Film Info

Released on :

1900

Language :

Silent

Country :

USA

Type :

Short Films

Format :

2D, Stop Motion

Color :

Black and White

Directed by :

J. Stuart Blackton

Produced by :

Edison Manufacturing Company Vitagraph Studios

The Enchanted Drawing (1900)

First animated sequence in a film

The Enchanted Drawing is a silent film of 1900 directed by J. Stuart Blackton. This short film is notable for the fact that it has used an animated sequence for the first time in the history of film and animation. Stop motion animation technique has been used to create the animation sequence. Because of this work Blackton is regarded as the father of American animation.

The story in brief:

The film shows an artist drawing a cartoon face on a paper mounted on an easel. The man is played by J. Stuart Blackton himself. The artist continues to draw a bottle of wine and a wine glass and then takes them off the paper and has a drink himself and offers the cartoon man a drink too. The cartoon on the paper takes the drink and smiles. The artist then continues drawing a hat on the cartoon's head but takes it off and wears it himself. A cigar appears on the cartoon's mouth and the artist snatches it too. The cartoon man frowns on seeing this. Then the artist puts back the wine bottle and glass on the paper like before. But still the face is not happy. Watch the film to see what finally made the cartoon face happy again.