1895 - L'Arroseur Arrose

If I could go back in time, one of the first places I'd stop by is Paris in December 1895 at the Salon Indien du Grand Cafe. I would go to the first public screening of August & Louis Lumiere's first ten films made with their wonderful new Cinematograph (this must be counted as the first film festival!). Of the ten films they screened, my favorite & I think the most noteworthy is L'Arroseur Arrose. It's the classic tale, which actually came from a comic strip, of a gardener tending to his crops. Behind him, a young boy sneaks up and steps on his water hose cutting off the flow of water. The gardener cannot figure out what is amiss and stares deep into the garden hose. That is when the boy delightfully chooses to let his foot off the hose and WHOOMP! Splash face!



Noteworthy not only because this is the first comedy film, but most agree this is also the first fiction film of all time! All of this of course is Fantastique! but let us not overlook the fact that with L'Arroseur Arrose, Louis Lumiere also undoubtedly created the world's first spanking fetish film! Bears and leather daddies everywhere, please take a pause for reflection.

The other films screened at the first public showing all directed by Louis Lumiere.

1895 - La Sortie de l'Usine Lumiere a Lyon (Workers Leaving the Lumiere Factory)
1895 - La Voltige (Horse Trick Riders)
1895 - La Peche aux Poissons Rouges (Fishing for Goldfish)
1895 - Le Debarquement du Congres de Photographie a Lyon (The Photographical Congress Arrives in London)
1895 - Les Forgerons (The Blacksmiths)
1895 - Repas de Bebe (Baby's Breakfast)
1895 - La Saut a la Couverture (Jumping onto a Blanket)
1895 - Place des Cordeliers a Lyon (Cordeliers Square in Lyon)
1895 - La Mer (The Sea)
1895 - L'Arrivee d'un Train en Gare de la Ciotat (The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station)