Princess Nicotine; or, The Smoke Fairy (1909)

Princess Nicotine; or, The Smoke Fairy Review

Princess Nicotine; or, The Smoke Fairy is a 1909 silent short film directed by J. Stuart Blackton. It’s such a fun movie.

A smoker falls asleep and is visited by two fairies. I found this movie gloriously fantastical and the fact that it was made in 1909 and looks this good is a testament to Blackton’s visionary filmmaking. He really directed some extraordinary films from this period. The movie is problematic in pacing as in particular the ending felt abrupt and not particularly final in its feel.

But everything else is excellent. I really liked the beginning and of course the smoker’s interactions with the fairies are so amusing. The film looks very real and believable thanks to stunning special effects and in particular I loved the cinematography here as it’s so polished and the movie looks amazing throughout with the tobacco being superbly utilized as a setting. That was strange, but it made for an even more memorable flick.

Princess Nicotine is abrupt in its ending, but overall wonderfully fantastical fueled by great cinematography and terrific effects.