Friday, March 3, 2023

A Calamitous Elopement (1908)

An early romantic comedy with some interesting early use of the close-up in film.


A young couple (Harry Solter and Linda Arvidson) are chased out of the house by the girl's angry father (Charles Inslee). In shades of Romeo and Juliet, the lad turns up under his lady's balcony to woo her. He suggests they elope, she agrees and begins to pack her trunk and he heads off to make preparations. Things are complicated by a burglar (George Gebhardt) who sets up a rope ladder on the balcony and then hides in the trunk...

An early film by D.W. Griffith, it falls into the interesting rather than astounding camp though has some early uses of close-ups, editing and other film making techniques which Griffith was still experimenting with. In a few years everyone would be using them, but for now this is cutting edge and a work in progress. Alas for a comedy its really not that funny.