| The Broken Violin | |
|---|---|
Surviving footage fromThe Broken Violin | |
| Directed by | Georges Méliès or Manuel |
Production company | |
Release date |
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| Country | France |
| Language | Silent |
The Broken Violin (French:Lully ou le Violon brisé) was a 1908 Frenchshortsilent film byGeorges Méliès. It was sold by Méliès'sStar Film Company and is numbered 1176–1185 in its catalogues, where it was advertised as"très artistique; spécial pour coloris; anecdote Louis XIV en 4 tableaux, avec ballet" ("very artistic; filmed specifically forhand-coloring; an anecdote from the reign ofLouis XIV in four scenes, with a ballet").[1] Only a fragment of the film is known to survive; the rest is presumedlost.[1]
At least some of the film was shot outdoors, in the garden of the Méliès family property inMontreuil-sous-Bois.[1] From an analysis of the surviving fragment, a guide to Méliès's films from theCentre national de la cinématographie concludes that the film was probably not directed by Méliès himself but by his employee, an actor known as Manuel.[2]
The fragment shows a scene in a kitchen, where an assistant cook, the youngJean-Baptiste Lully, is berated for his tardiness. When alone, young Lully begins playing his violin, and the whole kitchen staff soon gather around him in delight at his playing. The joyful group is interrupted by a man in elaborate livery, who scolds Lully and sends him away. Another scene, of an elaborate room in Baroque style with a maidservant and an elegantly dressed lady, is briefly glimpsed at the end of the fragment.[1][3]
