Movie 5min

Pompey's Dream (1909)

Original title: Le Rêve de Pompassiot
Not rated.

Facts
Country France
Language French
Titles
(Original) Le Rêve de Pompassiot
Production
Distribution
(USA, 11. August, 1909) Pathé Frères
Other
(US Import, 1909) Pathé Frères
Categories
Alcohol Black and White Comedy Demons Dreams Heaven Hell Miracles Short Silent Film St. Peter The Devil Torture
Descriptions

Pompassiot falls asleep in the vineyards of the Lord and sees himself appointed to the job of gardener in the said vineyards. St Pierre guides him in his work. But now the good Saint having fallen asleep, Pompassiot takes the opportunity to steal the keys to the cellar from him and goes to taste the wines of the Lord. St Peter indignantly drives him out of Paradise. Pompassiot collapses in hell. Demons force him to fan the flames. Pompassiot having asked them to drink, they rush on him armed with a funnel and make him absorb so much vinegar that his stomach bursts. It is on this impressive punishment that Pompassiot wakes up and swears to drink no more.

Source: Pathe Freres - Translated


After many trials and narrow escapes, Mr. Pompey, who has been out celebrating, returns home in an over-happy mood caused from imbibing too freely in the distilled juice of the luscious grape. When he enters his home he meets with a strenuous tirade from his wife for his unbecoming conduct. Disgusted, the woman leaves the room, after which Pompey throws himself upon the bed and is soon in slumberland. In the next picture we get a view of his inner thoughts, for his dreams, which are a droll conglomeration of events, are shown upon the screen in an amusing fashion. He imagines that he is lifted bodily out of bed and dragged up through space into heaven. Arriving at the golden gate, he is confronted by Peter, who admits him within the portals of the glittering paradise, where everything coincides with Pompey's ideas of what a paradise should be. His first trip in the home of bliss is down to the wine cellars, where, thinking that he will be in his glory, he starts elucidating his favorite brand. It proves to be a little more difficult than he anticipated, for he is informed that he must show his true value as a good worker before he will be allowed to taste of the private stock. Pompey agrees to do whatever is required, so old Peter gives him a job keeping the golden pavement clean. Soon Peter falls asleep and Pompey steals his bundle of keys, one of which admits him to the wine cellar. He is having the time of his life when he is discovered by Peter and some more of the elite, who take him into another room and proceed to give him all the wine that he can hold. They throw him on a table and pour the wine down his throat, and just as one of the party jumps on him, Pompey awakens from his terrible nightmare. At that juncture his wife enters the room, and is pleased to see Pompey breaking all the loaded wine bottles in the place and taking to water as his future beverage.

Source: Moving Picture World

17 Scenes
Translated to English from the original screenplay.
A coffee terrace.
In front of a pile of saucers, he calls the waiter to pay and leaves - He is horribly grey.
In the street.
He staggers and seeks his home;
The facade of the house.
He finally recognized his house, he enters.
The vestibule and the bottom of the stairs.
He falls on concierge whom he knocks down - The concierge comes to their rescue, getting up, he grabs his wig which he takes off to her great despair - He finally climbs the first step with difficulty.
A second floor enealier.
He climbs a second floor on all fours and arrives in front of the door of his apartment - His wife heard him and opened the door.
Interior - bourgeois bedroom.
- His wife blames him for his conduct, but only him; I don't care... In wanting to take support, he upsets everything - He finally manages to go to bed - He falls asleep - His wife goes away in despair, raising her bran to the sky.
Subtitle: THE NIGHTMARE.
In his sleep, Pompey sees thugs invading his room, a slender knife between their teeth delivered to, a saraband, they come one by one to plant their knife in the belly of Pompey - The bandits disappear as they came / They are immediately replaced by two undertakers who hang him on a rope that descends from the ceiling - They shoot, on another rope and they remove the body.
The sky - clouds.
We see the body of Pompey, pulled by invisible hands, which rises in the sky.
Hell and Heaven.
On the right, paradise - On the left, hell - St. Peter (keys and halo) hangs stars in the sky and that angels have just cleaned - Satan on his side is repainting his shack - Pompey appears in the background - He removes the rope that strangles him and goes down to the foreground - Immediately the demons engage in a fairground parade, as if to attract this new client to them - St. Peter, more dignified, combs his white beard. Pompey removes the knives that adorn his abdomen, he is interested in Satan's parade, which he finds amusing - St. Peter opens a curtain and gives Pompey a glimpse of paradise - Satan shows him liters of liqueurs, but after having sworn to stop drinking, he finally decides to enter Paradise.

Heaven (also scene 9, but different scene)
St. Peter, does Pompey the honors of the place. - He shows him the cellars - Pompey is amazed. Don't touch especially I - Pompey promises - They go out.
The Gardens of Paradise.
Short walk - Pompey is hot, he would like to drink - They sit down on a bench - St. Peter falls asleep - Pompey cannot resist the temptation, he steals their keys and flees to the cellar.
The cellars.
(decor of 9) Pompey feasts - He cannot contain his joy - St. Peter arrives with two angel agents who grab him and throw him at the door of paradise.
In front of Satan's Barracks.
Satan sends Pompey up to his house.
Hell.
Pompey is immediately put in front of a stove whose hearth he must constantly load - He is hot - He is mopping up... The job is exhausting... Thirst torments him... He wants to rest but demons arise who seize him and carry him to the execution room.
The Hall of Tortures.
He is lying down and tied to the ground - A huge funnel is stuffed into his mouth, which demons and she-devils come to fill with carboys and vials on which we read "JANOS" We see the belly of the unfortunate who swells as it goes ... It will even burst - Satan, armed with a huge mallet, takes off to flatten it ...
Bedroom.
(decor of 6) Pompey wakes up in his bed, holding his stomach; he is very ill. He is not sure he is wide awake, he calls for his help - Between his wife who reproaches him - He gets up and opens a cupboard, he takes all the bottles it contains and throws them out the window swearing never to drink again.
The facade of the house.
(decor of 3) We see the bottles descending into the void and one of them coming to prick itself on the head of the concierge or a passer-by.
The bedroom.
(decor from 6 & 15) then the concierge, the passer-by or tenants appear who threaten to flank Pompey through the window, after having given him a well-felt beating. (The 16 & 17 may be deleted.)
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Unavailbale.
Crew
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