Famed for his pioneering work in special effects and fantastical storytelling, Méliès was renowned as the father of cinematography.
He is acclaimed for his use of lighting, camera, props, costumes, and stage art which told surreal and dreamlike tales, such as in the movies “A Trip to the Moon” (1902) and “An Impossible Voyage” (1904)
Amidst the flurry of his illustrious career, however, there remained an enigmatic creation that even the few who knew about it, the cast, the crew, all were sworn to secrecy by what was later known to be the first NDA which prohibited any revelation of its existence.
“Midnight Magic” was to remain unfinished and those who worked on it were silenced for the remainder of their days.
Legend tells that “Midnight Magic” was to be Méliès’ magnum opus, a film unlike any other before it, promising to transport audiences to “worlds beyond imagination.”
But fate had other plans. As the Great War ravaged Europe, casting its dark shadow over the City of Lights, Méliès found himself ensnared in the chaos of the era.
After an end to the war began, what Méliès, felt an end to the survival of independent filmmaking as a result of legal and trademark encroachments by Thomas Edison and company.
Because of political pressure and lack of funding, production of “Midnight Magic” was abruptly halted, the reels left unfinished, and the story then consigned to the annals of cinematic folklore.
Decades later, a young film historian named Margot Vandiver was given a large container of items personal to M. Méliès which was retrieved from the basement of an old Parisian cinema. At the bottom of the large tote was a bank deposit box with no key.
Once finally opened, the bank deposit box was found to contain some curled-up remnants of Méliès’ forgotten work, apparently retrieved from the cutting room floor.
By candle light and AI, Méliès’ forgotten work has now been brought to light, re-created, and digitally preserved.
Although the unfinished tapes of “Midnight Magic” are believed to still exist, no copies have ever been found. Many speculations have been raised, but no real clues uncovered.
Instead, we have a good glimpse of the work that went into the making of “Midnight Magic”, and a look behind the filmmaking powerhouse of Georges Méliès and his devoted crew of costume makers, artists, technicians, laborers, street performers, poets, and fellow visionaries.
It is said of Méliès’ that along with being a shrewd and highly secretive innovator, he was a real taskmaster. He kept a core group of actors and actresses many of whom were more devoted cult followers than they were professionals in the field.
But, of the many who dedicated themselves with hard work, all were on the same mission of innovation and excellence in these naescent years of the motion picture industry.
The original film snippets and many of Méliè’s’ inventions and innovations are on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.
