The Melomaniac

A music conductor demonstrates a surreal method of composing a piece. Using five overhead wires as a musical staff, the leader attaches a treble clef and his own head to represent notes. As the conductor's head reappears after each toss, the accompanying musicians and choir perform the music. Once the piece concludes, the heads transform into birds and fly away.

This 1903 French comedy and music short was produced by Star-Film and directed by Georges Méliès. In the chronological order of his work, it is film number 12 of 14 directed by Méliès, following Gulliver's Travels Among the Lilliputians and the Giants and preceding A Desperate Crime. The film has a runtime of three minutes.

Audience reception is generally positive, with a rating of 6.7/10 on IMDb based on 2,100 votes and a rating of 6.6/10 on TMDB from 97 votes.