The jump cut was the key element in early movie conjurer Georges Méliès bag of tricks, and as he grew more experienced in the production of films so his use of this trick grew more sophisticated. This ingenious little movie shows off Méliès' adeptness to good effect, and it's clear that a lot of imagination has been used in a simple tale.

A mischievous devil appears in a hotel room and is just preparing for a snooze when a traveler enters the room. Angered by this intrusion the devil plays a series of tricks on the traveler (who is played by Méliès) until he drives him to near madness so that he has to be escorted from the room by hotel staff.

The use of the jump cut is used to good effect here, and they are particularly effective thanks to their unusual seamlessness. Usually in these early films it's easy to see where the cut has taken place. In this film, even though our knowledge of the technique means we know the exact moment when it has been used, very often here we can't actually see the cut. Definitely one of Méliès' better films. - 6 September 2009 | by JoeytheBrit

Also Known As (AKA)
Le diable noir France (original title)
A fekete ördög Hungary
The Black Devil (English title)
The Black Imp USA

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