This Biograph film from just before D.W. Griffith became their house director -- he appears in it as an actor -- has the basic chase situation that Griffith would elaborate on for the next eight years. It is an Americanized version of the Hepworth hit, RESCUED BY ROVER, even to the border collie, who gets a starring close-up in the last shot.
To the modern eye, there are several problems. One is the issue of time and speed: the gypsies and the little girl trudge along, toting a piano the parents and the policemen run in pursuit; yet they never get any closer until the end, when the gypsies are sitting down. In set-up after set-up, we see the gypsies and the girl; they stop to perform, then walk on, vanishing on the bottom right of the screen; then, after the same lapse of time in each shot, on come the pursuers. This makes little sense and Griffith would quickly come to realize that cutting from pursued and pursuers would lend much more tension. Also, variation in the action would help.
Griffith would make other corrections: subtler acting; camera placement for psychological effect; different action for each player. Few, if any of these ideas were original with him, but his system would take over the world of film.
Griffith would retain his melodramatic plots until the end, well after they had outworn their welcome with the movie-going public. However, his techniques would work just as well with any story.
To the modern eye, there are several problems. One is the issue of time and speed: the gypsies and the little girl trudge along, toting a piano the parents and the policemen run in pursuit; yet they never get any closer until the end, when the gypsies are sitting down. In set-up after set-up, we see the gypsies and the girl; they stop to perform, then walk on, vanishing on the bottom right of the screen; then, after the same lapse of time in each shot, on come the pursuers. This makes little sense and Griffith would quickly come to realize that cutting from pursued and pursuers would lend much more tension. Also, variation in the action would help.
Griffith would make other corrections: subtler acting; camera placement for psychological effect; different action for each player. Few, if any of these ideas were original with him, but his system would take over the world of film.
Griffith would retain his melodramatic plots until the end, well after they had outworn their welcome with the movie-going public. However, his techniques would work just as well with any story.
