description The Red Spectre Overview
The Red Spectre is a 1907 French silent trick film commonly associated with director Segundo de Chomon. Staged as a theatrical fantasy, it presents a red-clad supernatural figure performing transformations, disappearances, and other illusions before a fixed camera. The short is distinguished by its hand-colored imagery and practical visual effects, and it is primarily of interest to viewers studying early fantasy cinema and screen magic.
help The Red Spectre FAQ
What happens in The Red Spectre?
A red-clad supernatural figure, often presented as a demonic skeleton, performs transformations, disappearances, and other tricks in a theatrical cave-like setting. The story is deliberately slight because the 1907 short is mainly a showcase for early special effects. [Silent Era](https://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/S/SpectreRouge1907.html)
Who directed The Red Spectre, and was it made by Pathé?
The film is associated with Segundo de Chomón, and archival credits also name Ferdinand Zecca as co-director. It was a French Pathé Frères production released in 1907. [Silent Era](https://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/S/SpectreRouge1907.html)
Is The Red Spectre really a color film?
Surviving descriptions identify it as a silent 35 mm film with Pathécolor stencil coloring, and some scenes were originally hand-tinted. The Cinémathèque française lists an archival running time of about 8 minutes. [Silent Era](https://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/S/SpectreRouge1907.html) [Cinémathèque française](https://www.cinematheque.fr/film/113041.html)
Why is The Red Spectre sometimes called Satan at Play?
Satan at Play is an alternate English title used for Le spectre rouge in some film listings. It should not be confused with Satan s'amuse, a different 1907 film that is also associated with Segundo de Chomón. [IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0000614/) [Film reference](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satan_s%E2%80%99amuse)
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