Here's an early stop-motion film by Starewicz that makes fun of all the epics that we're beginning to come out from Italy. Two noble bugs fight with flashing swords for the love of a beautiful lady bug.
Of course, it is best to take the legends of movie-making with a grain or ten thousand of salt. Reports that contemporary reviewers didn't realize this was stop-motion work, but thought insects were trained, is probably as true as the reports that people screamed in terror as the train pulled into the station for the Lumieres' first show. Still, the principal thing to note about this film is it's earnest silliness.