A Wager Between Two Magicians, or Jealous of Myself

A Wager Between Two Magicians, or Jealous of Myself / A Juggling Contest Between Two Magicians
Directed byGeorges Méliès
StarringGeorges Méliès
Production
company
Release date
  • 13 February 1904 (1904-02-13) (USA)[1]
Running time
60 meters[2] (approx. 2 minutes)[3]
CountryFrance
LanguageSilent

Match de prestidigitation (literally "conjuring contest"),[3] released in the United States as A Wager Between Two Magicians, or Jealous of Myself, and in the United Kingdom as A Juggling Contest Between Two Magicians, is a 1904 French silent trick film directed by French film pioneer Georges Méliès.[2]

The film was a lost film until partially rediscovered in 2016.

Plot

A performing magician divides into two people. The doubles then take turns doing tricks before merging back into one man.[3]

Cast

Méliès himself plays the magician in the film.[4]

Release and rediscovery

A Wager Between Two Magicians was released by Méliès's Star Film Company and is numbered 542–544 in its catalogues.[2] It was assumed lost until 2016, when a reel containing the final two thirds of the film was discovered at the Czech Film Archive.[4]

References

  1. ^ Rège, P., Encyclopedia of French Film Directors, Vol. 1 (Lanham, MD / Toronto / Plymouth: Scarecrow Press, 2010), p. 705.
  2. ^ a b c Malthête, Jacques; Mannoni, Laurent (2008), L'oeuvre de Georges Méliès, Paris: Éditions de La Martinière, p. 347
  3. ^ a b c "'Lost' movie by silent film pioneer unearthed at Czech film archive", The Guardian, Agence France-Presse, 11 October 2016, retrieved 13 October 2016
  4. ^ a b Ruschková, Alžběta (11 October 2016), "Un film perdu de Georges Méliès retrouvé à Prague", Radio Prague, retrieved 13 October 2016


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