William A. Wellman’s The Conquerors tells the story of a family of bankers in Nebraska from 1873 to 1929, focusing on the ups and down of the economy through the years. There is a segment inside the film about the advent of the movies (or the Living Pictures as seen above) right before the end of the century.
Before the magic show begins, the ladies should remove their hats!
The first clip is the famous trick with the four heads by Georges Méliès (Un homme de têtes, 1898).
The second clip, in which three chairs are “magically” disappeared, is probably again by a Méliès film but I couldn’t identify it (any help would be appreciated).
The show ends with newsreels. Wright brothers are flying!
Scenes from William A. Wellman’s The Conquerors (1932).
