Serpentine Dance by Annabelle

This 1896 version of "Annabelle Serpentine Dance" is the remake that W.K.L. Dickson modeled after the Edison feature, after Dickson had moved to the new American Mutoscope studio. The 1895 Edison version is the better of the two, but like most of the numerous movies of Annabelle (Whitford) Moore's dance routines, this one is worth seeing, and there are a few small differences between it and the Edison movie.

The basic routine is pretty much the same as in the original, but in this one Annabelle twirls around more frequently, rather than mainly maneuvering her long skirts. From the floor pattern, you can also tell that this one was not produced in Edison's 'Black Maria' studio.

The most significant difference, though, is that the Edison version had very nicely done hand-tinted color, and added to Annabelle's dancing, it produced a pleasing and almost hypnotic effect. This one is filmed completely in black-and-white. So it's not quite as eye- catching as the earlier version, but it's still worth a look.

Serpentine Dance by Annabelle (1896)

Some people might watch a film like this today and not see what the big deal is but a lot of these early movies would go to popular performers at the time and make them do their act in front of the camera. Annabelle Moore was known for her serpentine dance and that's exactly what we get to see here. As an added note, the film was also hand colored to give it even more beauty. Of all the films that were made during the 1890's this one here has remained one of the most popular and it's easy to see why. Being able to see an actual performance by a now forgotten star is great on its own but the hand coloring is just another major plus.