Jack Frawley, Lubin's cameraman for his remake of GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY is the writer and director of this movie, and he does a couple of interesting things in framing techniques in order to change the composition of the picture, using arches, trees and roads. He clearly understood the technique more clearly than most of the directors of this era. At this period, few except the Lumieres in France knew how to handle composition cleanly, and this picture is interesting for these techniques. There is even a bit of a tracking shot at the train depot.
3 Reviews
Simple Story, Decent Action & Good Photography
Snow Leopard4 January 2005
This very simple story is worth watching partially because of the decent action, and more so because of the good photography that uses many different backgrounds and settings. By itself, the story would not be of that much interest, but in addition to a fairly entertaining chase sequence, the movie also provides many sights of Philadelphia as it was in 1904.
The movie starts with the gang of robbers getting ready to rob a bank. Up through the robbery sequence, the action is mostly routine, and indeed it seems likely that the whole motivation of the film-makers was to set up the lengthy chase sequence. Given the basic and straightforward filming techniques of the time, it works all right. There are also a couple of touches of humor.
The settings in the early scenes are relatively plain studio sets, but the highlight chase sequences take place amidst the streets and sights of Philadelphia. Even if you do not find the action to be that compelling, it is still interesting whenever a film preserves some footage of portions a well-known city the way it was many years ago.
The movie starts with the gang of robbers getting ready to rob a bank. Up through the robbery sequence, the action is mostly routine, and indeed it seems likely that the whole motivation of the film-makers was to set up the lengthy chase sequence. Given the basic and straightforward filming techniques of the time, it works all right. There are also a couple of touches of humor.
The settings in the early scenes are relatively plain studio sets, but the highlight chase sequences take place amidst the streets and sights of Philadelphia. Even if you do not find the action to be that compelling, it is still interesting whenever a film preserves some footage of portions a well-known city the way it was many years ago.
Good Melodrama for its Time
Tornado_Sam13 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This print is featured as an unadvertised bonus to Kino's magnificent collection "The Movies Begin: A Treasury of Early Cinema" in the second volume, namely "The European Pioneers." The reason they call this an unadvertised bonus is because the print survives in a most faded and blurred condition, thus it is below Kino's standard quality.
Not only is this film the last unadvertised bonus, it is also the longest of the 10 and the one with the most developed plot. This film is what you'd expect, a crime film in which some thieves rob a bank because they are low on money. At their hideout, the thieves count their money when the police burst in. Two of the robbers are caught immediately but one manages to escape. A chase follows. Typical story for an early film. Very similar to Porters' "The Great Train Robbery." Besides this it also resembles "A Daring Daylight Burglary" by Sheffield Photo Co., in the sense that the escaping thief tries to get away on a train, and the police catch him at the next station. Overall, a decent melodrama for its time. Recommended for film buffs and anyone interested in early filmmaking.
(Note: I have finally finished reviewing all 10 of the unadvertised bonuses. The others are: "Girls Swinging" (1897) "The Interrupted Bathers" and "The Draped Model" (both 1902) "Shooting Captured Insurgents" (1898) "Execution of a Spy" (1900) "Execution of Czolgosz with Panorama of Auburn Prison" (1901) "The Burlesque Suicide No. 2" (1902) "Electrocuting an Elephant" and "Discovery of Bodies" (both 1903).
Not only is this film the last unadvertised bonus, it is also the longest of the 10 and the one with the most developed plot. This film is what you'd expect, a crime film in which some thieves rob a bank because they are low on money. At their hideout, the thieves count their money when the police burst in. Two of the robbers are caught immediately but one manages to escape. A chase follows. Typical story for an early film. Very similar to Porters' "The Great Train Robbery." Besides this it also resembles "A Daring Daylight Burglary" by Sheffield Photo Co., in the sense that the escaping thief tries to get away on a train, and the police catch him at the next station. Overall, a decent melodrama for its time. Recommended for film buffs and anyone interested in early filmmaking.
(Note: I have finally finished reviewing all 10 of the unadvertised bonuses. The others are: "Girls Swinging" (1897) "The Interrupted Bathers" and "The Draped Model" (both 1902) "Shooting Captured Insurgents" (1898) "Execution of a Spy" (1900) "Execution of Czolgosz with Panorama of Auburn Prison" (1901) "The Burlesque Suicide No. 2" (1902) "Electrocuting an Elephant" and "Discovery of Bodies" (both 1903).
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