You know those information ads they run before the trailers in the movie theaters? Well, those things have been around forever. This film wasn't created to be used as a feature film. It was made to be used before the main feature in theaters back in 1909. It would act as a PSA, of sorts, shown in front of the feature film and consist of theater information. Up to this point in cinema history, they used to put up a still shot or some kind of message about concessions and various other things to do in the movie theater. It seems the use of hats, mostly on women, were becoming notoriously annoying in theaters throughout America and Europe and one American Mutoscope & Biograph filmmaking group decided to fix things by making this informational flick to remind people to please remove your hats before the show starts.
This short 125 second long PSA had a gimmick to it though, that helped to get its point across. It utilized a function surrounding image matting by placing one image over top of another image. In this case, one image was inside a theater in the audience and the second image is the production going on up on the stage.
Making an early film appearance is legendary pioneering filmmaker Mack Sennett, who would eventually get Charlie Chaplin started on his road to mythical status. You can tell which character Max is. He's the one man in the film, who is the most animated and I think he has a fake nose on his face too.
Eventually the unthinkable happens, when an out-of-place crane arm comes down from above and removes certain, hat-wearing people, who are causing trouble in the audience. For 1909, this is a really good effect attempt, via an edit, made just at the right spot. The cut is perfect and you barely can see any kind of a change from a real person to a stuffed mannequin. The best part about this film is its attempt at early experimentation. The matting attempt is exceptional too. Unfortunately, the only surviving print of this film has emulsion degradation happening on one of the layers and we also are reminded of another fact. That the sands of time is an enemy that film will face throughout its history.
7.3 (C+ MyGrade) = 7 IMDB
This short 125 second long PSA had a gimmick to it though, that helped to get its point across. It utilized a function surrounding image matting by placing one image over top of another image. In this case, one image was inside a theater in the audience and the second image is the production going on up on the stage.
Making an early film appearance is legendary pioneering filmmaker Mack Sennett, who would eventually get Charlie Chaplin started on his road to mythical status. You can tell which character Max is. He's the one man in the film, who is the most animated and I think he has a fake nose on his face too.
Eventually the unthinkable happens, when an out-of-place crane arm comes down from above and removes certain, hat-wearing people, who are causing trouble in the audience. For 1909, this is a really good effect attempt, via an edit, made just at the right spot. The cut is perfect and you barely can see any kind of a change from a real person to a stuffed mannequin. The best part about this film is its attempt at early experimentation. The matting attempt is exceptional too. Unfortunately, the only surviving print of this film has emulsion degradation happening on one of the layers and we also are reminded of another fact. That the sands of time is an enemy that film will face throughout its history.
7.3 (C+ MyGrade) = 7 IMDB