Topic: The Sprinkler Sprinkled (1895) - First Film Comedy Ever

[metaldams]

      It’s my week off, so I’m getting an unexpected bonus review in.  Above is a video for THE SPRINKLER SPRINKLED, an 1895 French film made by film pioneer Louis Lumiere.  He was one of the Lumiere brothers and together they released the first commercial films ever.  Ever see the epic of the train leaving the station?  That’s them.

      THE SPRINKLER SPRINKLED, all 50 glorious seconds is both the first comedy film ever and also the first film to portray a fictional story.  Previous to this, anything filmed was an actual documented event.  These two actors are staging a comedy.  One guy is sprinkling his garden with a hose, the other guy steps on the hose to prevent the water from coming out.  When the guy doing the spraying is confused, he puts the dry hose up to his face to examine.  The other guy takes his foot off the hose, causing water to splash in the face of the man doing the watering!  Watering man gets his revenge by chasing the guy, grabbing him, and giving him a spanking.  The water to the face is more convincing than the spanking.

      The lesson to be learned by watching this is film comedy, at its earliest, purest and most basic, is good old slapstick.  Enjoy the history - and the man getting splashed in the face.

[metaldams]

Food for thought - First screened 6/10/1895.  Shemp was three months old and the rest of The Three Stooges weren’t even born.

[Umbrella Sam]

Well, not really much to say given that it’s 50 seconds of a guy tricking another guy. I will say though that it is impressive that the Lumiere brothers thought of doing a “comedy” this early. Watching these types of films today, it is weird to think that these would actually be commercial films people were willing to pay money to see, but there are obvious attempts to make it more than just a couple walking in a garden, and that shows here. Historic for sure, and at least it was preserved for that purpose.

[metaldams]

Well, not really much to say given that it’s 50 seconds of a guy tricking another guy. I will say though that it is impressive that the Lumiere brothers thought of doing a “comedy” this early. Watching these types of films today, it is weird to think that these would actually be commercial films people were willing to pay money to see, but there are obvious attempts to make it more than just a couple walking in a garden, and that shows here. Historic for sure, and at least it was preserved for that purpose.

I think in 1895, a film of somebody eating a rice cake would have been a hit.

[Paul Pain]

I think in 1895, a film of somebody eating a rice cake would have been a hit.

100% agreed, but a fun novelty to see anyway.