Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Going to Bed with Difficulties

Original title: Le Déshabillage impossible
  • 1900
  • Not Rated
  • 2m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
934
YOUR RATING
Georges Méliès in Going to Bed with Difficulties (1900)
ComedyFantasyShort

As if by magic, a weary traveller trying to undress, is foiled by his mutinous clothes as they teleport and multiply before his eyes, refusing to stay on the clothing rack.As if by magic, a weary traveller trying to undress, is foiled by his mutinous clothes as they teleport and multiply before his eyes, refusing to stay on the clothing rack.As if by magic, a weary traveller trying to undress, is foiled by his mutinous clothes as they teleport and multiply before his eyes, refusing to stay on the clothing rack.

  • Director
    • Georges Méliès
  • Star
    • Georges Méliès
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    934
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Georges Méliès
    • Star
      • Georges Méliès
    • 10User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos3

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster

    Top cast1

    Edit
    Georges Méliès
    Georges Méliès
    • The Man
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Georges Méliès
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews10

    6.6934
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    Michael_Elliott

    Going To Bed Under Difficulties

    Going To Bed Under Difficulties (1900)

    *** 1/2 (out of 4)

    aka Le Deshabillage impossible

    This film here is pretty much just one gag but what an incredibly looking gag it is. A man gets home and can't wait to go to bed but first he must get undressed but each time he gets a new piece of clothing off a new one comes back on him. We've seen this type of joke from Melies before in the terms of someone trying to get undressed but can't but the joke here is expanded and is done at such a high rate of speed you can't help but just sit there and be amazed at what you're watching. I'm still not quite sure how Melies managed to do all of these magic tricks and the stuff on display here is among the best work of his career.
    2Tera-Jones

    Dumb - Just Dumb

    A guy takes of his clothing to get some sleep and as fast as he takes them off more clothing appears on his body. Original idea but dumb.

    2/10
    9Quinoa1984

    Some days you just can't take off all your clothes!

    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.
    8Hitchcoc

    I Got Tired Watching Him

    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.
    7planktonrules

    Pretty funny...even when you watch it today.

    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.

    More like this

    L'homme à la tête en caoutchouc
    7.1
    L'homme à la tête en caoutchouc
    The One-Man Band
    7.0
    The One-Man Band
    The Fat and the Lean Wrestling Match
    6.8
    The Fat and the Lean Wrestling Match
    Four Heads Are Better Than One
    7.5
    Four Heads Are Better Than One
    Joan of Arc
    6.6
    Joan of Arc
    The House of the Devil
    6.7
    The House of the Devil
    The Enchanted Drawing
    6.8
    The Enchanted Drawing
    Bataille de neige
    6.7
    Bataille de neige
    The Temptation of St. Anthony
    5.9
    The Temptation of St. Anthony
    The Infernal Cauldron
    6.6
    The Infernal Cauldron
    The Magician and the Human Pump
    6.5
    The Magician and the Human Pump
    The Waterer Watered
    7.1
    The Waterer Watered

    Related interests

    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
    Fantasy
    Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)
    Short

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Star Film 312 - 313.
    • Connections
      Remade as Comment monsieur prend son bain (1903)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • 1903 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • France
    • Language
      • None
    • Also known as
      • Going to Bed Under Difficulties
    • Production companies
      • Georges Méliès
      • Star-Film
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 2m
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Silent

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.