James Williamson Movies

A man, objecting to being filmed, comes closer and closer to the camera lens until his mouth is all we see. Then he opens wide and swallows camera...

Directed by one of the pioneers of the cinematic industry, James Williamson, The History of a Butterfly - A Romance of Insect Life is an intriguing...

Firefighters ring for help, and here comes the ladder cart; they hitch a horse to it. A second horse-drawn truck joins the first, and they head down...

George Smith's picture of the crowds out for a stroll on what I imagine is Brighton Pier.

The adventures of an inattentive man who can't look away from his book.

A boy helps a convict to escape after meeting him at his mother's graveyard. The convict gets rich in Australia and when he returns is arrested again...

The titles tell us this film is based on an incident in the Boxer Rebellion. A man tries to defend a woman and a large house against Chinese...

A clown cuts off a customer's head and replaces it.

Innovative early 'trick' film showing the popular 'flying the foam' stunt performed on - or rather off - Brighton's West Pier.

A mischievous errand boy, sent out on a delivery, causes havoc in the streets of Hove. When he arrives back at the shop, he finds all his furious...

A comedy of faux Frenchmen who engage in a duel over some slight disagreement and who manage to shoot everyone but each other. Filmed by James...

A lad from a butcher shop is carrying a tray laden with a roast or a leg of lamb. A hobo grabs it and runs. The boy gives chase, joined by dogs, as...

A two-wheeled convoy of Victorian gentlewomen in a charming early film enigma.

Boys blow peas at the cobbler, who throws a boot and hits a woman.

A young man's telephone call to his sweetheart is intercepted by her father, who beats him with his umbrella.

A short melodrama based on Hans Christian Andersen's harrowing tale. A poor little girl tries to sell matchsticks in the freezing December cold. She...

Short film about a man embarking on and returing from war. A print survives at the BFI.

Early film footage of fun fair workers and revelers at Devil's Dyke on the South Downs, taken by pioneer James Williamson in around 1896. At a fair...

The film starts with a lovely long shot of the Artist at work in a dappled glade, where he first meets the Miner's Daughter. The Artist asks the...

As a man removes his clothes to bathe, more reappear on him.