Hugo Page #3

Nobody wanted him.

We fixed it.

No, but it needed my...

my key.

- The key I gave you.

- No, no, Mama, he...

No. No, you take this away.

Can't dredge up the past now.

Whatever happens, you don't let

Papa Georges see it.

- Please tell us what's going on.

- Out! None of your business.

You must both forget this.

My father and I,

we worked hard to fix this.

This is all I have left of him.

I need to know what this means.

Please.

There are things

you're too young to understand.

You should not yet

know such sadness.

- It's Papa Georges.

- He can't know you're here.

Quiet!

Now just keep quiet. I'll find a way

to get him out of the apartment.

Not a noise from either of you.

She looked at the armoire.

I already searched it when

I was looking for your notebook.

I'll look again.

You stand guard.

Splendid.

- Where's Fizzie?

- You just missed her.

Not on the stairs? Didn't you

see her when you were going past?

- No.

- No? Well, um...

Look.

We have to investigate.

Let me. I'm taller.

- Knock on it.

- OK.

Back from the dead.

Stop. Stop, Georges.

- Stop it! This is your work!

- My work?!

What am I?

Nothing but a penniless merchant!

A broken windup toy.

I trusted you.

This is how you thank me.

You're cruel.

Cruel.

I should get back.

OK.

Thank you...

for the movie today. It...

It was a gift.

Sorry, I...

You know this volume?

My father and I

used to read it together.

Hmm.

It is intended for... my godson.

But now I think it is intended...

for you, Monsieur Cabret.

Might I have another cup?

Still brewing. Soon.

Demitasse, like everything else,

must happen at the opportune moment.

If we only knew when that moment was.

Oh, Gustave, be intrepid.

Say hello to her.

Come on, give me your best smile.

Your best smile.

It's beautiful.

Radiant!

Thank you.

- Oh.

- Mademoiselle Lisette.

A very gracious good evening to you.

- Monsieur Inspector.

- Hmm, yes.

Hmm, yes.

Those are lovely posies, those.

Thank you.

Yes, they're from Gourdon.

They come in on the overnight train,

so they're very fresh.

Ah, Gourdon.

Splendid country, that.

Robust.

The weather...

the cows and such mooing.

Perfectly formed udders.

Yeah.

Are they... Are they smelly?

Are they smelly flowers?

Oh, um... yes, a little.

They're... Please.

You see, I was injured in the war,

and it will never heal.

Good evening, mademoiselle.

I lost my brother.

Where?

Verdun.

Good evening, Monsieur Inspector.

Very good evening,

Mademoiselle Lisette.

The Film Academy library.

Excuse me?

The Film Academy library.

You'll find all you need

to know about movies there.

Second level, fourth row,

section three...

and, yes, top shelf.

The Invention of Dreams...

by Ren Tabard...

The Story of the First Movies.

"In 1895,

one of the very first films ever shown"

was called A Train Arrives

in the Station,

"which had nothing more than

a train coming into the station."

"" When the train came

speeding toward the screen,

the audience screamed,

because they thought they

- "were in danger of being run over."

"No one had ever seen

anything like it before."

"No one had ever seen

anything like it before."

"" What began as a sideshow

novelty soon grew into something more

when the first filmmakers discovered

"they could use the new medium

to tell stories. "

Wow.

"The filmmaker Georges Mlis..."

was one of the first

to realize that...

films had the power...

"...to capture dreams."

"The great pioneer

of early filmmaking died during..."

"...the Great War."

Died?

- During the Great War?

- You're interested in Mlis?

Uh...

yes.

It's allowed.

IS it?

He's my godfather, you see.

And very much alive,

thank you very much.

But that's not possible.

I assure you, sir...

it's true.

Why should I believe you?

Because...

Because it's true.

Mlis alive?

Shh!

Come with me.

Your godfather is a passion of mine.

He was a great filmmaker.

Here he is at work in his studio.

And this is a handbill

from his stage act.

Here is the great crystal mystery clock

made by his mentor, Robert-Houdin.

And this... is one of his

actual cameras.

- He was a magician?

- Yes. He began on the stage.

How did he start making movies?

No one really knows.

Look how happy he is.

Professor Tabard, would you perhaps...

like to meet him?

Oh... but you see, I have met him.

My brother worked as a carpenter

building sets for Mlis.

One day he took me to

visit the studio.

It was like...

something out of a dream.

The whole building

was made of glass.

In reality, this was to let in

all the sunlight necessary for filming,

but to my eyes,

it was nothing short of...

an enchanted castle.

A palace made of glass.

We need more light!

- Get the louvers opened.

- Open the louver, please! More!

Clear the set, please!

Everybody except actors.

Actors only on the set, please.

Clear the set!

Why we doing this again?

There was a lobster

in front of a mermaid.

OK, if that happens again,

shout "blocked."

If it's clear, give me a "clear."

If you've ever wondered

where your dreams come from...

you look around.

This is where they're made.

Ladies and gentlemen, the sun will set!

Knights in position,

lobsters in position.

Mermaids in position. Action!

In the end,

he made over 500 movies.

He was phenomenally

popular in his day.

But... why did he stop?

Up until today, I believed

that he died in the war...

like so many others.

Could we watch some of his movies?

I wish you could.

But time hasn't been kind to old movies.

This is the only one

that we know of that survived.

Out of hundreds, one.

And Still...

it is a masterpiece.

We've got to get Tabard

to show Papa Georges the film.

Then he'll see he's not forgotten.

Shouldn't I tell Mama Jeanne?

No. I think it should be

a surprise, like a magic trick.

We need to have some... panache.

Panache.

Well done!

Monsieur Claude?

Shh.

Are you up there?

Monsieur Claude, was that you?

Keep a grip onto your spanners,

you cack-handed oaf!

You can hold onto a bottle

well enough, can't you?

Are you inebriated?

Chateauxed, are we?

Shicker? Are you drunk?

He's passed out.

He's passed out, isn't he?

You bloated buffoon!

Could've hurt a child.

What have we here?

Jules Verne. Yes, indeed.

- Not unknown in France.

- One of our finest.

Very good plates.

Monsieur Labisse gave me

a book the other night.

He's always doing that,

sending books to a good home.

That's what he calls it.

He's got real...

Purpose.

What do you mean?

Everything has a purpose,

even machines.

Clocks tell the time

and trains take you places.

They do what they're meant to do.

Like Monsieur Labisse.

Maybe that's why

broken machines make me so sad.

They can't do what they're meant to do.

Maybe it's the same with people.

If you lose your purpose,

it's like you're broken.

Like Papa Georges.

Maybe we can fix him.

Is that your purpose, fixing things?

I don't know.

It's what my father did.

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