Walter R. Booth
Walter Robert Booth (12 July 1869 – 1938) was a British magician and early pioneer of British film working first for Robert W. Paul and then Charles Urban mostly on "trick" films, where he pioneered techniques that led to what has been described as the first British animated film, The Hand of the Artist (1906).
The '?' Motorist (1906)
A magical glowing white motorcar ignores policemen, drives up buildings, flies through outer space, and can transform into a horse and carriage. (more)
A magical glowing white motorcar ignores policemen, drives up buildings, flies through outer space, and can transform into a horse and carriage. (more)
The Airship Destroyer (1909)
An inventor uses a wireless controlled flying torpedo to destroy enemy airships. (more)
An inventor uses a wireless controlled flying torpedo to destroy enemy airships. (more)
Willie's Magic Wand (1907)
The Automatic Motorist (1911)
A robot chauffeur takes a newly married couple on their honeymoon to the planet Saturn and then on a trip under the sea. (more)
A robot chauffeur takes a newly married couple on their honeymoon to the planet Saturn and then on a trip under the sea. (more)
The Hand of the Artist (1906)
Animated film featuring the hand of Walter R. Booth drawing a coster and his donah who come to life and dance. The hand then crumples up the paper and dispenses it in the form of confetti. (BFI) (more)
Animated film featuring the hand of Walter R. Booth drawing a coster and his donah who come to life and dance. The hand then crumples up the paper and dispenses it in the form of confetti. (BFI) (more)
The Magic Sword (1901)
On the roof of an ancient palace appear a young Knight and his lady. While they are making love an ugly old witch appears and is rather troublesome. The Knight commands her to leave, and when he is about to force her away she sits on her broom and rises to the moon ... (more)
On the roof of an ancient palace appear a young Knight and his lady. While they are making love an ugly old witch appears and is rather troublesome. The Knight commands her to leave, and when he is about to force her away she sits on her broom and rises to the moon ... (more)
Undressing Extraordinary (1901)
Here we present a picture that simply convulses an audience with laughter. The scene opens in the bedroom of a hotel. A traveler appears, evidently a "little worse for wear." After stretching and yawning, he proceeds to disrobe. He throws off his coat and vest, but ... (more)
Here we present a picture that simply convulses an audience with laughter. The scene opens in the bedroom of a hotel. A traveler appears, evidently a "little worse for wear." After stretching and yawning, he proceeds to disrobe. He throws off his coat and vest, but ... (more)
The Extraordinary Waiter (1902)
The Cheese Mites, or Lilliputians in a London Restaurant (1901)
A jovial looking man is seated nearest the window of a restaurant. He has just finished his meal and the waiter brings a glass of beer, and when he places the glass upon the table, lo, a little sailor boy about six inches high appears from the foam, and climbing ... (more)
A jovial looking man is seated nearest the window of a restaurant. He has just finished his meal and the waiter brings a glass of beer, and when he places the glass upon the table, lo, a little sailor boy about six inches high appears from the foam, and climbing ... (more)
Artistic Creation (1901)
An artist draws the head of a pretty girl, takes the drawing off the paper and places it on a small table, turning the image into the head of a real woman. He then continuous drawing the lady, one body part after the other. (more)
An artist draws the head of a pretty girl, takes the drawing off the paper and places it on a small table, turning the image into the head of a real woman. He then continuous drawing the lady, one body part after the other. (more)
Upside Down; or, The Human Flies (1899)
A magician performs tricks. First with a top hat, then with his audience. (more)
A magician performs tricks. First with a top hat, then with his audience. (more)
A Railway Collision (1900)
The scene is a railroad track on the side of a steep mountain, with a tunnel in the background, toward which a train is running at a high rate of speed. At this instant the audience is appalled at the sight of a second train rushing out of the tunnel. Both trains ... (more)
The scene is a railroad track on the side of a steep mountain, with a tunnel in the background, toward which a train is running at a high rate of speed. At this instant the audience is appalled at the sight of a second train rushing out of the tunnel. Both trains ... (more)
The Haunted Curiosity Shop (1901)
An old proprietor is startled and haunted by the strange happenings inside his curiosity shop. (more)
An old proprietor is startled and haunted by the strange happenings inside his curiosity shop. (more)
An Over-Incubated Baby (1901)
An up to date idea and a great picture. The professor sits in his laboratory with his newly invented baby incubator. A mother who is anxious for the growth of her child enters, places her baby in care of the professor, who promptly places it in the incubator. An ... (more)
An up to date idea and a great picture. The professor sits in his laboratory with his newly invented baby incubator. A mother who is anxious for the growth of her child enters, places her baby in care of the professor, who promptly places it in the incubator. An ... (more)
The Waif and the Wizard (1901)
The Waif and the Wizard features the same young man who appeared in Undressing Extraordinary (and who might be early filmmaker Walter Booth). It's another early example of a two-shot film along the lines of Paul's earlier film Come Along Do!. The young man plays a ... (more)
The Waif and the Wizard features the same young man who appeared in Undressing Extraordinary (and who might be early filmmaker Walter Booth). It's another early example of a two-shot film along the lines of Paul's earlier film Come Along Do!. The young man plays a ... (more)
An Extraordinary Cab Accident (1903)
A man and a woman talk beside a street near a corner where a cop stands. Just as a horse-drawn cart rounds the corner, the man backs off the sidewalk saying good-by to his companion. The horse and cart flatten him and continue on, out of the camera's stationary ... (more)
A man and a woman talk beside a street near a corner where a cop stands. Just as a horse-drawn cart rounds the corner, the man backs off the sidewalk saying good-by to his companion. The horse and cart flatten him and continue on, out of the camera's stationary ... (more)
Scrooge; or Marley's Ghost (1901)
Filmed in 35mm and in black and white, this short silent film was produced by the English film pioneer R. W. Paul, and directed by Walter R. Booth and was filmed at Paul's Animatograph Works. It was released in November 1901. As was common in cinema's early days, ... (more)
Filmed in 35mm and in black and white, this short silent film was produced by the English film pioneer R. W. Paul, and directed by Walter R. Booth and was filmed at Paul's Animatograph Works. It was released in November 1901. As was common in cinema's early days, ... (more)
The Aerial Anarchists (1911)
Anarchists build a super aircraft and bomb a railway, a fort and St. Paul's. (more)
Anarchists build a super aircraft and bomb a railway, a fort and St. Paul's. (more)
Secrets of British Animation (2018)
BBC Four’s new documentary takes us on a journey through more than a century of animation. It examines the creative and technical inventiveness of some of the great animation pioneers who have worked in Britain – trailblazing talents such as Len Lye, John Halas and ... (more)
BBC Four’s new documentary takes us on a journey through more than a century of animation. It examines the creative and technical inventiveness of some of the great animation pioneers who have worked in Britain – trailblazing talents such as Len Lye, John Halas and ... (more)
Animated Putty (1911)