Soyons donc sportifs (1909)

Soyons donc sportifs (A Sportive Puppet in English) is an early stop-motion film released in 1909. This silent short film was directed by Émile Cohl and Étienne Arnaud. Émile Cohl (Emile Eugene Jean Louis Courtet, 1857-1938) was a French caricaturist of the largely-forgotten Incoherent Movement, cartoonist and animator. He is called ‘The Father of the Animated Cartoon’ and ‘The Oldest Parisian’. Étienne Arnaud is considered as one of the pioneers of French cinema and known for his work as an actor, director, and producer. Arnaud and Cohl worked together on several projects, contributing to the development of early animation and cinema in France.

The story in brief:

The plot of the animated film revolves around a puppet character embarking on a series of adventures involving various modes of transportation and sports, each leading to comical outcomes. Initially opting for a horse ride, the puppet contemplates the safety of automobiles, "The automobile is safer / L'automobile est plus sûre". But upon viewing it's consequences he considers bicycling as a viable option, "The bicycle is not bad either / La bicyclette n'est pas mal non plus". The puppet then ventures into ice skating, "Tell me about ice skating / Parlez moi du patin a glace". Ultimately concludes that nothing surpasses the simplicity of walking, "No, nothing beats walking / Non, rien ne vaut la marche". "If not the jump / Si ce n'est le saut", he then experiments with activities like jumping and weightlifting, "Weights and dumbbells make you a man / Les poids et halteres vous". Following unsatisfactory results the puppet ponders the beauty of the sky as the ultimate arena, "Isn't the sky the most beautiful stadium? / Le ciel n'est - il pas le plus beud stade?" After trying some air sports he opts for hunting, "Is there a nobler sport than hunting? / Est - il sport plus noble que la chasse?" Hunting too didn't seem to fulfill the puppet's expectations. "Water sports also have their charms / Les sport nautiques ont aussi leurs charmes", reflecting on the allure of water sports and failing again, he ultimately declares a preference for fishing. "But ultimately I prefer angling / Mais finalement je prefere la peche a la ligne." Watch the animation to see the hilarious consequences that ensues from these escapades.

More info on Soyons donc sportifs and it's crew:

• Reviews and ratings of Soyons donc sportifs – IMDb
• Biography of Émile Cohl – Wikipedia
• Director reviewed by Paghat the Ratgirl – Director: Emile Cohl
• Biography of Étienne Arnaud – Wikipedia

Animation Movies by Émile Cohl

Animation Movies by Étienne Arnaud