Le Manoir du diable

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Le Manoir du diable
Directed by Georges Méliès
Produced by Georges Méliès
Star Films
Written by Georges Méliès
Starring Jeanne d'Alcy
Georges Méliès
Cinematography Phil Meheux
Bill Pope
Editing by Craig Herring
Release date(s) December 24, 1896
Running time 2 minutes
Country Flag of France France
Language Silent
IMDb profile

Le Manoir du diable (French: The House of the Devil) is a two minute long French film directed by Georges Méliès. The film contained many traditional pantomime elements and was intentionally meant to amuse people, rather than frighten them. The film is often called other things by mistake, some of these include:

  • The Haunted Castle
  • The Devil's Manor
  • Manor of the Devil
  • The Manor of the Devil

It was released on Christmas Eve, 1896, at the Theatre Robert Houdin, 8 boulevard des Italiens, Paris. It was from this two minute short that many assume the horror film was born.

[edit] Plot Summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The film starts off with a large bat flying into a medieval castle. Once in, the bat circles slowly while flapping its monstrous wings before suddenly changing into Mephistopheles. After preparing a cauldron, the demon produces skeletons, ghosts, and witches from its bubbling contents before one of the summoned underworld cavaliers holds up a crucifix and Satan vanishes in a blast of smoke.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] External links

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