Steam Whistle (1904) User Reviews

Whistle While You Work

[JoeytheBrit · 3/10 · 26 July 2009]

It's difficult to believe the makers of this film intended it to be shown in isolation as it is less than one minute long and shows only the steam whistle at the Westinghouse Works Manufacturing Compnay blowing. The fact that, this being 1904, the film is completely silent doesn't really add to enjoyment of the film.

There were quite a lot of films like this in the early years of the 20th Century. Billy Bitzer made many of them, as he did here, before eventually teaming up with D.W. Griffith when films had finally begun to grow comfortable with telling a story.

This is no classic, then, but, taken in context, it provides an acceptable example of the essentially working class nature of many of the films produced when cinema was in its infancy.

A Step in Editing?

[boblipton · 4/10 · 12 June 2015]

Joey the Brit in his review ha suggested that this short picture of a steam whistle at the Westinghouse works in Pittsburgh was not meant to be shown in isolation. That seems likely. It was one of many shorts of similar length shot by Billy Bitzer and released in 1904. Like his series of studies of various operations of the Post Office the previous years, it seems likely to have been conceived of as a series, something to be shown one after another.

Yet is that not a basic step in editing? Our modern techniques of film editing is to show a series of disparate images and let the viewers' minds build up linkages. Indeed, last month TCM showed the surviving material from Orson Welles' 1938 version of TOO MUCH JOHNSON. That seemed to consist of Joseph Cotten and Edgar Barrier clambering over the rooftops of Manhattan in no particular order. Clearly the intent there was to edit this into a chase sequence. That was never done; or, if it was, does not survive.

I suggest that the series of short films that Bitzer produced of the Westinghouse Works was intended to be edited into a single film. It just never got done; or, if it was, was lost, leaving this one of many disjoint actualities.

What a retarded short.

[booyah-1991 · 3/10 · 6 January 2006]

This short is just totally lame. This short is so lame because each second in the short, all it shows is just a steam whistle. That is just it. It shows no people, no plot and what else can I say? It just had nothing to do with the plot.

In fact, it had NO plot. It just shows a steam from the local motive coming out each second. Nothing else. Well, the people back in 1904 did not had the good technology to make a good plot.

I mean, the first film out of all of the films is 16 years old.

The first ones were made in 1888, such as Traffic Crossring Leeds Bridge and the second film made in 1888 was probably Roundhay Garden Scene.

But, some films back in 1904 had plots, but this one, obviously did not have a freaking plot.

Last thing: I do not know what i give this film: probably a 1/10? I dunno.

Pretty useless honestly

[greg_l_rumpff · 1/10 · 7 February 2020]

While many of these Westinghouse films have historical value in depicting what it was like in a factory setting in the early Twentieth Century, this short depicts only a steam whistle blast announcing the start (or end) of the work day. Since this was pre-sound, you don't even get the dramatic benefit of the shrill blast.

Had this been edited together with footage from "Panorama Exterior Westinghouse Works" and "Girls Taking Time Checks" it could have been entertaining while also serving as pro-Westinghouse propaganda. ("Look at all the energetic workers coming in to build the future today...at Westinghouse!!")

As it is, it is a waste of celluloid.

Very Silent and no music

[mickey143 · 10/10 · 14 June 2003]

This film in the early 1900's has no people shown, but just showing the steamboat blowing silently.To me, this very old film doesn't show Pennsylvania behind the steamboat.All I can see in this film is the steamboat blowing the steam or smoke.To me, I do not know if this film is very boring, and also I do not know if I like this film 10 out of 10.

Steam Whistle (1904)

[Michael_Elliott · 17 August 2016]

Steam Whistle (1904)

During the early 1900's Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company made a number of industrial films that allowed the public to see what went on inside their buildings. Needless to say, these films didn't contain any sort of plot but some might find them interesting.

Of all the films in the Westinghouse series this one here is the shortest (just 40 seconds) and the strangest as the only thing we see is the steam whistle going off. I'm sure this whistle was used to let people know their shift was either starting or over. Either way, since it's so short it's at least never boring but at the same time we really don't see much of anything. It's of mild interest but that's about it.