A Phrenological Burlesque

1901 • Comedy, Fantasy

The film poked fun at phrenology—a highly popular 19th-century pseudoscience that claimed a person's skull shape and "bumps" could determine their intelligence, personality, and criminal traits. By 1901, it was a frequent target for satire and comedy. The narrative followed a phrenologist who is suddenly attacked by an enormous, living human skull.

Director

Georges Méliès

Status

Released