This short from Edison Manufacturing Co. features the dancers Norma Gould and Ted Shawn (with troupe in tow) performing a range of “historical” dances, not upon the stage but, via the magic of special effects, miniaturised upon a banqueting table top. Flanking either side of the table-sized stage are a bevy of beer drinking men — one of whom is meant to be an old dancing master — making merry to the beat of the dances before them. In order of appearance: Stone Age. Dance of Primitive Man Egypt 1200 BC. Dance of the Priest of Ra Greece 400 BC. The Bacchanalia Orient 200 AD England 1760. The Minuet France 1850. The Carnival America 1898. The Cakewalk America 1913. Ragtime Despite its look back through the ages (and being made more than a century ago) there is something oddly futuristic about the scene, as though at once also an accidental window into the future advances in holography. This special effect of miniaturisation, whereby some actors appear in miniature while others are normally sized, was a popular technique of early cinema (see also Princess Nicotine from 1909, and The Cheese Mites from 1901). The short presented here is one of few dance-related films appearing on a compilation of footage belonging to the Denishawn Video Archive at the New York Public Library. Founded in 1915, the L.A.-based Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts, was the brainchild of dancers (and married couple) Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn and became the first dance academy in the United States to produce a professional dance company. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J9Xgs553WE

John Wayne appears on a 1976 episode of Donahue in front of an audience largely populated by women, and he discusses his life, his career, his stint as a singing cowboy, Ronald Reagan, impressionists, pornography, and much more. This is taken from a "Classic Donahue" rerun in 1996. Commercials were cut during the broadcast. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDVsDfUJSmk

Homage to a Great Man: Sir Winston Churchill The life of Winston Churchill in pictures. CHANNEL | BBC 1 FIRST BROADCAST | 30 January 1965 SYNOPSIS This 'anthology' of pictures, poetry and prose tells the story of Winston Churchill's life and work. Richard Dimbleby narrates the film, with assistance from actors including Laurence Olivier and Jack Hawkins. DID YOU KNOW? This tribute to Winston Churchill aired on BBC1 at 8.30am and began the BBC's coverage on the morning of his state funeral. Due to the short time between Churchill's death and the broadcast, the 'Radio Times' produced a special commemorative issue that omitted listings for the Saturday. Instead, a map of the funeral procession's route was published. CONTRIBUTORS Richard Dimbleby - Narrator John Gielgud - Contributor John Glen - Contributor Jack Hawkins - Contributor Laurence Olivier - Contributor Mary Laura Wood - Contributor Sir Winston Churchill - Subject of programme Hal Burton - Producer ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bjw2akxxY0Q

Originally titled Détresse et Charité (Distress and Charity), this short from French film-maker Georges Méliès tells the tale of a little beggar girl who collapses in the snow. There were two versions made for French and American audiences, each with differing endings. In the American version (shown above) the little girl is saved by passing automobilists who shower her family in gifts, a distinctly more Hollywood-style happy ending than the version shown to the French in which the girl dies and is carried off to heaven by a “Christmas Angel”. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94DaoXlj204