The Artist's Dilemma (1901)

Directed by J. Stuart Blackton

In the artist's studio, he asleep in his chair. A large old fashioned clock opens and a young lady comes out and awaking the artist, requests him to paint her picture. While the artist is executing the work a clown comes from the clock, takes in the situation and begins to make love to the lady. The artist detects him and compels him to desist his love making. He continues to paint. The clown becomes interested and asks the artist to allow him to paint the picture, and begins smearing a whitewash brush over the canvas, and a most perfect image of the young lady appears. The image then steps down from the frame, joins the young lady in the studio, and the figures, each a perfect counterpart of the other begin to dance to the great astonishment of the artist. The clown waves his hand causing the figures of the two girls to merge into one. The artist then assumes his seat and awakens in shock. The film was a Vitagraph production, but later acquired and copyrighted by the Edison Company.