A King Leopold of Belgium look-alike leaves Paris in a high-speed automobile and travels to Monte Carlo in three hours, causing much chaos en route (the actual King of Belgium was reputed to be a speedy and reckless driver). There are some amusing gags, including a flattened gendarme who gets inflated with tire pumps before bursting, and also lots of pratfalls and slapstick along the road, including an early example of classic 'crash into a fruit cart' (which leads to the equally classic 'food fight'). Like many of Méliès' fantastic films, there is a mix of animation, miniatures, painted backdrops, and optical effects (such as substitution splices). The cast include members of the Folies Bergères (perhaps some of the same who played Selenites in 'Le Voyage dans la Lune' (1903) - the acrobatic antics are very similar), where the film was originally shown. At 13 minutes and packed with Folies Bergères celebrities, the film was an 'event' for the time and a big hit, but its cost limited distribution and untimely Méliè did not make as much money as he hoped to. Hand coloured versions exist. Amusing and very well done.
