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             The Magician 
            (1900) United States of America 
            B&W : 60 feet 
            Directed by [?] Edwin S. Porter? 
            Cast: (unknown) 
            Edison Manufacturing Company production; distributed by Edison Manufacturing Company. / Cinematography by [?] Edwin S. Porter? / © 28 February 1900 by Thomas A. Edison [D4733]. Released February 1900. / [?] Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format? / Website-AFI extrapolates incorrectly that this may be an Edison rerelease of a Méliès film. 
            Trick film. 
            Synopsis: [From Edison promotional materials] The scene opens on a theatrical stage. The magician enters from the wings, and making a bow to the audience, removes his coat and hat, and they disappear mysteriously into the air. He then takes a white handkerchief from his pocket, holds it over his knees, and his long trousers disappear, and behold! he is clad in knickerbockers. He next makes a pass with a magic wand and a table suddenly appears before the audience, on which is a large pile of tissue paper. The magician takes up the paper and shakes it a few times and three live geese fly out upon the floor. This is a highly pleasing and mystifying subject. 60 feet. $9.00. 
            Survival status: Prints exist in the Library of Congress film archive [35mm paper positive (LC 1148), 35mm reference positive (FEC 2807). 
            Current rights holder: Public domain [USA]. 
            Listing updated: 20 December 2024. 
            References: Tarbox-Lost p. 43 : Website-AFI; Website-IMDb; Website-LoC. 
            
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