Rescued by Rover (1905)

A dog leads its master to his kidnapped baby.

Directors:

Lewin Fitzhamon, Cecil M. Hepworth

Writer:

Mrs. Hepworth (story)

Stars:

Blair, May Clark, Barbara Hepworth

Cast

Credited cast:
Blair	...	Rover the dog
May Clark	...	Nursemaid
Barbara Hepworth	...	The baby
Cecil M. Hepworth	...	Harassed father (as Cecil Hepworth)
Mrs. Hepworth	...	Mother

Storyline

Rescued by Rover is a film about a dog. Not only is it a film about a dog it is also a film about the kidnaping of a young baby by an old woman. With these two classical Hollywood ingredients and some stunning dialogue, (It's silent!), Rescued by Rover really hits a nerve. The repeated shots provide some interest in what, surprisingly, is an entertaining example of early cinema, canine heroics and a man wearing mascara.

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Plot Keywords:

dog | baby | dog named rover | river | kidnapping | 

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Genres:

Short | Drama | Family

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Details

Country:

UK

Release Date:

19 August 1905 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rover, a kutya

Filming Locations:

Nettlefold Studios, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hepworth

Technical Specs

Runtime:

7 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White (Sepiatone)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this was the least expensive movie to produce. It cost $37.40.

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Connections

Followed by Rover Takes a Call (1905)

User Reviews

Interesting for the technique, the manner of story telling and the way the Hepworth family dog is very effective in a key role

A young woman is out for a walk in the park when a young man distracts her and allows another woman to nip in and kidnap the baby without being seen. The mother is distraught when she learns of this crime but it appears the baby is lost forever. However faithful family dog Rover sets out to see if he can't locate the tot.

Not great as a story, this film is mostly of interest because of its age and the techniques that must still have been in their infancy at this time. Rather than a static shot of an event, this film tells a dramatic story (albeit in a very simple fashion) and features multiple shots running together over time and space to do it. Yes, of course this is now such a familiar thing that to point it out seems stupid but there we have it – it is relevant. The also quite impressed me in the acting of the dog (who was actually called Blair, I don't care what the IMDb credits say). The DVD gave me the impression that this was merely the Hepworth family pet (they are also in the film themselves) but it does very well with the action and moves on cue but not in a mechanical way that over-trained dogs sometimes do. The reason for this is that the crew set out sausages for him and, where he breaks down one door after another it is because he hasn't found any so moves on! Interesting then for the technique, the manner of story telling and the way the Hepworth family dog is very effective in a key role.