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Marionettes

1949

Cat no. 2670

A drama enacted by human marionettes who display emotions in a story with strong similarities to the narrative of the Russian ballet `Petrushka'.

The Charlatan, or manipulator, enters a theatre staging a marionette show. He assists in the manipulation of the life-size marionettes - a dancer and a clown. A man meantime adjusts the lighting bulbs that spells out `Marionettes' which will light up outside the theatre. The Charlatan takes the dancer and clown below stage. He kisses the dancer observed by the clown who also sees a gun on a table. The Charlatan takes the puppets below stage; he brings a necklace and puts it on the dancer. He watches a manipulator work with `regular' size puppets which display grotesque and sinister expressions. The Charlatan returns and notices the necklace now on the floor. He strings the clown up and carries the dancer upstairs. He sits her in a corner while he eats bread and drinks wine and watches the clown from a window. The man adjusting the lights finishes his task, lights a cigarette and admires the flashing lights outside the theatre. The audience begins to arrive. The clown and dancer come to the stage to perform; they kiss, take their bow and the curtain falls. The clown and dancer take more bows to audience applause. The clown takes out a gun and shoots the Charlatan. The curtain falls and rises again to show the dancer and clown prostrate on the floor. A notice on the theatre door (in French) says the show is ended as a consequence of the death of M. Poccata. A policemen questions the other manipulators. The gendarme pulls back the sheet to ensure the Charlatan is dead. He then moves to the clown puppet and cuts open his stomach - only sawdust spills out.

Keywords

Marionettes; Puppets

Background Information

Some critical observations on the film have noted the influence on Ace Movies of Robert Wiene's German Expressionist silent horror film DAS KABINET DES DR CALIGARI (1920) in it's mis-en-scene and homage to art cinema.

  • M. Poccata Frank Biggs

Manifestations

Marionettes

  • Barcode
    INV397925
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MP4 H264 digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:20:36
    Modification Date
    22/09/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    727588
  • Barcode
    INV345232
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MP4 H264 digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:20:36
    Modification Date
    31/08/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    724538
  • Barcode
    INV365807
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MP4 H264 digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:20:36
    Modification Date
    31/08/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    723760
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV317685
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    DV digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:13:11
    Modification Date
    10/05/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    710635
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV295467
    Canonical Identifier
    2010/28
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Details
    Carrier Type
    audiospool tape
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    07/09/2010
    Parts
    Reference
    690905
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV251356
    Canonical Identifier
    2010/23
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    78 record
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    09/08/2010
    Parts
    Reference
    686507
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV216795
    Canonical Identifier
    2010/23
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    78 record
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    09/08/2010
    Parts
    Reference
    686506
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV307395
    Canonical Identifier
    2010/23
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    78 record
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    09/08/2010
    Parts
    Reference
    686505
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV227929
    Canonical Identifier
    2010/23
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    78 record
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    09/08/2010
    Parts
    Reference
    686504
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV190814
    Canonical Identifier
    2010/23
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    78 record
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    09/08/2010
    Parts
    Reference
    686503
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV231190
    Canonical Identifier
    2006/51
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Details
    Carrier Type
    16mm film
    Colour System
    bw
    Colour Type
    bw
    Duration
    0:22:55
    Has Image
    Y
    Has Sound
    Y
    Identifier
    Image Polarity
    pos
    Modification Date
    03/08/2010
    Parts
    Reference
    686071
    Sound
    sound
    Sound System
    mag stripe
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV224383
    Canonical Identifier
    2006/51
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Details
    Carrier Type
    16mm film
    Colour System
    bw
    Colour Type
    bw
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:22:55
    Has Image
    Y
    Has Sound
    N
    Identifier
    Image Polarity
    pos
    Modification Date
    03/08/2010
    Parts
    Reference
    686061
    Sound
    silent
  • Barcode
    INV395015
    Canonical Identifier
    27
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Details
    Carrier Type
    master digital
    Colour Type
    bw
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:13:36
    Has Image
    Y
    Identifier
    Image Polarity
    pos
    Modification Date
    26/01/2010
    Parts
    Reference
    681065
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV208696
    Canonical Identifier
    2006/51
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Details
    Carrier Type
    16mm film
    Colour Type
    bw
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:22:55
    Has Image
    Y
    Has Sound
    Y
    Identifier
    Image Polarity
    pos
    Modification Date
    26/01/2010
    Parts
    Reference
    681062
    Sound
    sound
    Sound System
    mag stripe

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