This reel “Melodrama Rides the Rails” is a compilation that includes three short films dealing with railroads in the early 20th Century. These are examples of early filmmaking depicting this mode of transportation in a dramatic form. These films were exhibited initially in nickelodeons and peep show houses, in which there was a large room with viewing machines. Individuals would insert a penny into a devise, look into it, a light would go on, and the viewer would crack the machine as the images were projected via film or flip cards, mounted on a wheel.
The first two films produced by Edison and Biograph were copied from paper positives deposited in the Library of Congress in the early 20th century. The third, made by Vitagraph, was transferred from a 35mm print.
Railroads were ideal subjects in this history of filmmaking as they were fast moving objects, and provided moments of suspense and romance as the train sped its way throughout the country.
01:57 – 02:47 A RAILROAD SMASHUP, Edison, 1904. At county fairs, a popular show was to have two retired steam locomotives, set on opposite sides on one track, and then, unattended, come at each other, crash and explode. Such was the nature of excitement for the paying audience. So, here, two some retired 4-4-0 locomotives run at each other, collide and explode. This was a sad way to see retired steam engines to pass onto eternity, and in at least one instance innocent onlookers were killed by flying debris from the crash.
02:48 A RAILROAD TRAGEDY, Biograph, 1904. This is a short film dealing with an innocent woman and a suspicious man who robs her on a train. At a train station, a disguised man stalks a woman who is about to board a train 03:37 They board the train. 03:52 Train leaves station 03:58 Although traveling separately, man and woman are riding in same compartment. He looks suspicious and speaks to her.
05:13 As she falls asleep, she is robbed. 05:29 She awakens and resists the assault. She is then thrown off the train. 06:07 Camera cuts to woman lying on the tracks. Just by chance two bystanders recue her from another speeding train. 06:30 Cut back to a station where the same man who robbed her, is pacing on the platform. A fight ensues among several men who subdue the suspicious man.
07:28 Man is subdued and taken away. End of short film.
07:34 A MOTHER’S DEVOTION, Vitagraph, 1911
This overacted, silent film depicts a caring mother and her railroad engineer son. During the short film, the mother becomes a heroin and prevents a fatal accident as a nearby trestle in which the son’s train is going to pass over, has weakened during a thunderstorm.
The film is dramatized by cross cutting scenes that are occurring simultaneously.
08:15 Mother and son share devotion for one and the other.
08:34 Engineer son boards his train, Engine number 549. And train leaves/ 09:26 Back and forth editing between engineer on the train, and mother praying for the welfare of her son. 10:08 Cut back to train. 10:17 The engineer then prepares for the return trip.
10:46 The storm begins with wind and lightning. Mother is aware of the weakening nearby trestle. 12:26 Mom prepares to go out to trestle, with a quilt that she will set on fire to alert the oncoming train. 13:06 Cut back to train riding on the rails with engineer.
13:20 Mom goes to trestle. 13:48 With strength and courage the heroin mom walks onto the trestle. 14:14 Lights quilt so that engineer will see the smoke. 14:40 Mom waves to train as its coming to her. 14:50 Train stops and engineer son and Mom reunite.
15:14 The End
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
