Santa Claus (1898) - G.A. Smith | BFI National Archive

[@aprillazarus1562]

Considering when this was made, it was very well done and must have stunned the audiences. Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄 🎅

[@stationminute]

0:23 Considering the limitations of the time, that's a pretty clever way of depicting a room going dark.

[@carlosmarx2380]

they couldve just put a semi transparent filter on the camera lense, or in post

[@lakefire9985]

This puts me in mind of how short and precious life is. These little kids who partook in this film really believed in Santa ''their parents probably told them they were making something new called ''film'' and that the man was not the real santa'' these little girls would have awoken on Christmas morning and got their presents from ''the real santa'' and showed them to their parents ..who would have pretended surprise at santas gifts.. yet now they are long gone..

[@wabblum99]

Deep thoughts, and you are right.

[@LauRa-re9un]

I believe they told them to go to sleep and at one point they told them to wake up and show happy. Much easier to act than your fary tail :D

[@ooonurse33]

Queen Victoria was still alive when this was made....amazing

[@saeedurrahman2056]

Can imagine that video was taken 122 years ago

[@Munchausen45]

saeedur rahman Film actually :)🎬 Likely viewed in a Nickelodeon.

[@shehannanayakkara4162]

@@saeedurrahman2056 Halfway between the 1776 US declaration of independence and today.

[@DefenderOfChrist_]

123 years ago

[@vaishnavikonidena1532]

Princess Alice was a 13 year old girl back then

[@OOhayleyroxOO]

It is so crazy to think that those people were living over a century ago and they'll always be kept alive through this film.

[@MynaahHvorostovsky]

Verdade. 🙌

[@SuperBagshot]

How are they kept alive?

[@CanwllCorfe615]

Such a nice film :) To think a 1 minute clip from 111 years ago rivals the amount of joy I get from any of today's holiday movies.

[@vaishnavikonidena1532]

Now it's 124 years old

[@MynaahHvorostovsky]

124 anos...

[@EverlyMcCann]

It's 126 years old this video

[@CynthiannaMatthews]

Wonderful special effects for 1898! :)

[@luiz4430]

I wonder how they made them!

[@gugurupurasudaikirai7620]

@@luiz4430 The director, George Albert Smith, was one of the earliest experimental filmmakers and he patented a double exposure system just a year before in 1897 so you could say he literally invented the way to do it. This film is basically him showing off his invention. Oh, and the lady playing the maid there was his wife.

[@luiz4430]

@@gugurupurasudaikirai7620 Thanks for the info! ;)

[@ruthannkizakavich3325]

Amazing thing for this time!!

[@wildmarks5266]

The kids....girl : Dorothy Smith (1891-1964)...boy : Horold Smith (1889-1975)......Nurse : Laura Bayley ( 1864-1938)

[@wabblum99]

He left out santa.

[@savedbygodsgrace.9058]

@@wabblum99 😂😂😂😂

[@NothingItsJustNo]

@@wabblum99 santa never dies

[@saeedurrahman2056]

@@NothingItsJustNo santa is a hoax he doesn't exist, people just pretend to be like him

[@NothingItsJustNo]

@@saeedurrahman2056 wow I'm 20 years old and ive never heard of this before, you are onto something big

[@56bluegold]

It is wild, to be able to see people who lived over a 100 years ago, moving around on film !

[@lordenrique]

As much as things change over the centuries, what really amazes me is how much things stay the same. Christmas and film are truly beautiful things!

[@Perlinator67]

The light being turned off at 0:25 is probably a kerosene lantern, the main source of indoor lighting before lightbulbs were widely in use.

[@LauRa-re9un]

And how did they film it?

[@GamingPalooza]

1:00 the toy or candy that he put in the 2nd stocking fell out lol and he was like.. fk it

[@LauRa-re9un]

you´re right! :D

[@mdaddy775]

such a smooth gesture by Santa at 1:04

[@digitalblunt]

hahaha

[@SorrowfulSophia]

so amazing to look at this film and realize Babe Ruth was only about 3 years old when this was filmed, Lucille Ball was not even born yet, Marilyn Monroe was not even born yet, JFK was not born yet, Shirley Temple was not born yet, Helen Keller was 18 and it was 41 years before Gone With The Wind was filmed, its so amazing to think about those things while watching these nice old films :)

[@Perlinator67]

What's more, CHARLIE CHAPLIN was only about 11 years old when this was filmed! (Charlie Chaplin was born in 1889 and made his first films in 1914.)

[@SorrowfulSophia]

Perlinator67 Charlie Chaplin was 9 years old in 1898 since he was born in 1889

[@Perlinator67]

Yesterday Tomorrow: You're correct. I don't know how I could have made such a mistake in basic math! So, it looks like Chaplin was about the same age as the young boy in the film!

[@Perlinator67]

Also, it had been only 33 years since the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the end of the Civil War.

[@SorrowfulSophia]

It happens to the best of us :) Also William Frawley who played Fred Mertz in I Love Lucy was born in 1887, so he would have been 11 years old when this was made

[@NorthKoreaUncovered]

Crazy to think those children are long dead now. The Boy most likely fought in WWI.

[@Aqua.man045]

Well they couldn't have lived forever.

[@BMVP2020]

That thought gets me every time I see a kid or an animal in films pre 1990

[@wabblum99]

A child pre 1990 is most likely not dead by now. They are just no longer children.

[@tatewakinew]

Technically could be but unlikely was conscripted due to age (around 50 by that time)

[@BackupChannel-nq6fg]

@@tatewakinewthey said WWI not II

[@icpark]

this brings me back...to film class. It's interesting to see the film completely silent because so many renditions of old silent films have accompaniment. Thanks for this.

[@adastra123]

Amazing footage to have , also the fact that there were rarely second takes and that the whole thing was done perfectly in one take. There is a touch of sadness to it as all involved are more than likely deceased. Thanks to BFI for sharing this one. Imagine when our children are of age , showing this to them , this is a gem of footage.

[@hippojuice23]

Everyone involved in the Lascaeux and Chauvet caves paintings has moved on too!

[@DavePlissken]

Every Christmas night I put this short movie on my Facebook page. So thank you so much and Marry Christmas!!!!!!

[@CaptainBlackBread]

You too, huh?

[@drboogersnot]

This kind of stuff always blows my mind...

[@WoodRatGirl]

This is so adorable

[@HargroveFilms1]

This is truly a "Old Fashioned Christmas"!!! Great work for its age.

[@redwing46901]

wow this really unique,not many films or kinescopes reel to reel still exsist to be even replayed anymore....we should all be very appreciative of what we can salvage from the past into the present for future use.Thankyou for sharing such a wonderful look into our past.Merry Christmas.

[@movingroovinproduction]

Awesome clip! Special Effects in use already. Thank you.

[@jorgebrito2]

I wish I can go back in time. This was exellent! You should put some more of these. Get them. I couldn't take my eyes of this film.

[@lsmf5]

It looks like one of the candy canes he puts in the stockings falls out shortly after, but its amazing how well this was filmed, even when compared with the films made near the end of the silent movie era.

[@boramsuh4585]

This film is THE FIRST christmas movie in human history! Amazing!

[@RockyBalboa211]

He exists in spirit and within the heart!! Merry Christmas!!

[@mz.channel]

I love such old films! Those black and white silent films, with trembling picture, like here, give you some thrills and leave mystery... I am sure classic will never die.

[@barnes4861]

lol I started watching this and i thought to myself where's the sound and i even raised the volume on my speaker and then i thought oh wait...

[@duboisfrancois5697]

Even tho your comment is 11 years old i just want to say i did the same thing 😂😂

[@melshorse]

Considering the thousands of films lost over time, I am happy to view this small piece.

[@mslijkhuis]

I think the image moves around so much because the transport mechanism in the cameras they had back then wasn't very precise. So every frame would be in a slightly different position when exposed. It is still a very impressive bit of visual effects considering the time. Good stuff.

[@Barnstormer1969]

This is trully an excellent film. It is simply amazing that it survived for so long.

[@mountie218]

For such an early film, the special effects are fantastic! Very ambitious!

[@jakespidermonkey1994]

I never knew that movie history goes back to the late 1800s. I always thought it just went back to the early 1900s. It's interesting to see this knowing that this film is 110 years old.

[@JennaLeighhh]

thats astounding that they could do this back then! merry christmas everyone!

[@tylthomas]

Thanks a lot for uploading!

[@Idoljunky32]

I find these old silent films fascinating and I'm in my mid 30's! That you for downloading all these treasures!

[@shocktower70]

I'm amazed at the clarity of the film.... How we adore our children and grandchildren to weave such an enduring loving fable. This is a 110 year old time machine, Ladies and Gentlemen.....A wise person would look and learn. Look Look, See See....See the world of your Great-Great-Great-Great grand father

[@tunatunckollu3291]

Still better than Megan Fox's acting in Transformers

[@eirefrance]

Of course it deserves a bravo. This is a piece of history and everything we think about film today comes from pioneers like this. Anyone saying otherwise is a hater.

[@jasonmcdaniel345]

Okay, not to be a film critic, but what was the point of bringing the tree down the chimney if he took it with him?

[@SimbiAni]

..a really big lucky charm? xD

[@MJ-dq8ik]

Good to hear from Ebeneezer

[@billyclark7079]

My thoughts too

[@speedgriffon2504]

Maybe he was taking it into the living room so he could set it up and decorate it? But then what's the point of having a Christmas tree for a single day...

[@redoverdrivetheunstoppable4637]

he's dragging it from the previous home bcs he stole it for himself

[@pedrocolcombet6892]

Este corto ya tiene 125 años. Me vuelve loco pensar cómo hace tanto tiempo y con lo poco desarrollado que estaba técnicamente el cine lograban narrar historias de forma clara y concisa. Como resuelven transmitir conceptos como la habitación a oscuras y Papá Noel entrando por la chimenea es espectacular. A falta de recursos, sobraba la creatividad

[@necceccess]

Better than most films today

[@melk8220]

Name one

[@necceccess]

All tyler perry movie,3 out of 5 movies in the scary movie franchise,most modern horror movie,should I go on

[@melk8220]

If you want to go on you can

[@necceccess]

I'm just asking,do you get the point

[@melk8220]

Oh your making fun of horor movie

[@evillaugher]

Awesome. It's cool seing how Santa was represented at that point.

[@tristancottarel5080]

brilliant

[@snaplesugar]

This truely is advanced for the time period. Nice look into how movies were back then and how they evolved. I love studying old films. Thanks for posting.

[@GV03]

This is amazing how old films can come up with such remarkable ideas. I thought the background at first was real.

[@AthyStar]

What a rare treasure! thanks for sharing that! Merry Christmas!

[@BMWrocksalltheway]

Wow, entertainment in the olden days. How creative. The first step to coloured movies. Awesome.

[@sarysa]

That's incredible. I never knew such a video existed. And the santa costume is so weird by today's standards. Thank you for posting this. I can't get enough of historical gems like this.

[@amandawriter]

Very cool. Any true film buffs will really enjoy this pioneering flick. Thanks for posting!

[@jackhackett80]

GA Smith is legend...so called 'movie fans' need to know more about today's inspirations...

[@MegaMaryThomas]

WOW ! Thanks for this and Merry Christmas

[@loyale27turbo]

Nice Mini Movie, 110 Years Old at this Date! ... it`s Amazing. Thank you for Sharing...

[@peeperdoodle]

Wow, amazing effects and very interesting to see how Christmas was in 1898!

[@Kirke182]

This is a valuable piece of film because it depicts Santa prior to the Haddon Sundblom era of the fat man in the red fur-trimmed suit that he painted for Coke. This is the older tree-bearing Santa who was a thinner man. It shows that even after Nast, people still conceived of Santa quite differently than we do today.

[@rosagorda]

Thank you for this! This is great!

[@merpuccino]

hahaha Santa dropped something! It's really neat to see stuff like this and to think about how the audience must have reacted back then. :3

[@mulsannemike]

That rocked!

[@M0nkeyJ0e]

That's awesome quality footage for so long ago. I didn't think the whole santa clause thing was popular wayyyy back then.

[@cheddyrod]

Remarkable. Thnx for posting.

[@11191066]

That film is a cherished gem !! Did you know that the real Saint Nicholas lived about 1700 years ago in what is now the country of Turkey. Legend has it that the poor Father of 3 daughters had no dowry to offer so his daughters could marry. Saint Nicholas found out about it and left coins in the socks that were left hanging out to dry. This is where the custom of hanging stockings at Christmas time started. Merry Christmas To All.

[@steveoroberts1]

This is wonderful!

[@lauralouiseticehurst9381]

I live in Hove, east Sussex. This film was made down the road from me!

[@thetriumphofthethrill2457]

Charming li'l piece from long ago. Merry Christmas to all. :-)

[@euphorial]

oh my! I was -87 years old when this was made!

[@hippojuice23]

I'm only 506 but I love this!

[@euphorial]

@@hippojuice23 say what? Haha. Sorry, confused.

[@juliahornback2843]

-100

[@RedDragonShard]

Amen to that. Surprised that there was actually these kinda movies this early

[@pinkdust3474]

Happy Holidays to all! Great video of the past!

[@icpark]

The Jazz Singer was a part-talkie. And there were many films experimenting with film before the Jazz Singer, though the Jazz Singer was one of the first popularly viewed ones.

[@Linkage1992]

This has pretty darn good effects for 1898.

[@kellylynneden1977]

I didn't notice anything until you pointed out. Good work !!

[@mygreybear]

this is adorable. Back then, small children were so happy with a small simple gift. Now all 8 year olds want are iphones and the wii.

[@chubby2245]

Turn the volume all the way up

[@akattack]

Look at other shorts from the late 1800's and then watch this one.. The special effects are astonishing

[@cleanshoelacesunderparis5472]

Actually watching this is almost unbelievable.

[@ikhebhierverstandvan]

santa claus is origionally dutch. in holland they call him "sinter klaas" his birthday is at 5 december.

[@daltonsbadboy]

thank you....i love this old stuff

[@dnedwrds]

Than you for a real piece of Christmas Magic! Thank you! Oh and of course Merry Christmas from North Las Vegas, NV, USA; and God Bless!

[@WiiwanttoBrawl]

Awesome! Amazing quality!

[@fistjedi]

Wow. Film has come a long way!

[@billyblackattacks]

I love how she turns off the light and they put up a black drop to signify that its dark in the room. its so old its really creepy, santa looks like a killer and the kids are long dead now

[@PialatBernard]

Superbe, Merci and Merry Christmas

[@df_collectibles]

really shows how far we have come

[@coolingstar9]

Merry Christmas to all of you.

[@pax41]

This is very interesting. I love these old movies.

[@_Astrospace]

Wow it's still unbelievable how this was made 125 years ago

[@daltonsbadboy]

Wonderful....priceless....Merry Christmas

[@Evocati2008]

I stand corrected. I am just amazed at how smooth it is. Notice how the characters motions are all caught without glitches and space. Amazing. BTW, all you ppl who voted negative on my comment really need to chill. How fucked up is it that you are ragging on me for a comment about a Xmas short?

[@Omegajunior2658]

Amazing Merry Christmas 🎄 🎅 everyone from Ireland 🇮🇪!

[@fireemblemaddict128]

Now isn't this a sweet little video? Makes me feel nice.

[@Perlinator67]

Actually, the first celluoid film was made in 1888, a full 10 years before this film. It was called "Roundhay Garden Scene" and ran 2 seconds long. Several years before that, there was a motion picture called "The Horse in Motion", but that was made by putting together a series of still photographs, rather than film. "The Horse in Motion" and "Roundhay Garden Scene" are both available for viewing on KZbin.

[@JhomasE]

This was soo cool to see this video. Amazing!

[@b.g.7580]

Wow! 120 years old

[@rachelkmcguire]

good video :) it's amazing how you still have it from 1898! 5 stars!

[@racoonzattack]

best special effects ever!!!!!

[@XplodinApple]

This is technically the world's oldest christmas movie

[@chrism823]

God bless you and your dad too. Merry Christmas to all.

[@BarbaraRoss-q9x]

Wow that's an old one.and cute .thanks for sharing

[@staceymcinturf9978]

"That is your great-great-great grandmother when she was a little girl." - A mom somewhere telling HER little girl or boy this Christmas.

[@ShadyXtra]

The first machine patented in the United States that showed animated pictures or movies was a device called the "wheel of life" or "zoopraxiscope". Patented in 1867 by William Lincoln, moving drawings or photographs were watched through a slit in the zoopraxiscope. However, this was a far cry from motion pictures as we know them today. Modern motion picture making began with the invention of the motion picture camera.