The best little film from 1909 (warning - spoiler)

It's one of those turn-off-your-cell-phone movies. Except, obviously, not with cell phones, but in other respects very sci-fi. It begins with an audience of young people watching a movie featuring well-dressed though argumentative characters. These characters are one by one thrown out of the room, and moments later, they walk into the theater. They sit in the audience, but there's just one problem: their hats are so huge that nobody can see over them. Arguing breaks out again, totally disturbing the viewing experience for the theater-goers, until a giant claw descends from from the sky and plucks a hat off one of the women. Unfortunately, the distractions continue. The claw descends again, this time lifting an entire woman from the audience. The film closes with an ending title: "Ladies, please remove your hats."

Those Awful Hats (D. W. Griffith, 1909)