1

Le Voyage dans la lune

A Trip to Mars

The astronomers are assembled in a large hall embellished with instruments. The president and members of the committee enter. Everybody takes his seat. Entrance of seven men-servants carrying the telescopes of the astronomers. The president takes his chair and explains to the members his plan of a trip to the moon. His scheme is approved of by many, while one member violently opposes same. The President after some argument throws his papers and books at his head; the protesting party finally being thrown out of the club room amidst general disorder.
Upon order being restored, the trip proposed by the president is voted by acclimation, but at the moment of leaving nobody has the courage to accompany him. At this stage five learned men make up theirs minds to go with him; their colleagues break out in applause, the men-servants bring travelling suits, and the six astronomers exchange their gala robes for appropriate dress for the trip.
President Barbenfouillis selects to accompany him, five colleagues Nostadamus, Alcofrisbas, Omega, Micromegas and Parafaragamus to pay a visit to the construction workshops of the projectile destined to carry them to the moon. They enter the interior of the workshops, where smiths, mechanics, weighers, carpenters, upholsterers, etc., working hard at the completion of the machine. Micromegas accidentally falls into a tub of nitric acid. After the termination of the inspection, a workman descends from the top of the roof and informs the astronomers that if they would ascend to the roof they would witness a splendid spectacle; the casting of the gun. The astronomers hasten to a ladder and climb on the roof, where they finally arrive. Against the horizon, the chimneys are seen belching forth volumes of smoke. Suddenly, a flag is hoisted by order of the President. At the signal, a mass of molten steel is directed from each furnace into the mold for the gun. The mold pours forth flames and vapor. This causes much rejoicing among the enthusiastic astronomers.
On the top of the roofs of the town, pompous preparations have been made; the shell is in position ready to receive the travellers. These arrive, respond to the acclamations of the crowd, and enter the shell. Marines close the breech through which they have passed.
A number of gunners are now pushing the shell up an incline into the mouth of the gun (of which only the back part is visible.)
In the next scene the cannon is fully visible in the distance. It is loaded, the breech is closed; everyone is anxiously waiting for the signal which starts the shell on its voyage. Arrival of Marine artillery commanded by an officer. The officer gives the signal; the gunner occupies his post, and at the word of command, the gun is fired. The crowds flock together from all parts and gaze at the shell as it disappears into space.
In the midst of the clouds the moon is visible at a distance. The shell coming closer every minute, the moon magnifies rapidly until finally it attains colossal dimensions. Il gradually assumes the shape of a living, grotesque face smiling sanctimoniously.
Suddenly, the shell arrives with the rapidity of lightning, and pierces the eye of the moon. The face at once makes horrible grimmaces, whilst enormous tears flow from the wound.
The picture changes and shows the immense lunar plains with their seas, amphitheatres and craters. The shell comes down with a crash. The astronomers get out and are delighted at the landscape which is new to them, whilst against the horizon, the earth is rising slowly into space, illuminating the picture with a fantastic light.
The astronomers, inspecting the strange country, see craters everywhere. One of them suggests descending a crater into the interior, but just as they are about to carry out their intention, an explosion takes place, the unfortunate men violently in all directions.
The astronomers show signs of fatigue after the rough trip they have just had. They stretch themselves out on the ground and go to sleep. In their dreams they see passing in space, comets, meteors, etc., seven gigantic stars, representing the great bear appear slowly, and out of the stars come faces of women whom seem annoyed at the presence of these intruders in the moon. Then the stars disappear in space and are replaced by a lovely vision of Phoebus on the crescent, of Saturn in his globe surrounded by a ring, and of charming young girls holding up a star. They all discuss the arrival of the terrestrials in the moon and decide to punish the them in an exemplary manner.
By order of Phoebus, snow is falling from all quarters, covering the ground with its white coat; the astronomers are comically agitated under the covers with which they have wrapped themselves in order to sleep.
The cold becomes terrible. The unfortunate voyagers wake up half-frozen, and decide without hesitation and in spite of the danger, to descend into the interior of a great crater, in which they disappear one by one, whilst the snow storm is still raging.
The astronomers arrive in the interior of a most curious grotto filled with enormous mushrooms of every kind. One of them opens his umbrella to compare its size with the mushroom, but the umbrella suddenly takes root and transforming itself into a mushroom starts growing gradually, attaining gigantic proportions.
The astronomers suddenly notice strange beings coming out from underneath the mushrooms and approaching them, while making singular contortions. These are the Selenites or inhabitants of the moon. These fantastical beings rush on an astronomer., who defends himself, and with a stroke of his umbrella he knocks a down, who bursts into a thousand pieces. A second suffers the same fate, but the Selenites are arriving in numbers. The terrified astronomers, to save themselves, take flight, with the Selenites in pursuit.
Succumbing to numbers, the astronomers are captured, bound and taken to the palace of the King of the Selenites.
On a splendid throne, surrounded by living stars, the Selenite King is seated. He commands that the inhabitants of the earth, who have dared penetrate into his state, be fetched, and suggests sacrificing them before the united Selenit army. The astronomers are making superhuman efforts to free themselves of their impediments. President Barbenfouillis makes a dash for the King of the Selenites, and lifting him like a feather throws him violently on the ground. The unfortunate King bursts like a bomb-shell. The astronomers run away in the midst of the general disorder. The Selenite army is pursuing them.
The astronomers run at full speed, turning around each time they are pressed too closely, and reducing the fragile beings to dust, who continue to chase, but, single handed, are not capable of attack as all their force lies in their number.
The still increasing number of Selenites obliges the astronomers to take desperately to flight again, and as they pass through fantastical, picturesque landscapes, still pursued by the Selenites, amongst them they institute a regular massacre.
At last, the astronomers have found their shell and quickly shut themselves in the interior; thanks to the advance, they have succeeded in gaining over their adversaries. Only one, the President, has been left behind. He arrives, closely pressed by two Selenites. He causes the first to burst by striking him with his hands and kicking the other violently with his feet, he despatches him into space, where he also bursts, then he rushes to the rope which hangs from the front of the shell balanced on the edge of the moon, and letting himself slide down the rope, he gives it an impetus which causes the shell to precipitate itself into space. A Selenite who at this moment clings to the shell in order to hold it back is being drawn with it, and hanging on to the projectile, accompanies it in its drop.
The shell falls with sickening rapidity. Barbenfouillis clinging to the rope underneath tries to enter the projectile, whilst the unfortunate Selenite, half mad, clings desperately to the shell to save himself from falling off.
The Sea appears. The waves break into foam, the shell is attaining a white heat by the friction with the air in its maddening drop and dashes right into the sea, causing enormous columns of water to gush up. The sea closes over the shell again, and a thick vapor is rising, caused by the scorching hot metal dropping into the water.
We continue following the course of the shell into the bottom of the ocean, where amongst the debris of ships, marine plants, the medusae, corals and fishes of all kinds, the projectile reaches land at last. Enormous bubbles or air escape from the bottom of the sea and reach the surface. The shell balances, and, thanks to the hermetically sealed air in its interior, is rising slowly to the surface to the bewilderment of the fishes.
The shell is being picked up by a mail steamer which, taking it in tow, returns to port. The Selenite is still seen clinging to the shell.
In the market place of the town the authorities are assembled, the crowd awaiting the appearance of the astronomers. The procession arrives; the municipal band advances, followed by marines drawing the decorated shell. Finally the astronomers arrive amidst a general ovation.
The Mayor congratulates the astronomers on their happy return. Crowning them, he confers upon them the Order of the Moon.
The march past of the fire brigade and marines takes place. On the square appears the commemorative statue of the trip, representing President Barbenfouillis vanquishing the moon, with this device: "Labor Omnia Vincit."
The marines, the astronomers, the crowd, the Mayor and councillors join in chorus dancing around the statue to the President. 

LUB 1903-01

Viaje fantástico a la luna

Asunto de gran espectáculo y de novedad.

MEL 1904-A

A Trip to the Moon

Ten extraordinary and fantastical cinematograph series in thirty pictures.

Duration of exhibit sixteen minutes.

SCENES
1. The Scientific Congress at the Astromonic Club.
2. Planning the Trip. Appointing the Explorers and Servants. Farewell.
3. The Workshops: Constructing the Projectile.
4. The Foundries. The Chimney-stacks. The Casting of the Monster Gun.
5. The Astronomers Enter the Shell.
6. Loading the Gun.
7. The Monster Gun. March Past the Gunners. Fire !!! Saluting the Flag.
8. The Flight Through Space. Approaching the Moon.
9. Landed Right in the Eye !!!
10. Flight of the Shell into the Moon. Appearance of the Earth from the Moon.
11. The Plain of Craters. Volcanic Eruption.
12. The Dream (the Bolies, the Great Bear, Phoebus, the Twin Stars, Saturn.
13. The Snowstorm.
14. 40 Degrees Below Zero. Descending a Lunar Crater.
15. In the Interior of the Moon. The Giant Mushroom Grotto.
16. Encounter with the Selenites. Homeric Fight.
17. Prisoners !!
18. The Kingdom of the Moon. The Selenite Army.
19. The Flight
20. Wild Pursuit.
21. The Astronomers find the Shell again. Departure from the Moon.
22. Vertical Drop into Space.
23. Splashing into the Open Sea.
24. At the Bottom of the Ocean.
25. The Rescue. Return to Port.
26. Great Fete. Triumphal March Past.
27. Crowning and Decorating the Heroes of the Trip.
28. Procession of Marines and the Fire Brigade.
29. Inauguration of the Commemorative Statue by the Mayor and Council.
30. Public Rejoicings.

MEL 1905-A

A Trip to the Moon

In thirty scenes.