Addition and Subtraction
A 1900 French silent trick film by Georges Méliès.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Addition and Subtraction (French title: *Tom Whisky ou L'illusioniste toqué*) is a 1900 French silent trick film directed by Georges Méliès. The Star Film Company, Méliès' own studio, released it, and it appears as entry number 234 in the company's catalogues.
In the plot, a magician named Tom Whisky—played by Méliès himself—sits on a chair he conjures while dancing. Each time he sits, a woman appears from the chair, achieved through substitution splices. After three such performances, three women are produced. The magician then merges these three into one large woman, later "subtracts" a portion to create a small boy, and adds something back to make a fat person appear before the audience. In the final scene, he splits this fat person to reveal the original three ladies.
Méliès portrays the magician. The other actors remain unidentified, though film historian Georges Sadoul, examining a production still showing the three women together, suggested that Jeanne Mareyla is the woman in the center.
- director
- Georges Méliès
- year
- 1900
- country
- France
- company
- Star Film Company
- catalogue_number
- 234
- genre
- Silent trick film
Lore & Background
The film features a magician, Tom Whisky (played by Méliès). The magician sits on a chair that he produced while dancing, and a woman appears from three chairs after each seating, with three women produced in total after consecutive performances. The magician then combines the three women into one large woman, then later 'subtracts' a bit to produce a small boy. The magician then adds a bit to make the fat person appear in front of the audience. In the final scene of his performance he splits the fat person to produce the three ladies.
Reader's Guide
Addition and Subtraction is a representative example of Georges Méliès' early trick films, showcasing his use of substitution splices to create magical transformations. The film's plot, involving the multiplication, combination, and division of characters, demonstrates Méliès' fascination with visual illusion and his pioneering role in narrative cinema. Though the other actors have not been positively identified, film historian Georges Sadoul believed Jeanne Mareyla to be the woman in the center of a production still. The film is numbered 234 in Méliès' Star Film Company catalogues, indicating its place within his extensive output of over 500 films. Its legacy lies in its contribution to the development of special effects and the trick film genre, influencing later filmmakers.
Did You Know?
- The film is also known by the French title Tom Whisky ou L'illusioniste toqué.
- The magician Tom Whisky is played by Georges Méliès himself.
- The film uses substitution splices to create the appearance of women appearing from chairs.
- Film historian Georges Sadoul believed Jeanne Mareyla to be the woman in the center of a production still.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who directed Addition and Subtraction?
Georges Méliès directed the 1900 short and also starred in it as the magician Tom Whisky. The film was produced and distributed through his own Star Film Company studio.
What is the original French title?
The film is catalogued in French as *Tom Whisky ou L'illusioniste toqué*, roughly meaning "Tom Whisky, or the Mad Illusionist." It appears as entry number 234 in the Star Film Company records.
What happens in the plot of Addition and Subtraction?
A dancing magician conjures a chair and sits on it repeatedly, summoning a new woman from it each time until three are present. He then combines all three into a single oversized figure before removing a portion of her, giving the film its arithmetic-themed title.
What special-effects technique creates the women in the film?
Méliès relies on substitution splices, a staple of his studio's early output, to make a woman materialise each time the magician sits on the conjured chair. This stop-and-replace method was one of the core tools of silent trick cinema at the time.
Why is the film called "Addition and Subtraction"?
The title is a playful nod to basic arithmetic applied to a stage-illusion routine: the magician adds three women into one larger figure and then subtracts a portion of her away. The arithmetic framing gives the short its memorable, tongue-in-cheek name.
More in Films about magic 1-24
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