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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 868

The Infernal Cauldron

19032 minFrance
FantasyComedy

Synopsis

A demon feeds victims into a blazing cauldron in a chamber arranged for supernatural spectacle. The figures rise again as ghostly forms and turn into multiplying balls of fire. His apparent command of the scene soon fails, and the forces he has released begin pursuing the tormentor around his own infernal workshop.

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Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified.
This copy runs
1:41
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.

Cast

DirectorsGeorges Méliès

Behind the scenes

Méliès combines fire effects, multiple exposure and substitution edits. The transformations reverse the direction of the action, turning a demonstration of the demon's power into his own comic punishment.

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 referenceWikidata — 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 12, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

  • Georges Méliès — Georges Méliès; Publicity materials for an exhibition at La Caixa Foundation: http://press.lacaixa.es/socialprojects/exhibiton-georges-melies-magic-of-cinema-caixaforum-barcelona-eng__816-c-17952__.html · Public domain

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