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- A reel of mirth-provoking stunts that will draw the pennies from the children, but which is of much interest to young and old alike. It opens with a crowd of children leaving school and marching through the streets to the "Humpty Dumpty Circus." We see them crowd into the tent and at the end of each act they vociferously applaud the performers These are the little wooden toys that are familiar to all, and which are made to perform all the usual acrobatic stunts of the circus performer in a remarkably realistic manner. Some of the scenes are really comical and it is hard to believe that the elephants and donkeys are not alive.
- Showing eight views of the most difficult portions of the railway, including the steepest gradients, practically, hanging on to the sides of the precipitous cliffs and mountain slopes with the peculiar trains ascending and descending over the roadway.
- In this beautiful little fairy story we see a rich old fellow who is the possessor of a magic donkey, and when he is currycombed he sheds gold in profusion, and keeps his master well supplied in wealth. The old fellow has a beautiful daughter and is desirous of marrying her to a man of his choice, but the latter is so ugly that when he is presented to the girl she turns away in horror, and will have nothing to do with him. He shows her beautiful gowns and tries in every manner (with the assistance of her father) to win her, but she is steadfast in her resolutions and finally turn him out. When she is left alone she opens the casket which contains the dresses, and out steps a beautiful Fairy Queen, who promises to befriend her. She advises the girl not to marry till her father gives her the donkey's skin, and then urging her to keep up her courage, the good Queen disappears. The next picture shows us the death of the poor old donkey and when the skin is ready the girl is presented with it; and from that time on is known only by the name of "Donkey Skin." The Queen appears to her again and when the maiden casts the skin from her the Queen picks it up and throws it over her shoulders, telling her to go out into the world and seek her fortune, and that in time she will marry a Prince. We next see her as she leaves the palace of her father and goes away to a farm, where she meets some good peasants, who take her in and give her employment. One day while she is tending a herd of sheep she is surprised to see a splendid looking young man coming on horseback towards her. It is Prince Charming whom the Fairy Queen sends to woo her. After promising to come to repeat his visit he takes leave and the maiden goes back to the cottage. In the next picture we see Prince Charming coming with a large staff of attendants to make love to her. He peeks through the keyhole of her room, and sees her making preparations for her coming wedding, and he does not disturb her, but returns home. The last thing that she does is to bake a wedding cake and, under the guidance of the Fairy, she puts her ring in it. The cake is brought to the Prince and when he eats a piece he discovers the ring and is told that he will marry the one that it fits. We see him trying it on every lady in the court, but it will not fit any. Finally "Donkey Skin" is presented and when he tries it on her, to his deep satisfaction, it fits her perfectly. The concluding picture shows us the betrothal and the happy couple are surrounded by their friends, receiving the blessings of the bride's father.
- In a Japanese garden, gather maidens with nets to catch butterflies, all in the joy of life and budding maidenhood; fresh Irish sweetness of blithe Spring; the light fantastic toe "tripping" the limpid music arranged for this unique piece of art in a large cage a pretty colored butterfly is brought in, to delight the winsome maidens, who execute a pretty umbrella dance ere the poor butterflies are forced to entertain the merry group. Scenes are passed and the pretty butterfly is imprisoned again in the cage. Forth from the sweet-scented garden appears the butterfly's companion; a cage opens and the two embrace and flutter to the sensuous music; when, lo! Appears the merry group of maids and master, who, in the agitation that ensues, catches the strange butterfly and cruelly cuts away the gossamer wings and leaves him trembling, feebler and feebler, to die. Then Nemesis, the avenging hosts of butterflies, gather and swarm about the cruel master and cast him into the cage, leading him away to be the victim of their dazzling, bewildering dance. Around him they gather, and to the exquisite melody of a waltz they fill the scene with the wonder of their dance. Upon them floods of gorgeous colors in ever varying harmonies are thrown, suited to the rhythmic whirl of the music and dance. No more dazzling effect has probably been attempted than is here used, united in one grand harmony of light, color, music and dance.
- A little wanderer with his bag on his back is trudging through the streets, endeavoring to find relief here and there. Some people help him and others do not. But he makes his way over hill and dale with his little bare feet, until, footsore and weary, he lies down on a cellar door to sleep. Here he dreams that a beautiful fairy has taken charge of him and an automobile runs up and a lady alights. She speaks to the boy in a kindly manner, and taking him into the huge touring car, they are soon shooting toward the city. Here the auto stops at a beautiful residence and the lady takes the boy in. Next she takes him to a store and fits him with a neat little sailor suit in which he accompanies her on a promenade. Reaching his new home, the servant waits upon him and he eats ravenously of the good things placed before him, after which he is put to bed, the kind lady kissing him good-night, and leaves him in a room alone. The boy falls to thinking of his good fortune, but suddenly the door of the cellar is opened and his entire dream disappears. He is again the little street waif, and a hard-hearted man is kicking him brutally for falling asleep on the cellar, but another stranger interferes and the boy is allowed to go on his way.
- The pursuit of a highwayman taking a message to a knight.
- This picture opens with a scene outside of the barracks, and all the artillery men ready to start on a trip up the mountains. Mules are being used to climb the inclines, which are all covered with snow. When reaching a height of about 200 feet above earth the most pictorial scenes are obtained. The guns are being loaded, which are carried by the mules, and the manoeuvers start. This is one of the prettiest pictures ever seen. Tinted mechanically with appropriate colors all the way through.
- A pursued burglar changes clothes with a swell, a coster, etc.
- Two tramps put on a fake show and are chased by a PC and crowd.
- At a modern cycling hostel, there are seated three men, while in a stand adjoining are stored a couple of cycles. Another cyclist rides up. Placing his wheel in the rack, he proceeds to join the other two cyclists in an animated discussion. A fourth, noting the all-absorbing interest with which they are discussing their point stealthily makes his way to the rack and takes the newcomer's cycle, with which he rides hastily away. Finishing their conversation, they turn towards the rack for their cycles, and at once discover the loss of one, and pointing in the direction in which the cyclist had gone, they start to follow the thief. Up hill and down dale, through country lanes the chase goes merrily on. Two policemen stop the cyclist, who has thrown off his coat and hat and appears in cycling costume. He persuades them that he is only off on a heat or speed test and they allow him to go away. An automobile which the pursuers have pressed into service comes along and explains to the policemen the situation. They invite him to a seat, and follow quickly after the cyclist, who is seen proceeding down a number of stone steps, and half-way down he knocks over a couple and rolls them to the bottom until they arrive at a fountain, when they are stopped. He descends still more steps, they seeming almost interminable, and dashes into a window in which a party are partaking of a wedding breakfast. In his haste, running over the table, he drags the bride from her seat of honor and takes her along with him, clinging to the cycle, and falling down to the yard below. So rapid has been his ingress and exit that the guests have hardly realized what has happened to them, but, missing the bride, they proceed to follow the cyclist to get her back. Not knowing what to do with the fainting woman, he puts her on the cycle before him, and rushes off just as they are about to catch him, after breaking through a wall. Breaking away again, rushing through country districts, he comes to a quagmire where it is very hard pedaling, and the police, making a short cut, intercept him in his traveling through the morass, and. after braving many dangers, the bride is restored to the waiting arms of her husband, thus ending an exciting kidnapping with another man's bride.
- A rich pair save an orphan who steals a pantomime lamp.
- A poet is writing a delightful sonnet. His wife is going out, and she brings him their eldest to kiss; he kisses the child, but to his horror his wife places it in a cradle by his side. Then she brings in the eldest but one, and places that in an arm-chair on the other side. Finally she brings in the tiniest baby, and forcing that into the reluctant father's arms, rushes out and leaves him just as all three children begin to yell their loudest. The distracted father tries to soothe first one child, and then another, and his friend the Lieutenant enters while he is in the middle of it. He pushes the Lieutenant into a chair, saddles all three babies into his lap before he can say a word and rushes from the room. The Lieutenant follows as quickly as he can with the three children in his arms. Then begins a chase of the wildest and most exciting order. The poet walks rapidly along reciting his verse as he goes; his friend the Lieutenant meeting the Colonel outside, forces one baby into his arms and the two give pursuit; a policeman whom they pass is pressed into the chase and given the third baby to carry. They dash through the streets and out on the tow-path by the river, followed by an ever increasing crowd of children. Other policemen join in, and becoming imbued with the spirit of the thing, they seize babies from the arms of astonished mothers as they pass, and all, including the mothers, give chase to the distracted poet. By this time the crowd has swelled to about one hundred, and they swarm over fields and through hedges, and tumble and scramble down the steep banks, until at last the poet sinks exhausted behind a blackberry bush. Then the people carrying babies begin to arrive, and very soon the luckless father finds himself almost smothered under a heap of six screaming, struggling mites, three of which may or may not be his own, and three certainly are not. Next come the mothers, and begin wildly sorting out the babies to find their own offspring, and they all unite in denouncing the, unhappy man, who is marched off by the policemen.
- A suspicious wife trails her husband to a fun fair.
- A masterpiece of motography. The famed canals of Venice are here shown, the gondolas and launches and the beautiful palaces. The glistening water, the imposing architecture and every detail is distinctly shown with remarkable distinctness, and from every standpoint the film is the acme of perfection. The scene showing the feeding of the pigeons at St. Marks by the tourists is the highest type of animated photography.
- In this funny picture we see the vacuum cleaner, the modern dust eradicator, performing some very droll tricks. As soon as the fellow turns on the air then the fun begins. It is all accomplished through some clever trick photography. First we see two attendants start out to do a cleaning job, and while they stop to take some refreshments, two men, who happen to be passing, take the machine and start down the sheet to have some fun. They meet a woman with a dog on a leash, and at a turn of the wheel, the dog and its mistress are quickly drawn into the spout. Next a nursemaid comes sauntering down the street, and when they level the spout at her she meets the same fate. A girl and her lover are the next to disappear off the face of the earth, and still they go along, looking for more victims. Coming to a house, one of the men climbs in a window, and when the one outside turns the crank all the furnishings of the house are drawn into the machine. A maid rushes in to find out the cause of the commotion, but before she can look around, she also is swallowed up. As they move down the street they draw up two bales of straw, and then, as they stop in front of a meat store, it is amusing to see all the provisions hopping up and jumping into the machine. Two policemen now become interested in the pair, but pay for their curiosity by being drawn up also. Tired and exhausted, the fellows sit down to have a drink, but while their backs are turned some men steal the machine, and before they realize what has happened, they also go flying up the spout. The end of this film shows the men reversing the wheel and releasing all the victims, and it is an amusing sight to see them all come tumbling out of the spout onto the town in a heap.
- Village girls play tricks on a police recruit.
- Mishaps of a fat golfer and a small caddy.
- The scene opens with an assembly of citizens who are harangued by one of their number, whose words have great weight with the crowd, and their attitude of approval shows that Roman misrule in Jerusalem has reached its climax. Heralds now approach and Roman soldiers beat back the crowd to make way for the approach of the Roman Procurator. The scene changes to the home of Ben Hur, who is seen with his sister and mother on the house top. The cavalcade of Roman troops approaches, and to get a near view Ben Hur leans from the coping and knocks down one of the stones thereof onto the shoulder of the Procurator. This is seen and misconstrued by the Governor, who orders soldiers to arrest the inmates; they, after ineffectual pleas and struggles, are carried off. Ben Hur is consigned to the galleys, where he is loaded with chains. Here he signalizes himself by saving the life of Arrias, who publicly adopts him as his son and proclaims him a Roman citizen amidst the acclamations of the assembled crowd in the forum. Now comes the scene in the games where Ben Hur is challenged by Messala, and accepts it, to the great delight of the citizens. The chariots and athletes parade before the dais and in due time are arranged, and the chariot race commences. Three times 'round the ring dash the chariots, and at the fourth turn Ben Hur comes out the victor and is crowned with the wreath, to the great, chagrin of Messala, who is borne on a stretcher, wounded to death.
- A small boy coming to a pond sees a man walking on the surface of the water. In terror he runs from the scene and quickly tells his story to a number of villagers. They accompany him to the spot to see for themselves. Sure enough, there is an ordinary looking man, and he is walking on the pond without sinking. Back they all go and spread the alarm. Everybody in their path takes up the cry and soon there is a tremendous mob scurrying through the town. They summon the fire force, the police, and finally they arouse the august mayor himself, who goes with them. A mighty crowd, they go to the road and creep cautiously toward the pond. Suddenly, as they gaze on from points of vantage in the bushes, they see the man walk toward the bank, bearing a basket of fish he had caught on his arm. But what is their surprise when they see that adjusted to his feet are a pair of stilts, on which he had been moving about in the shallow pond.
- "Music Forward!" is the order given by a lady in Colonial costume, and in march a group of five musicians, working industriously at their instruments. The directress stands them in a row, and taking the head off each, throws it onto a huge music staff and each becomes a note of the scale. The whole bodies appear again, after which the manipulator seems to wrap them up in a large sheet of music, which is then shown to contain nothing. The paper is rolled up again, and a cane is held, perpendicularly, in a horizontal position to the sheet, when the musicians, each about one-twentieth of the natural stature, issue from the paper and parade up and down the narrow stick. This done, a pretty effect in human notes, which are the players' heads, is shown, after which the little band and their directress march out again.
- Swiftly passing through seas of floating ice, a vessel with masts, spars and decks entirely covered with ice is seen pushing its way northward. Seagulls make the air black, and the crew, clothed in heavy furs, move lively, on the lookout for walrus, seal and Polar bear. Within full view are seen in rapid succession seals disporting themselves on the icy brink of bergs. Walrus, with their immense tusks, are shown cavorting through the water, plunging after fish. The comical penguins in great numbers get in front of the camera at close range. The wonderful and mysterious musk-ox in his native haunts is shown life-size, and stamping his disapproval of being brought into such close proximity to man, his natural enemy. Then the critical dramatic moment arrives when the hunters leave their ship and start across the icy fields after his majesty of the Arctic regions. Soon is seen an enormous white Polar bear, slowly meandering in his search for provender. He discovers the hunters, rears on his hind feet, ready to give battle. A masterful shot striking a vital point fells him and he is seen rolling in his own life's blood. The hunters cautiously approach, and when fully convinced of the death of old Bruin, load him on their sleds and start for the ship. Finding the return trip too laborious, they unload their spoils and proceed to strip off the valuable, shaggy coat, remove a choice saddle of bear meat, and leaving the bare carcass freezing in the solitudes of the Arctic, trudge once more to their ship.
- Marguerite, a beautiful woman of affairs, falls for the young and promising Armand, but sacrifices her love for him for the sake of his future and reputation.
- In a bower of giant tulips a boy and girl practice flower magic. They cause flowers and birds to open and human forms to issue therefrom, and on the black background of the wonderful garden there appear myriad flowers, in the center of each of which is a smiling feminine head. Tableaux showing pretty girl and flower effects are plentiful and the film winds up with a burst of multi-colored flame, which shoots in fiery splendor from leaves and petals.
- "Life of a Bootblack," as the name signified, depicts the type of a street urchin, who is blackening boots to keep his poor mother and drunken stepfather in the necessities of life. Our story opens with our little hero running away from home, not being able to stand the unwarranted abuse given him by his stepfather. We then follow him through his career, picturizing all the happenings that generally constitute the life of one from this walk of life. There is so much good stuff in this picture that it is useless to try to describe it on paper. Suffice it to say that it is beautiful in its simplicity, full of heart interest in its story, dramatic in its construction and very laughable in its comedy scenes, and above all it will prove very influential in its moral, which is based on "Honesty Well Rewarded."
- A man starts playing a piano. Neighbors hearing the music begin dancing, and are drawn to the music, dropping what they are doing to join the impromptu dance party.
- Charley (ribbon seller), after saving up studiously for three weeks, manages to get together enough to take his lady love to the theater. We see him purchase the tickets and then, with the air of a Standard Oil magnate, dispatch a passing messenger boy with a note telling her to meet him at the theater at once. Now, there is where Charley makes a mistake; never send a messenger boy on a hurry-up errand. As the picture will show, the boy pays no attention to Charley's demand for speed, and straightaway hies himself off for his favorite book, a dime novel, and while he is diligently perusing its contents he meets another messenger, and what they do to the town is a caution; and while they are having their fun, poor Charley waits, and more misfortune for him, his girl gets tired of waiting and goes to the show with another friend, and as she passes Charley, who is still waiting at the theater, she gives him the icy go-by. The messenger then turns up and of course tells Charley that his girl is not at home. Charley then takes his vengeance out on the poor kid.
- The library of a modern home is shown, husband, wife and child each occupied in their particular diversions. The maid is called in, who dresses the child in street garments, and the two leave the house for a stroll. Entering the park, they walk through the lanes and avenues, the little girl running ahead and skipping the rope. Finding a vacant bench, the maid takes possession and presently dozes off. The little girl playfully runs away and accidentally comes upon the scene of a "holdup," whereupon, unobserved by the footpads, she ties her rope across the passageway through which the robbers must of necessity flee. As anticipated, the robbers, in attempting to escape, trip over the rope and become entangled. In the meantime, our young heroine runs out on the public thoroughfare and gives the alarm, to which two officers respond, whom she leads to the spot, where they capture the "hold-up" men. Our little girl runs farther on, and coming to the brink of the river, observes a blind man who is about to attempt to cross an open draw of a bridge. Through herculean efforts she manipulates the mechanism of the bridge just in the nick of time, thereby saving the life of a poor blind man. The next scene shows three intoxicated men staggering down a street, oblivious to all danger. A train of cars is about to cross the street Our heroine, noticing the deathtrap into which the intoxicated men are about to stagger, runs ahead and closes the gate, thereby impeding their progress and consequently saving them, from injury and possible death. The nurse, upon waking, discovers that her charge is gone, and scurries away in search of the little girl; not finding her, she returns home and reports to the frantic parents that their child is lost. The little girl now rambles on aimlessly, and discovering her plight, tells a passing police officer that she is lost, whereupon she is brought to the headquarters, where she gives her name and address, with which information they soon notify her parents by telephone and dispatch an officer home with her. Arriving home, she is received joyously, and the scene closes, showing the little girl comically scolding the maid for her carelessness, then followed by forgiveness and embraces.
- It is time of war. The canons are tendering incessantly from the man-of-wars besieging the town, and the forts on shore are answering back. The admiral is having a war council with some of the officers in the great cabin. The point is to get hold of some important papers, which are in the foe's possession on shore. Two young officers at once volunteer to undertake this perilous expedition. They disguise themselves as fishermen and go on shore in a rowboat. They get luckily through the outposts and reach safely the cottage where the general has taken up his quarters. While the officers are discussing, both the spies are listening, upstairs. An ordinance is bringing a report, which causes all the officers to leave the cottage. At once the two desperadoes set to work, sawing a hole into the ceiling, through which one of them jumps down into the room and gets hold of the important paper. He has just handed this to his friend, as the officers return. He has not time enough to get away, but hides himself beneath the sofa. The theft is discovered at once, the spy is found, and for a moment it looks bad enough for the daring man. But then shooting is heard from the spy upstairs, a moment's confusion arises, and he succeeds in escaping. Outside the house a fighting detains him, so that he cannot get away, but he has a firm hand and is also this time successful. Now it goes through the streets at a rattling pace, but not fast enough for our hero. A motorcar is rushing by, he jumps into it, and is in this way carried some long distance. He gets on board and delivers the document, but he cannot wait for the admiral to thank him; he must be off again to save his friend, who has been imprisoned. Outside the prison walls he jumps into a common sewer, goes through all the stinking passages, all the time knocking at the stones, until a soft knocking is answering him back. When he has assured himself that his friend is inside he at once sets to work to rock out a big stone. After having worked awhile he has made a hole big enough for the officer to creep through. For a moment the two desperadoes are embracing one another, and then they set out for the admiral's ship. The two heroes are now again standing in the great cabin, this time to get their reward. In front of the jubilant crew the admiral is decorating the young officers with the medal for bravery.
- Imagine a happy family broken up by the persuasion of a wealthy man to the mother of the household. Riches finally conquer, a father is left childless; he goes on the downward path and in course of time loses his position, gets turned out of home for non-payment of rent and finally becomes a thief, robbing the safe of his former employer. He is caught in the act and serves fifteen years in the penitentiary for his crime. He is liberated, now nothing but a vagabond. He tries to find work, fails; he begs with no success; the want of food becomes predominant; he turns again to robbery, but this time he is led on by fate, for behold he has entered the home of his own daughter; recognition follows from a worn-out photo of his child that he has carried through all his sorrow. A happy ending to a true story.
- Two white hunters accompanied by their servant go hunting in the African jungle. They see various animals and shoot a lion.
- A statue of the Roman emperor Nero comes to life and causes havoc.
- An old maid lovingly feeding her pet dog is disturbed by the entrance of the postman, who hands her a registered letter. After having read the contents of the missive the old dame astonishes the letter-carrier, waiting for his tip, by throwing herself on his neck and telling him between showers of kisses, that her only relation having just died, she is left sole heir to his fortune, which is immense. The next scene shows us madam and her dog at the lawyer's office and quite gratified by the marked attention paid to her, as well as to her ordinarily much disliked dog, by all the male representatives of the room, including the boss. She receives her money and departs. The lawyer, however, a stout old gentleman, rushes out after her, and arrives in the old maid's den puffed out but full of courage, for after a few comic efforts to be graceful, he flops on his knees before lady and dog and discloses his burning passion for both. He is evidently a very ardent lover for in the next picture we see him coming out of the church arm in arm with the one he saw but a few days previously for the first time. But the charm his new home had for him does not seem to have lasted very long, for we see him in the next scene getting royally drunk with some friends at the café from which he returns at a late hour, furious at having been laughed at for marrying an old maid. He enters his home in a towering rage, frightens his better half and her dog out of the room, and after smashing all that comes within reach of his stick, departs with the money bag. The last scene shows us the eight days' heiress back in her old quarters, crying bitterly over the loss of her money but consoled at the thought that, after all, things might have been a great deal worse, if, instead of her husband, her pet dog had forsaken her.
- The opening scene is the ballyhoo platform of a circus wrestling show, where an immense throng is gathered, listening to the exhortations of the "barker." Finally the show opens, and the champion offers to meet all volunteers. In a few minutes he throws as many men, but suddenly a stranger steps forward and engages the wrestler. No sooner are they locked in a grip when the stranger, with ridiculous ease, begins to juggle the wrestler with one hand. When he has tossed his man to his entire satisfaction, he departs. Several other adventures follow, in the course of which he becomes mixed up in a brawl at a café and the police go after him. They get him and with little ceremony land him in a cell. He paces his prison floor a little while, but suddenly, putting his shoulder to a pillar, throws his strength into the task and the whole building collapses, as with Samson of old. He runs from the jail to his home, where his wife greets him and spreads a little feast for him. He drinks and drinks until be falls asleep, and here it is that she shows how jealous she is of her hubby's strength. Like the Delilah of the Bible, she applies the shears to his locks, and when he awakens he is completely shorn of his locks, and his strength, which depended on the length of his hair, is also gone. He does naught but lament his loss, kissing the detached hair fondly.
- A henpeck tips his nagging wife into a bath.
- An old, sick man and his faithful wife are seen in their home, where the latter, realizing that she must have funds to save her helpmate's life, bundles up some old clothes and is next seen at the pawnbroker's. The clerk inspects the little parcel, then curtly informs her that he can make no offer for it. Downcast and despairing, she next goes into the street and two clothes cashers, having pity on her, give her a small sum of money for the parcel. With this money she goes to a florist's and succeeds in purchasing a few little flowers; with the little bunch of blossoms she goes to a park and endeavors to dispose of them; but a cruel officer expels her and she is next seen at a picnic. Here she is so persistently earnest in her endeavor to sell her flowers that she becomes obnoxious to a young man, and he throws the little bouquet into the water. This last hope for a few pennies gone, she wends her way to a charity station, where her wants are cared for. She is given a bottle of medicine and with this she enters the room where her sick husband lies abed. She goes to his side, and just as she reaches him he raises his head for a moment, then sinks back, dead. The old woman, left alone, bursts into tears of grief.
- A novel film furnishing a beautiful sequel to the entertainment. The ever-beaming clown makes his appearance on the stage carrying his drum hoop across the face of which is a blank strip. As he tears away the blank he exposes the placard "Good Night," in English, then in French, Italian, Spanish and German language. At the conclusion, he pushes his physiognomy, bearing a broad grin, through the hoop.
- Our friend, Mr. Inquisitive, gets an idea in his head that he has to find out about everything in sight, so he merrily starts on his way; he first encounters a chicken coop and his curiosity leads him to thoroughly inspect it; his first inspection ends up with the doors of the chicken coops being left open, chickens escaping, and the poor butcher making desperate efforts to catch his strays. He gets his hands on a live wire; he fools with a grain shoot and then wanders up to an innocent water plug, and what that does to him will long be remembered; a coal oil wagon next attracts his attention, and the faucets being something new, he starts them going and brings the vengeance of the driver upon him, who gives our curious friend a good ducking in gasoline. His eyes then spot a city fire alarm, but he has not fooled with this long before he turns in the alarm; we then have an excellent fire run, showing the department coming out of the house down the street, up to the box, where they find our friend still fooling; they then turn the fire extinguishers upon him. Not content with the damage he has already done, his inquisitiveness allows a prisoner to escape from a patrol wagon, where a policeman has put him for safe keeping until the patrol wagon arrives, and when it does Mr. Inquisitive gets hustled into it in place of the prisoner he let free.
- We are introduced to the interior of a vast cave and the Bogie Man, who commences to prepare a meal, first blowing his fire with large bellows. Then preparing an enormous frying-pan, he places therein all kinds of vegetables, flour, etc., finishing up with a bucket of water. This is not enough to satisfy his bogieship, so he calls for a captive boy, who appears, and on being told he is to become food for the bogie, begs hard for his life. All in vain, the bogie seizes him, carries him to the kneading board and proceeds to chop him into mincemeat, which he adds to the contents of the frying-pan, stirring the whole with a ladle, tasting to learn its progress. While it is cooking he takes a look, draws his chair to the fire and commences to read, after a while he becomes drowsy and falls asleep. Then a peculiar thing happens. From the smoke of the frying-pan a fairy emerges, waving her wand. There appear, one after the other, four gnomes, then following them four white rabbits, followed by the reincarnated body of the captive boy. At the order of the fairy the gnomes take the pan from off the fire, then proceeding to the sleeping bogie they seize him roughly and wake him; then, despite his struggles, they place him on the fire and all with the fairy vanish leaving him there. Escaping from his uncomfortable position and writhing with pain he proceeds to vow vengeance, and pulling on his seven-leagued boots he tries to do as he used to do, but finds his power has gone and the boots are mysteriously withdrawn from his feet. Turning to discover the reason, he sees the fairy and his victim standing before him, and falls lifeless at their feet.
- A talented youth has compounded a wonderful fluid, a little of which he applies to the mirror in his room, and when he looks into it his image comes to life and comes out of the frame and imitates his every action. As soon as he rubs the fluid off the mirror his double disappears. When the servant come in, a little of the fluid is again rubbed on the mirror, and he has the same experience, his reflection stepping out and doing stunts, thereby scaring the poor fellow almost to death. The inventor of the fluid then takes the mirror with him and goes out on the street, a passing policeman looks into it, and immediately his double appears and they have a free-for-all fight. A fellow playing the hose on the street is surprised when his double faces him, also holding a hose, and for a time it is amusing to see them drenching one another. He next goes into a café, where a man seated at a table gazes into the mirror, and immediately his double appears on the opposite side of the table, and it is nip and tuck to see who can eat the most. They cause so much excitement in the place that everything is wrecked and the unfortunate fellow is unceremoniously ejected, while his double disappears. The young inventor goes home, but is followed by an angry mob, who procure a vat and give him an undesired bath, and in the midst of the excitement the young student of chemicals awakens and finds that it is only a dream.
- A tramp dreams a mermaid takes him to a ship full of money.
- Most of us have at some time attended an entertainment given by some wonderful exponent of the mysterious art of hypnotism, and have always noted the presence of some cynical sciolist who would brand the professor a blatant fraud. Such an incident opens this picture. The producer of "brainstorms-while-you-wait" is entertaining his audience with the antics of those under his soporific influence, when the fellow with the not-if-I-know-it expression appears and challenges the professor. What follows is most cogent and convincing, but he takes his conviction with such an ugly grace that the hypnotist becomes his avowed nemesis, and so follows him for some time. First, the professor, disguised as a musician, attends a dance, where he turns his victim into a veritable whirling dervish, and in the midst of his gyroscopic evolutions wakes him to fully realize his embarrassment before an almost panic-stricken assemblage. Next he appears at a banquet disguised as a waiter. Here he induces the cynic to become crazy drunk, and after attempting to kiss the ladies present, he leaps on the table, kicks the dishes in all directions and performs such feats on the chandelier that would cause the most wonderful trapeze artist to turn green with envy. Again, the awful awakening. During a wedding service the professor makes him believe he is the bridegroom, and before he can be restrained he rushes up, hurls the happy man aside and takes his, place at the altar beside the trembling bride-elect, to the consternation of all present. As he regains his normal senses he espies the cause of his plight just leaving the church. He dashes madly after him, out of the church, and down the street after the cab into which the hypnotist jumps to elude him. As the professor alights from the cab our friend rushes up, but is again put under the egregious hypnotic influence and made to chase the professor's cane, which is carried off by another man. Down the street they race, into an apartment house, then out through a window on the lower floor, up the fire-escape and through a window on the top floor of an apartment, throwing the occupants into a tumult of excitement At the entrance he is seized by a couple of stalwart policemen and dragged off to the Insane Pavilion of Bellevue Hospital, where he is relieved of his hallucination, now a firm believer in the theories of the venerable Dr. Mesmer. While the above is a chronicle of events, it but feebly describes the continuous laugh-producing situations of the film.
- A darkey finds it impossible to keep his feet still whenever he hears the sound of music. Sam is enticed from his home by hearing the sound of mouth harps played by two of his friends; out of the window he comes. He then gets a job to carry a trunk, an organ-grinder starts his feet a-going; he gets a job as waiter, the orchestra does the balance. Then he becomes a porter, the Dutch band finishes him with this position; then a barber, an artist's model and other positions, from all of which he is promptly fired because he can't keep his feet still when the strains of music float in the air.
- A young woman who is insanely jealous of her husband, receives an anonymous letter telling her that her husband is unfaithful to her. She immediately leaves the house, and in a terrible rage starts down the street in search of her hubby. As she goes along she is followed by a masher, and being in no mental condition to receive the attentions of the stranger, she turns on him and gives him a terrible beating. In her rage she dashes into a tradesman carrying some bundles and upsets him and his goods all over the street. She then hails a tram car and thinking only of getting inside, she makes a dash up the steps and beats everyone who interferes with her. When she is getting off she causes another panic among the passengers, and one poor unfortunate woman who happens to get in her way gets a terrific beating and is left sprawling in the middle of the road. As the jealous creature is going down the street, still vainly searching for her better half, she spies a man who happens to be dressed exactly like her husband. She watches him flirt with a woman, and get into a cab and drive away with her. The enraged spouse hails a cab and after knocking the driver off his seat, mounts the box and follows the pair. When she catches up to them she proceeds to give the fellow a terrible thrashing, when all at once her own husband comes along and is shocked at his wife's conduct. But the shock he receives is nothing compared to hers when looking at her victim she finds that he is a negro. After this she calms down and quietly returns home with her husband.
- A magician's son plays tricks with his father's magic wand.
- The fire department of Spain's capital city is here shown at work. At the sounding of the alarm the laddies scramble down the ladder in lively fashion and take their places on the trucks, An exciting run takes them to a huge edifice supposed to be ablaze, and they promptly roll out their hose. These are manned by a sprightly crew, while another puts the scaling ladders in place; by this means they climb over the fence of the building. The water tower is next brought into play; by the turning of a crank a huge ladder rises very high in the air, and from this dangerous perch two daring "Steeple Jacks" play a powerful stream. The last phase of their work is in the attachment of a long, canvas, bag-like chute, which reaches from a window of the building to the street. Into this the firemen help people whose escape has been cut off, and they sail through the chute to the other end, where they are brought safely to the ground.
- An elderly man who is apparently benevolently disposed toward humanity, starts out on a walk, and wherever he finds the distressed, handicapped or needy, he promptly lends his aid. He first comes upon a governess in a park who, holding a baby with one hand, is trying to manage a newspaper with the other. This is a clumsy undertaking, as is observed by the old gentleman, who idly takes the baby from her. She soon settles herself to read comfortably, while the old gentleman holds the child on his lap; while he is thus occupied the girl's soldier lover comes along and they begin spooning; of this the old gentleman is unaware until the baby makes it uncomfortable for him, and throwing the child to her, he goes off in disgust. What appears to be a girl, and a pretty one, next attracts him, as she is carrying a rather heavy basket, He obligingly takes it from her and escorts her to her destination; she happens to be bound for a meeting with her husband, however, and when they arrive at the spot she is greeted affectionately by her hubby, while her companion is handed a beating. After dragging himself out of reach he readjusts himself and is soon helping a mason lift his mortar to a ladder; result, a mortar bath. He comes to his finish, however, when he helps two men who are placing some furniture in a wagon. They are burglars, and a citizen who sees the trio hails a policeman. By the time the officer arrives the two burglars have gone and only the unsuspecting old man is left. He is pointed out, the cop grabs him urgently, and he is marched off.
- The plot of the picture is laid in a mining camp of the Far West. On a cot in a scantily furnished cabin a miner lies sick. His daughter, a very pretty girl, is attending him. A glance at the cupboard shows the supplies exhausted; the money bag is also empty. With this condition existing, and no apparent change for the better in view, the girl becomes despondent, buries her face and weeps bitterly. Suddenly an idea seizes her. The Overland Coach will soon arrive, and by holding it up their suffering can, for the time being, be allayed. She tenderly covers the sick man, dons a rough miner's costume, tucks her long hair under the slouch hat, and fully armed she looks the part of a truly desperate character. Cautiously the resolute girl makes her way to the trail, hides in the bushes, awaiting the arrival of the stage coach. The distant rumbling of wheels warns her of its approach. As the horses turn a corner the robber steps boldly out, and at the threat of death, forces the passengers to alight and give over all money and valuables. This accomplished, the robber appropriates the horse of a cowboy who has accompanied the stage, and hurriedly mounting, rides away. But a few moments have elapsed when a band of cowboys, attracted by the shooting, ride up, take in the situation, are informed the direction taken by the robber, and dash off in pursuit. The scene changes to a rough telegraph office. The operator with a coterie of hangers-on, cowboys, miners, etc, are swapping yarns when their conversation is interrupted by a clicking of the telegraph, "Overland Stage held up. Watch dead Gulch Trail," comes a message over the wire. All hands get their guns in readiness and leave the office to intercept the lone plunderer. Taking position near location designated in the message, they lie in wait. Shortly a horse and rider approach, and, proving to be the desperado, is captured by the vigilantes. A few minutes later the band of cowboys appears and the culprit is brought before "Judge Lynch," where sentence is quickly passed and as quickly put into execution. The victim is led to a tree from which a rope is suspended, the law is about to take its course, when the robber's hat falls off, her long hair drops, revealing the sex of the felon. To the band of avengers the woman relates her story of want and privation of the sick parent at home, and the spirit of anger and desire to enforce their judgment which prevailed, turns to pity and determination to help the unfortunate woman. To the miner's cabin all hands repair. There, indeed, is destitution and poverty vividly shown. The sick man raises his head, endeavors to speak, but falls back on the pillow exhausted. The daughter drops to her knees beside the bed, weeping over their sad plight. The onlookers realize that extreme want alone has prompted such a desperate undertaking. The hat is passed around and liberal contributions drop into it. Leaving the sorrowing girl at the bedside of her parent, the money is placed on a table and the visitors depart.
- This comedy, by L. Gaumont & Co., opens with a dining-room scene and family circle. The father, taking a shopping bag, bids his wife and children good-bye and goes off on a marketing tour. A street scene is next shown; a woman in front of her shop arranges the vegetables and other market goods, whereupon tears come to her eyes; taking her handkerchief, she tries to dry them, when our marketer is seen gaily strutting down the street and stops at the weeping woman's shop. After haggling a bit about prices he purchases a rabbit and a bunch of onions and takes his departure. Walking a little with his purchases, he begins to weep, and is brought in close view, showing the comical grimaces of his features; going on farther, he is almost blinded by his tears and sprawls on the ground. He rises with difficulty and starts out again, with the rabbit under one arm and the onions under the other, unconscious of the cause of his weeping. He goes on farther and meets a merry party sitting on a bench, joins the group in hopes of obtaining relief, and all commence to shed tears. Whereupon an old man, a young couple and an officer all in turn advance to make inquiries as to the cause of their weeping. They all immediately succumb to the same trouble. After which, the now large weeping party adjourn to a drug store. As the pharmacist is examining the marketer's eyes he, also, is attacked and chases the entire party out of his establishment. Still weeping, the sympathizing strangers grope blindly down the street, and hailing a cab, all pile into it to accompany the poor man home. The cabby gets it, as well as his horse. Observing the horse's plight, the cabby jumps off his seat and taking out his handkerchiefs, dries his as well as the horse's eyes. The party finally pull up before the unfortunate man's home, and the moment he leaves the party their tear-shedding comes to an end, not one of them suspecting the cause of their late affliction. The next scene shows the man staggering blindly into his apartment with his purchases still under his arms. Dropping them on the table, he leaves the room, and now his wife and children are the victims. Returning with eyes dried to his family, he observes their condition and is mystified as to the cause, when the idea dawns on him that the onions are at the bottom of all the tear-shedding; whereupon he grabs the bunch and fires it out of the room, and all resume their normal condition. One of the little girls dries the rabbit's eyes and wrings out her handkerchief, making the finish very laughable.
- While a burglar allows himself to be locked in a wardrobe, the other, posing as an express man, delivers the piece of furniture at a fashionable residence, where the butler accepts it. It is carried into a room and left there, the butler and the thief's accomplice going out. While they are gone, the man in the wardrobe comes out, gathers up all the valuables in the room, and then closes himself in again. Now his pal carries out the rest of the program. He comes back to the house, rings for the butler, and almost tearfully informs him that the wardrobe has been delivered there by mistake. Of course, it sounds plausible (backed up by a note), and they both go into the room and pack the wardrobe into the vehicle again. The pal, however, is overtaken by an officer, who insists on searching the spacious wardrobe; it is stood upright, and while the officer opens the front door the thief with the swag steps out through the back door; then, while the officer peers in, they lock him in it, cart it down to the river front and heave it overboard. In the water it is now seen, buffeted by billows, until a curious seaman finds it, and opening it, liberates the half-drowned policeman.
- The scene opens in the grape-growing district, where a group of healthy children are busy loading up the baskets. A well-dressed man appears and engages in conversation with the boys, whom he fires with enthusiasm at the thoughts of gold to be obtained according to his promises and shows them bills of large denomination. The boys call their companions, who are told about the fortunes to be gained by going away as apprentices to the gentleman. They lead him to their parents, who are soon willing to sign away the liberty of their children. The man makes the tour of the village gathering in recruits, his last conquest being a girl, who is the only support of an aged man, but on the great inducements offered and promises made he reluctantly signs the apprenticeship bond. Having obtained all available children, he takes them to the depot, where an affecting leave-taking of parents and children is witnessed. The scene now changes to the exterior of a large iron works and the children are led like prisoners through the gates; by and bye they are seen pushing heavy trucks of coal along rails to the blast furnaces, and as the children falter and stagger under the heavy load, they are whipped unmercifully by the men for whom they work. The scene is changed to the smelting furnaces, where the molten metal spurts and hisses from the mouth, and the children are observed performing herculean tasks with the molten steel ingots and fall exhausted. Their taskmasters whip them to their feet; the two oldest, a boy and girl, about fifteen years of age, are seen to be most unmercifully punished and left to recover. The boy cheers his companion with ideas of escape. Darkness now settles down and in the midnight watches round the furnace the two are seen to steal stealthily away, down the winding iron stairs, through the foundry grounds, out, far out, into the country, down precipitous rocks to the seashore. Some time elapses and the scene changes to the woods near their home and the two fugitives are seen footsore and weary, the boy supporting the girl and encouraging her on. At last they reach the home of the girl, who is received into the arms of her father, who goes in quest of refreshment, which, alas, comes too late, for as he reaches her, his daughter falls dead at his feet The boy consoles him and they vow vengeance on the slaveholders.