Going to Bed with Difficulties

This trick film, "Going to Bed Under Difficulties", from cinema magician pioneer Georges Méliès is especially intricate. Numerous substitution-splices were required to achieve the continual appearance of more clothing on the weary traveller (of course, played by the director), as he futilely tries to undress. To make matters worse, his bed floats away. The effect remains impressive today, as well as amusing, thanks to Méliès's comedic ingenuity behind and in front of the camera.

"Going to Bed Under Difficulties" is an early and one of the better entries in the subgenre of a weary traveller suffering tricks at an inn, a formula from which Méliès made many films. The success of this particular trick film is demonstrated by the fact that other early filmmakers stole the idea and made their own imitations of it. Walter Booth and R.W. Paul's version, "Undressing Extraordinary" (1901) and Gaumont's Alice Guy's "How Monsieur Takes His Bath" (Comment Monsieur prend son bain) (1903) have also both been available in DVD compilations. A glance at other titles from the era suggests that other early producers did likewise. Moreover, remakes and dupes of many of Méliès's films can be found in the history of early cinema—further evidence that he was the most innovative filmmaker at the turn of the 20th century.

...although this was made by French filmmaker Georges Melies. Like Chaplin in "One AM", a seemingly inebriated fellow is having difficulty getting ready for bed. But then "One AM" is from 16 years later, so it is much more sophisticated.

Georges Melies plays the only person in this very short film as he attempts to take his clothes off in preparation for going to bed only to have his clothes reappear on his person. In the meantime, hats, coats, and pants begin to pile up about the hotel room.

The ending is lost and supposedly consists of the man rolling about on the floor and on the bed, and finally collapsing.

Some of Melies' stuff can seem repetitive, as though he's a one trick pony, but then you have to remember that most films were just "actualities" at this point - reflections of everyday life - and Melies was a pioneer in putting some narrative into his work, even before the dawn of the twentieth century.

The definition of a quick-witted in editing movie. All you get here is a man who is taking off his clothes... and then one of those edits happens where it appears that a new hat is there, so he takes that off, and then there's another edit where he has a jacket, and he takes that off, but then there's more pants and that's off and shoes and so on and so on. It's cinematic expression as a time-loop, with George Melies delivering an intricate series of edits.

The most clever part of all of this is how it doesn't really appear to be edits - that is to say, nothing is really too jerky that it took me out of the film. It's all rather seamless, which is a credit to his direction but also the actor playing the man. It's special effects really, though it's all with splicing together one image to another and then another and another. Today it would be done with computers of course, but what's maybe most remarkable is the thought that he planned this out so carefully.

The quick change animation is quite incredible. Once again we visit the man who wants to go to bed but he can't get undressed. This time, each item of clothing is hung up or put aside, but new clothes continue to cover his body. By the time the film ends, he has an entire wardrobe hanging on hooks. But the star is the guy who never gives up. He continues to remove clothing at a frantic pace, never giving up. Excellent work by the master.

This is not the only film like this that Georges Méliès made. Using the same exact techniques, he did the same. What the film consists of is a guy TRYING to take off his clothes, but every time he takes off a set of clothing, a new one, as if by magic, appeared on him! As the film progresses and this has happened MANY times, he becomes progressively more aggrevated. And, when he tries to go to bed..well you can probably guess what happens!

This is a cute little film and pretty good stuff considering it was made in 1900. Of course, to achieve the effect, the camera would be turned off...the man would take off or add a new set of clothes...then the camera would be restarted. But the relatively seamless fashion and sheer number of changes make this one a winner. Quite clever.