406
7. Topack and Steele (1894)
Comedy, Short
Lively political debate, representing [Grover] Cleveland and [Benjamin] Harrison.
Director: William K.L. Dickson | Stars: George W. Steele, George Topack
Votes: 16
8. Transformation by Hats, Comic View (1895)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Comedy
The transformation of the same character in six different characters. A vision of the act of transformation.
Director: Louis Lumière | Star: Félicien Trewey
Votes: 946
9. Dr. Colton or Dentist Scene (1895)
Not Rated | Short, Comedy
See Dr. Colton administering "laughing gas" to a patient and then pulling a tooth.
Director: William K.L. Dickson | Star: Gardner Quincy Colton
Votes: 10
10. The Mechanical Butcher (1895)
1 min | Short, Comedy, Sci-Fi
A butcher puts a full-grown live pig into his large box-like machine. Moments later, he draws out a full range of pork products, many already packaged for sale.
Director: Louis Lumière
Votes: 674
11. Robetta and Doretto, No. 1 (1895)
Comedy, Short
Scene represents section of the interior of a Chinese Opium Den.
Director: William K.L. Dickson | Stars: Phil Doreto, Robetta
Votes: 37
12. The Sprinkler Sprinkled (1895)
Not Rated | 1 min | Comedy, Short
An impudent child plays a prank on a gardener innocently watering his plants.
Director: Louis Lumière | Stars: François Clerc, Benoît Duval
Votes: 4,139
13. Trick Riding (1895)
1 min | Documentary, Short, Comedy
A man tries to get on a horse , but he climbs to one side and falls from the other, until he manages to stay in balance.
Director: Louis Lumière
Votes: 796
14. Photographe (1895)
1 min | Documentary, Short, Comedy
A photographer has his camera all set up to take a gentleman's picture. The subject checks his face in a hand mirror, and the photographer poses him. Just as the photographer is about to ... See full summary »
Director: Louis Lumière | Stars: Auguste Lumière, Clément Maurice
Votes: 363
15. Robetta and Doretto, No. 3 (1895)
Comedy, Short
Director: William K.L. Dickson | Stars: Phil Doreto, Robetta
Votes: 25
16. Watermelon Contest (1896)
1 min | Short, Comedy
Two men have a contest to see which one can be the first to eat a large slice of watermelon.
Director: James H. White
Votes: 206
17. Arroseur et arrosé (1896)
1 min | Short, Comedy
A household gardener is outside watering the garden. Unknown to him, the son of another servant sneaks up behind him and steps on the hose, stopping the flow of water. The befuddled ... See full summary »
Director: Francis Doublier
Votes: 492
18. Bataille de femmes (1896)
1 min | Short, Action, Comedy
The first brunette is outdoors, sweeping the street or a patio in front of a white wall, well lighted by the sunshine coming from the top left of the fixed camera; we may assume she is the ... See full summary »
Director: Louis Lumière | Star: Auguste Lumière
Votes: 158
20. The Bad Boy and the Gardener (1896)
Comedy, Short
A lady watering the garden with a hose, a mischievous boy stops the flow of water until she looks for the cause, when he permits the water to flow, resulting in the lady taking an ... See full summary »
Director: James H. White
Votes: 61
21. The Soldier's Courtship (1896)
1 min | Short, Comedy
Director: Alfred Moul | Stars: Fred Storey, Julie Seale, Ellen Daws
Votes: 43
22. Golfing Extraordinary, Five Gentlemen (1896)
Short, Comedy, Sport
Director: Birt Acres
Votes: 11
23. Irish Way of Discussing Politics (1896)
Short, Comedy
This is a typical Irish argument in which a can of beer, clay pipes and two sons of Erin form the principal parts.
Director: James H. White
Votes: 16
24. Landing at Low Tide (1896)
Short, Comedy
Brighton. Landing of party from small boat with comic incidents.
Director: Birt Acres
Votes: 10
25. The Tea Party (1896)
Short, Comedy
Ladies and gentlemen have tea and one upsets table.
Votes: 10
26. A Surrey Garden (1896)
Short, Comedy
Boy tricks gardener by stepping off the hose, then releasing water.
Director: Birt Acres
Votes: 14
27. The Twins' Tea Party (1896)
1 min | Comedy, Short
One of the prettiest pictures of child life we have yet offered. Two pretty children are seated in their high chairs playing "Tea Party" with their dishes arranged about them. They become ... See full summary »
Director: Robert W. Paul
Votes: 168
28. Two AM; or, The Husband's Return (1896)
1 min | Short, Comedy
Husband comes home late and wakes the wife.
Director: Robert W. Paul | Stars: Paul Clerget, Miss Ross-Selwicke
Votes: 131
29. A Hard Wash (1896)
Comedy, Short
"A colored woman washing a little pickaninny. Very funny, and especially pleasing to children."
Director: William K.L. Dickson
Votes: 22
30. Lone Fisherman (1896)
Not Rated | 1 min | Comedy, Short
"Depicts the patient fisherman, sitting on the end of a plank, waiting for a bite. Practical joker comes along and removes stone from other end of plank."
Director: James H. White
Votes: 234
31. Joueurs de cartes arrosés (1896)
1 min | Comedy, Short
Two men get into a fight over a card game.
Votes: 88
33. A Morning Bath (1896)
Not Rated | 1 min | Documentary, Short, Comedy
"Mammy is washing her little pickaninny. She thrusts him, kicking and struggling, into a tub full of foaming suds." - from the Edison Catalog
Director: James H. White
Votes: 408
34. The Tramp: Milk White Flag (1896)
Comedy, Short
Director: William K.L. Dickson | Star: Lew Bloom
Votes: 8
36. The Drunken Acrobat (1896)
Comedy, Short
"O'Brien and Havel, the well-known vaudeville team, in one of their most humorous sketches."
37. Comic Costume Race (1896)
1 min | Documentary, Short, Comedy
Amongst the most interesting of these is that representing the scene of the music hall sports at Herne-Hill. The particular event depicted is the costume race, and the manner in which the ... See full summary »
Director: Robert W. Paul
Votes: 128
38. Watering the Flowers (1896)
1 min | Short, Comedy
This lost film presumably features a person watering flowers to comedic effect. This film is believed to have imitated the Louis and Auguste Lumière film "L'arroseur arrose", which survives.
Director: Georges Méliès
Votes: 52
40. A Terrible Night (1896)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Comedy, Horror
A man tries to get a good night's sleep, but is disturbed by a giant spider that leaps onto his bed, and a battle ensues in hilarious comic fashion.
Director: Georges Méliès | Star: Georges Méliès
Votes: 984
42. The Prodigal's Return; 3 a.m. (1896)
Short, Comedy
"Return of the clubman after a big time at the club. His efforts to undress and get into bed are very laughable."
43. Sack Race (1896)
1 min | Comedy, Short
"A number of boys bound to the neck in sacks, racing for prize. There are several falls and many comical antics."
Votes: 29
44. Why Papa Cannot Sleep (1896)
Short, Comedy
"Shows papa walking the floor with a crying baby in his arms. An exceedingly laughable subject."
Votes: 29
46. The Rag Picker (1896)
Short, Comedy
Little is known about this lost film, other than its comedic intent.
Director: Georges Méliès
Votes: 13
47. Interrupted Lover (1896)
1 min | Comedy, Short
A pair of bucolic lovers discovered by the wrathful father, who teaches the gallant a lesson.
Votes: 263
48. Pat vs. Populist (1896)
Short, Comedy
Pat ascends a ladder with a hod of bricks. Is approached by a Populist politician. Shows his displeasures by dropping bricks on the politician.
Director: James H. White
Votes: 8