| The Widow and the Only Man | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Wallace McCutcheon, Sr. |
| Cinematography | G.W. Bitzer |
| Distributed by | Biograph Company |
Release date |
|
Running time | 9 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | Silent film with English intertitles |
The Widow and the Only Man is a 1904 American short silent comedy film produced by the American Mutoscope & Biograph Company and directed by Wallace McCutcheon, Sr. [1]
A group of women sitting on the veranda of a resort hotel. First the woman arrives, and later the man. The film then shows their friendship progressing as they dine together, ride in a carriage together, and boat together. When they are boating, the boat turns over, and the man rescues the widow. A later scene shows a box of flowers being delivered to the widow, and the camera moves in to a close-up of the woman as she admires each flower and back out to show the arrival of her suitor. The denouement takes place later in a dry goods store. The widow walks in and promptly faints when she discovers that the ribbon clerk is none other than her gallant summer beau. [2]
The film was filmed on location in Brooklyn, and Coney Island on 9 and 11 August 1904. It was released on 8 September 1904. It was produced and distributed by the American Mutoscope & Biograph Company. [2]
The film is composed of 12 shots and four intertitles. The two first intertitles introduce the protagonists as The Only Man and The Widow, and are followed by two medium close-ups. The two other intertitles divide the film in two parts: The Episode, composed of 9 shots and Back to the Ribbon Counter which includes only one shot. All these shots are wide shots, some with camera panning, with the exception of shot 8 showing a close-up of the widow "as she inspects some flowers sent to her by the hero". [3]
The Episode
1. A Group of women sitting down on a veranda and talking excitedly. One looks in a pair of binoculars and gesticulate excitedly. A man arrives and a hotel clerk takes his luggage and they both come in.
2. Other angle showing the veranda. A motor car arrives, bringing three women.
3. Another view of the veranda. The man is playing the banjo surrounded by all the women. The widow enters and sits down
4. Same view as 2. A woman and her daughter leave on a carriage, followed by the man and the widow in another carriage.
5. Other view of the veranda. The man and the widow are sitting alone. He kisses her.
6. The beach. A maid takes off the shoes and the bathrobe of the lady next to a rowing boat. The man pulls the boat afloat and they row away. The camera pans to follow them. The boat capsizes. The man swims ashore with the lady.
7. The widow's bedroom. The maid brings a box of flowers to the widow sitting in an easy chair.
8. Medium close-up of the lady. She kisses the flowers.
9. Same shot as 7. The maid introduces the man. He sits next to the woman. They flirt.
Back to the Ribbon Counter
1. A shop. Two women come in, examine various goods, leave. The widow comes in and faints when she discovers that the ribbon clerck is her gallant summer beau. [1]
The film has been mentioned as an example of the regular "feature productions" produced by Biograph from the summer of 1904, which allowed this company to overtake the Edison Company as "America's foremost motion picture producer". [4] It has also been stressed that his is one of the first examples where a scene filmed as a wide shot is interrupted by a close-up of the protagonist. [5]
Gottfried Wilhelm Bitzer was an American cinematographer, notable for his close association and pioneering work with D. W. Griffith.
The following is an overview of the events of 1895 in film, including a list of films released and notable births.
The Biograph Company, also known as the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, was a motion picture company founded in 1895 and active until 1916. It was the first company in the United States devoted entirely to film production and exhibition, and for two decades was one of the most prolific, releasing over 3000 short films and 12 feature films. During the height of silent film as a medium, Biograph was the most prominent U.S. film studio and one of the most respected and influential studios worldwide, only rivaled by Germany's UFA, Sweden's Svensk Filmindustri and France's Pathé. The company was home to pioneering director D. W. Griffith and such actors as Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, and Lionel Barrymore.
Linda Arvidson was an American stage and film actress. She became one of America's early motion picture stars while working at Biograph Studios in New York, where none of the company's actors, until 1913, were credited on screen. Along with Florence Lawrence, Marion Leonard, and other female performers there, she was often referred to by theatergoers and in trade publications as simply one of the "Biograph girls". Arvidson began working in the new, rapidly expanding film industry after meeting her future husband D. W. Griffith, who impressed her as an innovative screen director. Their marriage was kept secret for reasons of professional discretion.
The Call of the Wild is a 1908 American short silent Western film directed by D. W. Griffith and produced by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company. The short, a "one-reeler", stars Charles Inslee, Harry Solter and Florence Lawrence. Its interior scenes were shot at Biograph's studio facilities in New York City, and its exteriors were filmed on location in Coytesville, today one of the oldest communities in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
Wallace McCutcheon Sr. was a pioneer cinematographer and director in the early American motion picture industry, working with the American Mutoscope & Biograph, Edison and American Star Film companies. McCutcheon's wealth of credits are often mixed up with the small handful of films directed by his son, Wallace McCutcheon Jr. (1884–1928).
A Wreath in Time is a 1909 American silent comedy film written and directed by D. W. Griffith, produced by the Biograph Company of New York City, and co-starring Mack Sennett and Florence Lawrence. At its release in February 1909, the short was distributed to theaters on a "split reel", which was a single reel that accommodated more than one film. A Wreath in Time shared its reel with another Biograph short also directed by Griffith, the drama Edgar Allen Poe [sic]. Original paper rolls of contact prints of both motion pictures, as well as safety-stock copies of the two films, are preserved in the Library of Congress.
From Leadville to Aspen: A Hold-Up in the Rockies is a 1906 American black-and-white short silent Western film from American Mutoscope & Biograph Company. It was directed by Wallace McCutcheon and Frank J. Marion (uncredited) with G.W. Bitzer as cinematographer.
Alfred Collins was a British theatre actor who later became a silent film director and actor. His shorts include Rescued by Lifeboat (1906), The Lady Athlete; or, Jiu-Jitsu Downs the Footpads (1907), and The Dancing Girl (1908). Early films were produced with nitrate film and deteriorated in their storage tins, sometimes catching fire, so most of them are lost.
A Railway Tragedy is a 1904 British silent crime film, produced by the Gaumont-British Picture Corporation.
The Child Stealers also known as The Kidnapped Child or Child Stealing is a 1904 British silent crime film about kidnapping, directed by William Barker and produced by the Warwick Trading Company.
The story the Biograph Told, also known as Lisas big giant donkey “male rooster” The story of the Biograph Told or Caught by Moving Pictures is a 1904 American short silent comedy film directed by Wallace McCutcheon, Sr.
The Lost Child is a 1904 American short silent comedy film produced by the American Mutoscope & Biograph Company and directed by Wallace McCutcheon, Sr.
The Kleptomaniac, is a 1905 American silent drama film, directed by Edwin S. Porter partly filmed on location in New-York denouncing the discriminatory treatment of the poor by the justice system. It is one of the first American social drama and Courtroom drama.
Willie and Tim in the Motor Car, also known as Fine Feathers Make Fine Birds is a 1905 British short silent comedy film directed by Percy Stow and produced by the Clarendon Film Company. The film seems to be the oldest one featuring a chase between a motorcycle and a motor car.
The Seven Ages is a 1905 American silent comedy film, directed by Edwin S. Porter inspired by the monologue All the World's a Stage in William Shakespeare's comedy As You Like It.
A Rude Hostess is a 1909 American silent film comedy written and directed by D. W. Griffith, produced by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company in New York City, and co-starring Marion Leonard and Arthur V. Johnson. At its release in April 1909, the short was distributed to theaters on a "split reel", which was a single reel that accommodated more than one film. A Rude Hostess shared its reel with another Biograph comedy short directed by Griffith, Schneider's Anti-Noise Crusade. Original contact-print paper rolls of both motion pictures, as well as projectable safety-stock copies of the films, are preserved in the Library of Congress.
Schneider's Anti-Noise Crusade is a 1909 American silent film comedy written and directed by D. W. Griffith, produced by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company in New York City, and co-starring John R. Cumpson and Florence Lawrence. At its release in April 1909, the short was distributed to theaters on a "split reel", which was a single reel that accommodated more than one film. This short shared its reel with another Biograph comedy directed by Griffith, A Rude Hostess.
The Invisible Fluid is a 1908 American silent science fiction comedy film produced by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company of New York, directed by Wallace McCutcheon Sr., and starring Edward Dillon. The short's plot relies extensively on the filming and editing technique of substitution splicing, also known as "stop trick", a special effect that creates the illusion of various characters or objects suddenly vanishing on screen.
The Whole Dam Family and the Dam Dog is a 1905 silent short comedy film directed by Edwin S. Porter for the Edison Manufacturing Company. The five-and-a-half minute film was an adaptation of a popular picture postcard featuring a humorously named family. The film introduces each member of the Dam family, and then shows a raucous dinner scene that ends with the Dam dog pulling the tablecloth off the table, and ruining the Dam meal.
