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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1605

Divers At Work on the Wreck of The Maine

18981 minFrance

Synopsis

Divers approach the sunken Maine, explore the wreck and raise a recovered body toward the surface. The action presents an imagined underwater view of a disaster then filling newspaper reports.

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Video edition: Wikimedia Commons
Original language: No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified.
This copy runs: 0:52
Subtitles: No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Georges Méliès · Public domain

This copy runs shorter than the reference runtime. Editing and playback speed can differ between editions.

DirectorsGeorges Méliès

Behind the scenes

Méliès staged the scene, placing an aquarium between the camera and the performers. Fish, water, painted scenery and a dummy create the illusion of a dive; this is a reconstruction, not news footage.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film reference Wikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 22, 2026.

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