Filmed by soon-to-be Griffith collaborator Billy Bitzer, this ultra-short comedy is reasonably amusing. It was probably considered quite risqué back in 1905, and no doubt did nothing to elevate the reputation of movies, which were looked down upon by the upper classes. It all looks fairly tame today, but considering the fact that respectable women never showed a leg in public back then the sight of an actress pulling her dress all the way up to her (gasp!) knee must have caused quite a stir. Lord only knows what reaction the sight of a pair of bare legs protruding from a subway train's window must have elicited - and what a let down the discovery that they were fake must have been. The film was obviously made with the intention of getting a reaction from its audience, but it's still an entertaining little morsel.
Review of 2 A.M. in the Subway
