"European Rest Cure" sounds as if the movie is going to be a travelogue where the audience gets to see all sorts of amazing sites from around Europe. Well, this isn't exactly what you get in this Edison film. Like most of their pictures, it's actually shot in a sound stage and all the European sites are actually painted backdrops. Now this is NOT because the filmmakers were being particularly sleazy or awful...this was how other studios often did things. And, audiences of the day would have expected no different, although when seen today it is less than thrilling!
The story takes a man in need of a vacation on a trip abroad. The purpose is rest and relaxation and the message seems to be that you'd better just stay home instead! This xenophobic travel film takes the poor man to places such as to see the Blarney Stone in Ireland, to Egypt (Europe??) to see and fall off the pyramids, a bath in Germany, etc.....all of which were awful. Overall, while this seems pretty dull today, for 1904 it was clever and the jokes not all bad. I especially liked seeing the poor man by the end of the film....as he really looked as if he'd benefit from a vacation!