Gaston Méliès
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Gaston Méliès (; February 12, 1852 – April 9, 1915) was a French film director who worked primarily in the United States. He was the brother of the film director
Georges Méliès Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès ( , ; 8 December 1861 – 21 January 1938) was a French magic (illusion), magician, toymaker, actor, and filmmaker. He led many technical and narrative developments in the early days of film, cinema, primarily in th ...
.


Biography

Gaston and the third and elder Méliès brother, Henri, ran the family shoe factory in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. They landed a contract with the French War Ministry that looked to make them both wealthy. Unfortunately, the price of leather increased sharply, and they were unable to meet their costs. The factory shut down and the Méliès brothers lost their business. Georges Méliès had produced films in
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, which had become popular around the world. Some
distributors A distributor is an electric and mechanical device used in the ignition system of older spark-ignition engines. The distributor's main function is to route electricity from the ignition coil to each spark plug at the correct time. Design A ...
began infringing Méliès work, especially in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Georges Méliès asked his brother Gaston to go the United States and guard Georges's
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s. Gaston Méliès arrived in
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in 1902, formed the American branch of the
Star Film Company The Manufacture de Films pour Cinématographes, often known as Star Film, was a French film production company run by the illusionist and film director Georges Méliès. History On 28 December 1895, Méliès attended the celebrated first publi ...
, and began distributing his brother's films. By 1903, Gaston began making films himself, mostly
documentaries A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". The American author and media analyst Bill ...
. The films were not successful. In the summer of 1907, Gaston Méliès returned to France to take care of some business with Georges. On September 11, 1907, he married Hortense-Louise de Mirmont, an elder sister of Lucien Reulos' wife, who was one of Georges Méliès' first collaborators. The new couple left Paris a few days after their marriage and travelled from
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to New York on the ship ''La Savoie'', where they arrived September 28, 1907. In need of warmer winters to allow for year-round film production, Méliès moved the Star Film Company to
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,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, and leased twenty acres including a two-story house and large barn that became the "Star Film Ranch"
movie studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company that makes films. Today, studios are mostly financing and distribution entities. In addition, they may have their own studio facility or facilities; howe ...
. He acted in two of his movies playing a
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in '' The Immortal Alamo'' (1911) and '' The Kiss of Mary Jane'' (1911). In April, 1911, Gaston moved the company to
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, following the trend of other movie studios to relocate in
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. In 1912 and 1913 Méliès travelled around
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with his family and a film crew of close to 20 people, with whom he filmed in
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,
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,
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,
Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian language, Tahitian , ; ) is the largest island of the Windward Islands (Society Islands), Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located in the central part of t ...
,
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,
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,
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and
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in search of exotic subjects. During this trip which lasted from July 1912 to May 1913, Gaston Méliès filmed 64 movies, sending the footage back to his son Paul in New York, but this footage was often damaged or unusable. Gaston was no longer able to fulfill Star Film's obligation to Thomas Edison's company. Gaston lost $50,000 and had to cease production. He went to California, sold the American branch of Star Films to
Vitagraph Studios Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907 ...
, and then returned to Europe. He and his brother Georges (who blamed Gaston for his own financial difficulties) never spoke to one another again. Méliès and his wife moved to
Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...
in the winter of 1913. He died in Corsica on April 9, 1915 of "shellfish poisoning." He was buried on April 14, 1915 in Saint-Vincent Cemetery in
Montmartre Montmartre ( , , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement of Paris, 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Rive Droite, Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for its a ...
,
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, in a tomb belonging to his second wife's family, De Mirmont.


Filmography

Unless otherwise referenced, the following information is adapted from the research of Paul Hammond. All films were released by the
Star Film Company The Manufacture de Films pour Cinématographes, often known as Star Film, was a French film production company run by the illusionist and film director Georges Méliès. History On 28 December 1895, Méliès attended the celebrated first publi ...
.


1903–1909

In the table below, "SFC" refers to the numbers used for film listings in the Star Film Company catalogues; Hammond's research identifies the catalogue numbers for the first three of Gaston Méliès's films. Film length is given in meters and feet.


1910–1912

The following films, all one-reelers, were made between 7 April 1910 and 25 July 1912 in Texas and California. *''Cyclone Pete in Matrimony'' *''Making Sherry Wine at Xeres'' *''Branding the Thief'' *''The Seal of the Church'' *''The First Born'' *''The Lover's Oracle'' *''Trawlers Fishing in a Hurricane'' *''The Story of Old Mexico'' *''Volcanic Eruptions'' *''The Rival Miners'' *''The Debt Repaid'' *''Indian Drama'' *''Speed Versus Death'' *''A Thrilling Race Against Time'' *''A Race for a Bride'' *''A Rough Night on the Bridge'' *''The Palefaced Princess'' *''The Padre's Secret'' *''Love's C. Q. D.'' *''A Texas Joke'' *''White Doe's Lovers'' *''The Stranded Actor'' *''The Ruling Passion'' *''The Little Preacher'' *''The Golden Secret'' *''A Postal Substitute'' *''The Woman in the Case'' *''Mrs. Bargainday's Baby'' *''The Return to To-Wa-Wa'' *''The Winning Way'' *''The Romance of Circle Ranch'' *''Won in the Fifth'' *''In the Mission Shadows'' *''The Salt on the Bird's Tail'' *''A Plucky American Girl'' *''Bill's Sister'' *''Baseball That's All'' *''Out of Mischief'' *''Uncle Jim'' *''Under the Stars and Bars'' *''Birthday Cigars'' *''Generous Customers'' *''A Mountain Wife'' *''His Sergeant's Stripes'' *''The Cowboy and the Bachelor Girl'' *''Pals'' *''What Great Bear Learned'' *''Old Norris' Gal'' *''A Western Welcome'' *''In the Tall Grass Country'' *''The Crimson Scars'' *''The Owner of the "LL" Ranch'' *''Changing Cooks'' *''How Mary Met the Cowpunchers'' *''Only a Sister'' *''Tony the Greaser'' *'' Billy and His Pal'' *''My Prairie Flower'' *''In the Hot Lands'' *''The Snake in the Grass'' *''The Schoolmarm of Coyote Country'' *''Sir Percy and the Punchers'' *''The Warrant for Red Rube'' *''Her Faithful Heart'' *''Jack Wilson's Last Deal'' *''An Unwilling Cowboy'' *''The Reformation of Jack Robins'' *''Mary's Stratagem'' *''The Spring Round-Up'' *''The Redemption of Rawhide'' *'' The Immortal Alamo'' *''In Time for Press'' *''Her Spoiled Boy'' *''When the Tables Turned'' *''The Kiss of Mary Jane'' *''The Honor of the Flag'' *''Right of Way'' *''The Great Heart of the West'' *''The Strike at the Gringo'' *''Bessie's Ride'' *''At the Gringo Mine'' *''Red Cloud's Secret'' *''His Terrible Lesson'' *''The Local Bully'' *''Two Foolies and their Follies'' *''A Spanish Love Song'' *''The Call of the Wilderness'' *''A Shattered Dream'' *''$200.00'' *''The Mission Waif'' *''The Hobo Cowboy'' *''The Stolen Grey'' *''Tommy's Rocking Horse'' *''The Cross of Pearls'' *''The Gypsy Bride'' *''Right or Wrong'' *''Mexican As It Is Spoken'' *''The Spur of Necessity'' *''The Miser Miner'' *''An Oil County Romance'' *''The Reason Why'' *''A Western Girl'' *''The Better Man'' *''The Mission Father'' *''The Ranch Man's Debt of Honor'' *''A Woman's Gratitude'' *''Roped In'' *''Alice's Choice'' *''The Outlaw and the Baby'' *''The Mortgage'' *''Cowboy Vs Tenderfoot'' *''Dodging the Sheriff'' *''Smiling Bob'' *''Melita's Ruse'' *''The Swastika'' *''All Is Fair'' *''The Rustler's Daughter'' *''Oil'' *''The Sheriff's Daughter'' *''Troubles of the XL Outfit'' *''The Remittance Man'' *''A Man Worth While'' *''Wanted—A Wife'' *''The Ghost of Sulphur Mountain'' *''True Till Death'' *''A Cowboy's Proposal'' *''Finding the "Last Chance" Mine'' *''Widowers Three'' *''Making Good'' *''Ghosts at Circle X Camp'' *''Two Loves'' *''A Woman's Way'' *''The Cowboy Kid'' *''The Man Inside'' *''A String of Beads''


1912–1913

The following are the films made between July 1912 and May 1913 on Méliès's Pacific travels. *''The Misfortunes of Mr. and Mrs. Mott on Their Trip to Tahiti'' *''A Tale of Old Tahiti'' *''Unmasked by a Kanaka'' *''A Ballad of the South Seas'' *''The Upa Upa Dance'' *''
The River Wanganui ''The River Wanganui'' is a 1913 silent documentary film shot in New Zealand in 1912 on the 1912–13 South Pacific film-making voyage of French director Gaston Méliès. Like many of his films shot on that trip, it is now presumed to be lost. ...
'' *''A Tahitian Fish Drive'' *''
Hinemoa Hinemoa was a woman of the Te Arawa, known in Māori culture, Māori tradition for swimming across Lake Rotorua to Mokoia island to be with Tūtānekai, with whom she was in love. The story has been widely transmitted and forms the basis for one ve ...
'' *'' How Chief Te Ponga Won His Bride'' *'' Loved by a Maori Chieftess'' *''Cast Amid Boomerang Throwers'' *''The Golden Gully'' *''The Black Trackers'' *''The Foster Brothers'' *''Gold and the Gilded Way'' *''The Stolen Claim'' *''The Lure of the Sacred Pearl'' *''It Happened in Java'' *''Javanese Dancers'' *''Snapshots of Java'' *''Views of Samarang'' *''Native Industries of Java'' *''The Robber of Angkor'' *''A Cambodian Idyll'' *''Lost in Cambodia'' *''The Poisoned Darts'' *''His Chinese Friend'' *''A Chinese Funeral'' *''The Yellow Slave'' *''The Rice Industry in Japan'' *''Temples of Japan'' *''A Japanese Wedding'' *''Japanese Judo Commonly Known as Jiu Jitsu''


See also

* :Films directed by Gaston Méliès * :Films produced by Gaston Méliès * Maata Horomona


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Melies, Gaston 1852 births 1915 deaths French film directors 19th-century French businesspeople French cinema pioneers 20th-century French businesspeople Deaths from foodborne illnesses Accidental deaths in France French expatriates in the United States Articles containing video clips