Hänschens Soldaten (1912)

Hänschens Soldaten (Hansen's soldiers in English) is an early German stop-motion animation film. This silent movie released in 1912 was originally tinted. The film features dolls from the Margarete Steiff company of Germany, creator of the first teddy bear.

The story in brief:

The movie depicts a young boy in a sailor suit who falls asleep while playing with his toy soldiers. In his dream, the puppets come to life. An officer doll comes home to meet his wife. As he leaves, his sword catches on a tablecloth and he unknowingly drags it to the army barracks where his fellow soldiers and prisoners laugh at the scene. The dream grows increasingly surreal with objects like clothes and furniture moving on their own. The boy eventually wakes up and resumes playing with his dolls once again.

More info on Hänschens Soldaten:

• Reviews and ratings of the film - IMDb
• Original tinted version - filmportal.de