This early silent era film was released in France circa 1908 by Segundo de Chomón. It is partially hand coloured and shows several Japanese characters and eventually a worm change into a butterfly which while flapping it's wings changes colours as it flies.
Watch the official Japanese Butterflies 1908 trailer in HD below.
Las mariposas japonesas Trailer
France 27 April 1908
United States 15 May 1908
More movie trailers, teasers, and clips from Japanese Butterflies:
Silent Film: Japanese Butterflies (1908/Segundo de Chomón) Les papillons japonais (original title) Two Japanese artists having drawn a silk worm on a screen ...
These some of the most viewed trailers for movies released in 1908:
23 September 1908
L. Frank Baum would appear in a white suit and present his live actors, slide shows and films as a live travelogue presentation of his popular fantasies.
21 November 1908
A woman enters a room with a man. She creates a duplicate of him and changes his personality by throwing his clothes from one man to the next.
22 December 1908
A rich merchant, Antonio is depressed for no good reason, until his good friend Bassanio comes to tell him how he's in love with Portia.
31 January 1908
Based on the story of "Sleeping Beauty" by Charles Perrault. Titles read: The Christening of the Princess; The Good Fairies Fatal Prediction; The Royal Edict; The Princess is Sixteen Years Old; Searching for the Princess; The Prediction Comes True; Thou Shalt Sleep for a Hundred Years; A Hundred Years later the Prince Charming Goes Hunting; Prince Charming Dismisses His Escort; The Castle of Sleep; The Guard's Hall; You Have Been a Long Time Coming, prince; The Wedding of the Sleeping Beauty to Prince Charming.
20 September 1908
The fairest maiden is crowned queen of the May Day festival and the dignitaries of the town, surrounded by the cheering populace, music and decoration, are on the huge platform to do her honor.
02 November 1908
Whirling and frenzied, dances symbolizing life suddenly vanish to give way to macabre circles, evolving in flames and terrifying scenes reminiscent of Hans Holbein's famous Dance of Death in the Basel cemetery.
09 June 1908
Stable hostler Joe loves his wife Annie, but she leaves him and their child for a wealthy gentleman, only to die destitute in London, where Joe's enduring love brings her solace in her final moments.
02 May 1908
In this screaming comic is shown the amount of mischief that can be accomplished by one small boy. (Moving Picture World synopsis.
13 September 1908
This is an incomplete fragment of a longer film, so doesn’t make much sense, but it’s very beautiful and colourful with plenty of fireworks, flames and fountains as well as the customary fairies, magic and dancing.
08 May 1908
Albert Capellani's retelling of the biblical passage, previously taken to the screen by Ferdinand Zecca in 1902.
19 April 1908
Macbeth usurps the Scottish throne by murdering his predecessor.
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Artwork, screen shots, trailers and other imagery is © 1908 Pathé Frères.