Café Waiter’s Dream

Le songe d’un garçon de café (Café Waiter’s Dream in English) is a silent film with 2D and stop-motion animations in it. This short movie was released in 1910 and was directed by Émile Cohl. 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’.

The story in brief:

This short film shows some customers enjoying a quiet card game in a peaceful café. The ambiance is so serene that the waiter dozes off and dreams of two angels playing violins, transporting him to a blissful state. The dream turns whimsical, with amusing scenes, until the customers wake him by pouring seltzer over him due to his snoring.


More info on Le songe d’un garçon de café and Émile Cohl:

Animation Movies by Émile Cohl