Historic Films Stock Footage Archive: VM-745

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00:00:55 0	HER FIRST CIGARETTE, AM&B (1903). FROM A SINGLE-CAMERA POSITION, TWO YOUNG WOMEN ARE PHOTOGRAPHED LIGHTING A CIGARETTE. AFTER SEVERAL PUFFS, ONE OF THE YOUNG LADIES BECOMES FAINT, AND THE OTHER ONE TRIES TO REVIVE HER FALLEN FRIEND.
00:01:52 56.9	COUNCIL BLUFFS BRIDGE STATION, AM&B (1903). THE APPROACH TO A CANTILEVER BRIDGE IS SHOWN. THE CAMERA IS ON THE FRONT OF THE CAR TRAVELING OVER THE RAILS. THE CAR CROSSES THE CANTILEVER BRIDGE, MAKES TWO TURNS, AND GOES THROUGH A STATION. THIS IS PART OF A SERIES OF EIGHT FILMS MADE FOR THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD. OTHER TITLES ARE: DEVIL'S SLIDE, GEORGETOWN LOOP, ONE THOUSAND MILE TREE, OMAHA, NEBRASKA.
00:03:29 153.9	HIPPODROME RACES, DREAMLAND, CONEY ISLAND, EDISON (1905). THE FIRST SIGHT IS THE STRAIGHTAWAY PORTION OF A SMALL HIPPODROME WITH A DIRT-COVERED TRACK. ON EACH SIDE OF THE TRACK ARE GRANDSTANDS USED FOR SEATING SPECTATORS. AS THE FILM PROGRESSES, PEOPLE COSTUMED WITH HELMETS AND BREASTPLATES, CARRYING SHIELDS AND SPEARS OF THE ROMAN ERA, CAN BE SEEN COMING DOWN THE STREET SECTION OF THE TRACK. THEY ARE FOLLOWED BY WOMEN IN TOGAS FESTOONED WITH FLOWERS, THEN A LARGE GROUP OF MEN LEADING HORSES GOES BY. THE REMAINDER OF THE FILM WAS PHOTOGRAPHED FROM THE SAME CAMERA POSITION, AND IT SHOWS HORSES RIDDEN ROMAN STYLE, CHARIOT.
00:08:21 445.9	THE HOOPSKIRT AND THE NARROW DOOR, AM&B (1904). THIS FARCE IS BUILT AROUND THE EFFORTS AND FRUSTRATIONS OF A WOMAN WHO ATTEMPTS TO GET THROUGH A NARROW DOOR WHILE WEARING A HOOPSKIRT. SHE FINALLY SUCCEEDS BY TILTING THE HOOP, THEREBY EXPOSING HER PANTALOONS.
00:09:35 519.9	HOW THEY DO THINGS ON THE BOWERY, EDISON (1902). THE OPENING SCENE IS OF A STREET IN NEW YORK'S BOWERY SECTION, WITH BUSINESS FRONTS OF RESTAURANTS AND SHOESTORES, ETC. INTO THE CAMERA AND WALKING AWAY FROM IT CAN BE SEEN A MAN. JUDGING FROM HIS CLOTHING AND THE TYPE OF LUGGAGE HE IS CARRYING, HE IS DEFINITELY FROM THE COUNTRY. APPROACHING THE CAMERA IS A FAIRLY WELL-DRESSED WOMAN, WHO, AS SHE PASSES THE COUNTRY "RUBE," DROPS HER HANDKERCHIEF. HE RETRIEVES IT FOR HER. GESTURES INDICATE SHE THANKS HIM AND SUGGESTS A DRINK. THEY BOTH WALK AWAY FROM THE CAMERA AND THROUGH A RESTAURANT STORM DOOR. THE NEXT CAMERA POSITION IS OF A SET OF THE INSIDE OF THE RESTAURANT. AFTER THE WOMAN AND THE RUBE ARE SEATED, THE WOMAN LIGHTS AND SMOKES A CIGARETTE. THE WAITER POURS THEM A DRINK THAT RENDERS THE MAN UNCONSCIOUS. AFTER A SHORT INTERVAL, THE WOMAN PICKS HIS POCKET, PAYS FOR THE DRINKS, AND LEAVES. THE FILM FINISHES WITH AN EXTERIOR SCENE. A PATROL WAGON ARRIVES, AND THE RUBE AND HIS LUGGAGE ARE THROWN OUT INTO THE STREET BY THE TAVERN KEEPER.
00:12:07 671.9	HUMAN APES FROM THE ORIENT, AM&B (1906). THE SUBJECT IS TWO GROTESQUE-LOOKING HUMAN BEINGS WHO ARE SITTING ON THE DECK OF A SHIP. THE TWO WEIRD INDIVIDUALS SIT CROSSLEGGED AND DO THE BIDDING OF A MAN IN ORIENTAL COSTUME. THE POINT OF THE FILM SEEMS TO BE DIRECTED AT THE FACT THAT THE BONE STRUCTURE OF THE TWO SUBJECTS MAKES THEM LOOK LIKE MONKEYS OR APES, AND THE SPECTATORS SEEM TO BE TRYING TO GET THEM TO BEHAVE LIKE MONKEYS, THAT IS, SCRATCH THEMSELVES, ETC. AT THE END OF THE FILM, THE TWO SUBJECTS STAND UP. ABOARD SS WERDENFELS (? SP) DOCKED IN BROOKLYN.
00:16:26 930.9	HYDE PARK SCHOOL GRADUATING CLASS, AM&B (1904). TWO ROWS OF GIRLS AND ONE OF BOYS ARE FACING THE CAMERA AS THE FILM BEGINS. IMMEDIATELY IN THE BACKGROUND IS A BLACKBOARD WITH THE WORDS "KANSAS CITY, MO." AS IF ON SIGNAL, THE THREE ROWS OF YOUNG PEOPLE BEGIN DEMONSTRATING THEIR ABILITY TO TWIRL INDIAN CLUBS IN UNISON; FOR THE FULL EXTENT OF THE FILM THE STUDENTS DO JUST THAT. KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.
00:17:46 1010.9	HYDE PARK SCHOOL, ROOM 2, AM&B (1904). FOUR ROWS OF PREADOLESCENT CHILDREN, BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS, ARE STANDING IN FRONT OF A BLACKBOARD ON WHICH THE WORDS "KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI" CAN BE SEEN. EACH BOY AND GIRL HAS A PAIR OF INDIAN CLUBS AND FOR THE EXTENT OF THE FILM THE GROUP DEMONSTRATES IN UNISON DIFFERENT EXERCISES, USING THE CLUBS. KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.
00:18:53 1077.9	ICE SKATING IN CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK, EDISON (1904). THE PHOTOGRAPHER PLACED HIS CAMERA IN SUCH A POSITION THAT WHILE HE PANNED, IT FILMED MANY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ACTIVELY ENGAGED EITHER IN SKATING, PUTTING ON THEIR SKATES, OR REMOVING THEM. THE ALTITUDE OF THE CAMERA TOOK IN JUST THE SKATERS ON THE ICE, NOT THE SURROUNDING TERRITORY. CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK.
00:20:50 1194.9	INTERNATIONAL CONTEST FOR THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: SQUIRES VS BURNS, OCEAN VIEW, CALIF., JULY 4TH, 1907, MILES BROTHERS. THIS IS AN ACTUAL FILM OF THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZE FIGHT. THE FIGHT WAS LABELED THE SHORTEST AND FIERCEST PRIZE FIGHT ON RECORD UP TO THAT TIME.
00:23:52 1376.9	JACK JOHNSON VS. JIM FLYNN CONTEST FOR THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD, LAS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO, JULY 4, 1912, JACK CURLEY. NINE ROUNDS OF THE JOHNSON-FLYNN PRIZE FIGHT ARE SHOWN FROM A SINGLE-CAMERA POSITION. THE FILM CLEARLY SHOWS THE ABILITY OF THE GREAT JACK JOHNSON. THE FIGHT, HELD JULY 4, 1912, IN LAS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO, WAS STOPPED BY THE POLICE, AND JOHNSON WON ON POINTS.
00:46:32 2736.9	JIM JEFFRIES ON HIS CALIFORNIA RANCH, MILES BROTHERS (1907). THE FIRST SCENE PRECEDED BY THE TITLE: GREETING VISITORS, IS TAKEN ACROSS A DIRT ROAD THAT RUNS IN FRONT OF THE JEFFRIES' HOME. APPROACHING THE HOUSE IS AN AUTOMOBILE WITH FOUR PASSENGERS. AS THE CAR STOPS IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE, JIM JEFFRIES AND HIS WIFE COME OUT TO GREET THE VISITORS. ALL THEN ENTER THE HOUSE, THE CAMERA WAS AT SUCH A DISTANCE THAT SUBJECTS ARE NOT EASILY IDENTIFIABLE. THE NEXT SCENE, MRS. JEFFRIES AND JIM FEEDING THE CHICKENS, SHOWS JIM AND HIS WIFE FEEDING THE CHICKENS. GREAT BOXER, BOXING.
00:49:24 2908.9	THE JOHNIE AND THE TELEPHONE, AM&B (1903). THE CAMERA WAS PLACED TO ENCOMPASS A SET OF THE BACKSTAGE DRESSING ROOM OF A BURLESQUE SHOW. THERE ARE THREE CHORUS GIRLS AND ONE FEATURED DANCER IN THE DRESSING ROOM AS THE FILM STARTS. A MAN IN EVENING ATTIRE, ACCOMPANIED BY A WAITER WITH A TRAY, SEVERAL GLASSES, AND A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE, IS USHERED IN BY THE DOORMAN. THE REST OF THE FILM IS DEVOTED TO THE GROUP AS THEY DRINK AND CAROUSE UNTIL THE MAN WALKS OVER TO WALL TELEPHONE AND MAKES A CALL. WHILE HE IS TALKING ON THE PHONE, ONE OF THE CHORUS GIRLS THROWS THE CHAMPAGNE BUCKET AT HIM, ENDING THE FILM.
00:50:05 2949.9	LATINA, DISLOCATION ACT, AM&B (1905). TAKEN FROM THE AUDIENCE'S POINT OF VIEW, THE FILM SHOWS A CONTORTIONIST DEMONSTRATING THAT SHE CAN COMPLETELY REVOLVE HER ARMS IN THE SHOULDER SOCKETS. THE EXHIBITION WAS A WAIST-HIGH FRONT VIEW, SIDE VIEW, AND REAR VIEW. FREAKY.
00:50:36 2980.9	LATINA, PHYSICAL CULTURE POSES, NO. 1, AM&B (1905). A FULL-LENGTH VIEW, PHOTOGRAPHED FROM THE AUDIENCE, OF A WOMAN DRESSED IN TIGHTS DOING CALISTHENICS. SHE DEMONSTRATES ARM AND WAIST MOVEMENTS.
00:50:46 2990.9	LATINA, PHYSICAL CULTURE POSES, NO. 2, AM&B (1905). PHOTOGRAPHED FROM ONE CAMERA POSITION, A ROBUST WOMAN DEMONSTRATES PHYSICAL CULTURE EXERCISES.
00:51:23 3027.9	LEAPING DOGS AT GENTRY'S CIRCUS, EDISON (1901). THE CONDITION OF THE FILM IS TOO POOR TO PERMIT A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS. HOWEVER, AGAINST THE WHITE INTERIOR OF THE TENT, IT IS POSSIBLE TO SEE A VAUDEVILLE ACT IN SESSION. THE ACT CONSISTS OF AN ATTENDANT PILING CHAIRS ON TOP OF TABLES, GRADUALLY INCREASING THE HEIGHT OF THE BARRIER, AND ORDERING SEVERAL DOGS OF VARIOUS SIZES TO LEAP OVER THEM.
00:53:16 3140.9	LEVI & COHEN, COHAN THE IRISH COMEDIANS, AM&B (1903). THE CAMERA WAS PLACED AS IF IN THE AUDIENCE, AND A NUMBER OF SPECTATORS WERE SEATED BETWEEN IT AND THE STAGE. TWO MEN, INTRODUCED AS COMEDIANS, WALK OUT ON THE STAGE AND BEGIN THEIR ACT. APPARENTLY THEIR ACT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO THE MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE WHO BEGIN TO PELT THE MEN WITH VEGETABLES FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FILM. VAUDEVILLE.
00:54:16 3200.9	LIFTING THE LID, AM&B (1905). THE FILM WAS MADE UP OF PHOTOGRAPHS OF INTERIOR SETS COMBINED WITH EXTERIORS TO ESTABLISH THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF THE FILM. THE FIRST SCENE IS OF A NEW YORK STREET WHERE A SIGHTSEEING BUS IS ABOUT TO START OFF ON A TRIP. THEN THE INTERIORS, USING ACTORS, BEGIN. A GUIDE WITH A MEGAPHONE ESCORTS A COUNTRY COUPLE THROUGH A VAUDEVILLE SHOW-RESTAURANT AND AN OPIUM DEN. THE COUNTRY BUMPKINS ARE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE TOUR. THE LAST SCENE SHOWS THE BUS LOADED WITH TOURISTS RETURNING TO ITS STARTING POINT. BROADWAY AT 38TH STREET, NEW YORK CITY.