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"