The Evidence of the Film
January 10, 1913 (Friday)
Produced and Released by Thanhouser Company
Cast: William Garwood (the broker), Marie Eline (messenger
boy), Florence LaBadie (sister of little boy), Riley
Chamberlin (clerk)
Directors: Edwin Thanhouser and Lawrence Marston
A one-reel melodrama
SYNOPSIS
from The Moving Picture World, January 11, 1913:
"A girl who worked in the joining room of a motion picture
factory had a little brother of whom she was very fond. He
visited the plant one day, and saw from 'the inside' how
pictures were made. The youngster was a messenger boy, and
later he was summoned to the office of a broker and given a
package that he was to deliver to a rich woman uptown. The
woman received the package herself, opened it in his
presence, but found only bits of blank paper, instead of the
bonds she had expected. At first she suspected the broker,
but he clearly proved that, in the presence of two
witnesses, he had placed the bonds in an envelope, and
carefully sealed them up. The messenger boy protested his
innocence, but the woman and broker both insisted that he be
prosecuted, and the weeping child was locked in a cell. A
sister pleaded with his accuser, but in vain, and for
several days the case against the boy was dark. One morning
while joining film the girl happened to glance with extra
care at one scene. She thought she recognized her brother,
and close examination under a microscope proved to her that
she was correct.
"With a cry of joy she rushed to the police station and told
the officers in charge that she had important evidence. Two
detectives accompanied her back to the plant, and saw a
scene of a play thrown upon the screen. It revealed the
messenger boy, package in his hand, coming around the corner,
whistling merrily. A man close behind him ran into and upset
the child, deftly substituted a package he held for the one
the boy had dropped, and then walked down the street so
rapidly that he did not notice the camera. 'Don't you know
that man?' screamed the girl. 'He is the broker who had my
brother sent to prison.' The broker was arrested; when the
evidence of the film was displayed to him he broke down and
confessed. He had hoped by throwing the blame upon the boy
to keep the bonds to himself. A long term in prison was his
punishment, while the plucky girl was warmly complimented
for the shrewd way in which she cleared her little brother."
SHOT-BY-SHOT ANALYSIS
of surviving print at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC
[Lighting is consistently high key (indoors and outdoors)
throughout the film. Camera is at eye level, fixed and
unmoving for all shots, except close ups and extreme
close ups.]
1.
Open to full shot of cameraman filming indoors of woman and
toddler (Helen Badgley). Florence LaBadie and Marie Eline
(messenger boy) are looking on and then exit left.
n.b. The opening sequence appears to be truncated.
2.
Cut to medium shot outdoors as both Florence LaBadie and
her brother (the messenger boy) exit the building, Florence
LaBadie kisses her brother who then exits left.
3.
Title: "THE DISHONEST BROKER PLOTS TO OUTWIT HIS CLIENT"
4.
Cut to medium shot inside office with two employees (clerk,
Riley Chamberlain, and young unidentified female secretary).
Broker (William Garwood) enters through door on right. They
discuss paperwork; he examines ticker tape, becomes
agitated, then exits through the door to his private office.
5.
Cut medium shot of broker's private office, William Garwood
enters from right; he opens a one of several letters on his
desk.
6.
Cut to XCU of letter:
Mr. Henry Watson.
Sir: Unless you return my $20,000
in Bonds by tomorrow I will begin
criminal proceedings.
Very Truly,
(Mrs.) Caroline Livingston
7.
Cut to medium shot of William Garwood showing startled
reaction to letter. After pondering the situation, he gets
an idea. He takes newspaper from his pocket and stuffs a
portion of it into an empty envelope.
8.
Xcut to medium shot of office showing clerk and secretary
talking, oblivious to the action in the broker's office.
9.
Cut back to medium shot in broker's office as he seals the
bogus papers in envelope with wax, puts inside his coat.
10
Xcut to medium shot of office as the clerk and secretary
continue talking, same setup as #8.
11
Cut back to medium shot of William Garwood gloating over his
plan. He goes to safe and withdraws the real bonds.
12
Cut to medium shot of office as the two office workers
continue talking, same as #8 & 10. The secretary knocks on
William Garwood office door, and then beckons the clerk to
join her in broker's office; they exit through door.
13
Cut to medium shot as both office workers enter from right
into private office of William Garwood. He goes to his desk
and the office workers witness him placing the real bonds
into envelope and sealing it with wax. William Garwood tells
the clerk to have the papers delivered, ostensibly to Mrs.
Livingston, and the office workers exit right leaving
William Garwood in his office.
14
Cut to medium shot of the office workers exiting door from
William Garwood's office and the clerk signals for a
messenger boy.
15
Cut to medium shot of William Garwood in his private office
as he exits right
16
Cut to medium shot of office with action in foreground
(office worker with package), middle ground secretary typing,
and in background William Garwood entering from his private
office. William Garwood walks to foreground, stresses
importance of package to the clerk and then exits right
through door
17
Cut to medium shot outside office as William Garwood walks
out door to street.
18
Cut to medium shot of messenger boy leaving another building
onto street as he checks his logbook, and then walks with
determination towards camera.
19
Cut to medium shot (same as #17) with William Garwood still
outside his office on street as he observes messenger boy
enter the door to his office building.
20
Cut to medium shot of messenger boy entering office through
door and getting the package of bonds to deliver to Mrs.
Livingston.
21
Xcut to William Garwood outside office (same as #19) waiting,
checking his dummy package tucked inside his coat.
22
Cut back to medium shot inside office as messenger boy exits
right.
23
Cut to medium shot outside office building (same as #21) with
William Garwood waiting. The messenger boy emerges from door
and exits left and William Garwood follows him.
Title: "THE MOVING PICTURE COMPANY AT WORK"
24
Cut to medium shot of director with script and several actors
rehearsing for a shot. The director runs across street to
camera in the background to prepare for action.
25
Cut to medium shot of messenger boy seeing the moving picture
company crew at work, he then walks towards camera with
William Garwood following close behind.
26
Cut to long shot showing movie crew in action with camera
being cranked. The messenger boy enters from left closely
followed by William Garwood who knocks the boy to the ground
dislodging the package with the bonds. The camera continues
to roll but we can only see the backside of William Garwood.
He appears to return the package of bonds to the messenger
boy who was distracted by being knocked down.
27
Cut to medium shot of messenger boy arriving at Mrs.
Livingston's door, he knocks, and the butler answers. Mrs.
Livingston appears, opens the package only to discover with
great dismay the "dummy" bonds.
28
Cut to medium shot of cop on the street with butler entering
from the left to summon help.
29
Cut to medium shot of Mrs. Livingston and boy at front door
(same setup as #28) as the butler and cop arrive from right.
The bogus bonds are displayed to cop while the messenger boy
tries to explain. The cop, Mrs. Livingston and messenger boy
exit right.
30
Cut to medium shot in the private office of William Garwood
with Mrs. Livingston displaying the bogus bonds while the
cop and the messenger boy look on. William Garwood denies
any knowledge of the fake bonds. The office workers walk in
from right and acknowledge witnessing William Garwood
placing real bonds in envelope. Everyone exits right.
31
Cut to medium shot as everyone emerges from door to William
Garwood's office. Messenger boy asks William Garwood if he
can use the phone.
32
Cut to two-shot of boy and cop as he calls his sister,
Florence LaBadie.
33
Cut to medium shot in film factory joining room with
Florence LaBadie in foreground running equipment and lots of
action in the background by other workers. She is summoned
to the phone.
34
Cut to two-shot of Florence LaBadie and fellow female worker
at the phone.
35
Rapid cut to two-shot of cop and boy on phone in William
Garwood's office.
36
Rapid cut to CU of Florence LaBadie listening to phone.
37
Rapid cut to two-shot of cop and boy as he tells his sister
of his plight.
38
Rapid cut to CU reaction shot of Florence LaBadie.
39
Rapid cut to two-shot of cop and boy.
40
Rapid cut to CU of Florence LaBadie as she hangs up.
41
Rapid cut to two-shot of cop and boy as he hangs up.
42
Cut to medium shot inside brokers office with everyone
present. William Garwood, Mrs. Livingston, the cop and
messenger boy exit right through door.
Title: "THE BROKER HAS WITNESSES TO PROVE HIS INNOCENCE"
43
Cut to medium shot in courtroom with judge on elevated bench
with William Garwood, the cop, and messenger boy, plus
unidentified woman. Cop explains situation, sister enters
from right and embraces her brother and pleads with broker
in foreground. In background, we see the judge entering
notes into his book. The boy is led off left (presumably to
jail), sister exits right (presumably to home).
Title: "SOME DAYS LATER, THE EVIDENCE OF THE FILM"
44
Cut to medium shot of factory joining room (same setup as
#34) with Florence LaBadie at worktable and action in
background. Distraught, she is examining filmstrips and
becomes visibly excited; she has seen something on one of
the strips!
45
POV cut to XCU of filmstrip, we see the action as seen by
the audience in shot #27. Note: This would be an incorrect
camera angle since the film that Florence LaBadie would be
looking at since it was taken from the other side of the
action! But, this image provides continuity for the audience
as they have already seen this setup before in shot #27).
46
Cut to medium shot in the factory joining room (same setup
as #47) as Florence LaBadie continues to examine the film,
stands up rolling the film into a reel, and exits to the
back of the frame.
47
Cut to judge (same setup as #45), Florence LaBadie enters
from right and hands the film to the judge who examines it.
48
POV cut to XCU of filmstrip, same as in shot #45.
49
Cut back to judge (same setup as #45) and Florence LaBadie.
Two detectives enter from left and judge tells them of the
new evidence. They examine the film and exit with Florence
LaBadie right.
Title: "THE DETECTIVES SEE THE PICTURE"
50
Cut to medium shot in screening room at Motion Picture
Company with Florence LaBadie, detectives and director of
the film (the same person from shot #25 who we must assume
is Lawrence Marston). The house lights are dimmed and a
film is projected (superimposed with a double exposure) on
the screen. The film shows the action from the POV of the
camera in shot #27 on the other side of the street. This
time, we see the front side of William Garwood as he knocks
down the messenger boy, exchanging the envelope of genuine
bonds for the "bogus" envelope, and sending the messenger
boy on his way. The house lights come up; they all shake
hands and exit right.
Title: "THE INNOCENT IS FREED"
51
Cut to medium shot of courtroom (same setup as shot #45).
The detectives tell the judge what they saw. The broker and
messenger boy enter from left. In the foreground, Florence
LaBadie hugs messenger boy, in background the judge and
detectives tells the broker of the new evidence. Florence
LaBadie shows the broker the film as they walk towards the
camera; he realizes the "Evidence of the Film" has caught
him! William Garwood is taken off screen left (presumably
to jail). Florence LaBadie and messenger boy exchange hugs
and give thanks.
"THE END"