Waif and the Wizard; or, The Home Made Happy

A boy asks a magician to entertain his sick sister in this edition of RW Paul’s Sentimental Songs with Animated Illustrations.

Although the story might be obscure to us, this film is part of RW Paul’s selection of Sentimental Songs with Animated Illustrations. Based on a (presumably) popular song of 1898, the subject was well known in its day. The three years between 1898 and 1901 (when this film was made) saw great advances in filmmaking, if not popular song. With several trick shots and a sophisticated change of location, this film shows evidence of the forward steps taken since the invention of cinematography.