The Comet
from The Catalogue of Kineto Film Subjects
Before When Worlds Collide, there was La Fin du Monde. Before that was The Comet, released appropriately in 1910 (coinciding with Halley's Comet).
The film was released by Kalem but somehow wound up in the Kineto catalog. Here's the complete entry:
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THE COMET.
A sensational and exciting film, full of thrilling incidents.
An interesting example of what can be done by the kinematograph in depicting imaginary events in realistic fashion.
What might happen IF the Comet touched the Earth.
(Supplied only on condition that this Film is not re-sold or used for re-exhibition in the United States of America.)
The Mansion. Anxious moments in the dining room. The rush to the observatory. The Astronomer's explanation. The Comet seen through the giant telescope.
The Garage. A motor dash for safety. The coming of the Comet. Explosion of the petrol.
The Miser's Den. The Miser's doom and melting of his hoarded gold.
The Widow's Cottage. Heat and Thirst. The Flight. The cottage fired. The Red Cross car to the rescue.
The Burning Countryside. Farm, cottage, railway station and mansion involved.
The Caves. An underground refuge from the heat. The last drop of water. The water thief. Summary justice. Deeper down. The stalactite cave.
Water at last. The passing of the Comet. Panoramic Scene of a devastated World.
No K 558
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I've checked several places but still don't know if the film exists.
Incidently, to put this science fiction disaster movie in the perspective of its time, the code word of "COMET" was used as the telegraph abbreviation (to save transmittal costs). Each catalog entry had this code which was deemed less subject to error and thus more reliable than using the catalog number.
written: 9/8/2002