The Evidence of the Film (1913)

A messenger boy is wrongfully accused of stealing bonds worth $20,000.

Directors:

Lawrence Marston, Edwin Thanhouser

Stars:

William Garwood, Marie Eline, Riley Chamberlin

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
William Garwood	...	The Broker
Marie Eline	...	Messenger Boy
Riley Chamberlin	...	Clerk
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Florence La Badie	...	Sister of Little Boy

Storyline

A messenger boy is wrongfully accused of stealing bonds worth $20,000.

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Plot Keywords:

filmmaking

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Genres:

Crime | Short

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Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

10 January 1913 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Thanhouser Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

15 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

SPOILERS. When the sister discovers the footage of the crime being committed, the insert shots showing the film are of a different angle than what is actually projected later.

User Reviews

Holy sex-change!

This is one of seven films that are included on a DVD entitled "The Thanhouser Collection"--early films by the Thanhouser Company--a rival of Biograph and the Edison companies. This is a film that is rather obvious when seen today, but for 1913, it's entertaining and audiences would have enjoyed it without the nitpicking we'd see with the plot today (it's awfully contrived).

A dishonest stock broker is concerned. If he doesn't return $20,000 to an investor immediately, he'll go to jail. So he cooks up an idea to find a scapegoat. So, he fills an envelop with pages from a newspaper and seals it. Then, in front of his employees, he does the same thing but puts $20,000 in it and calls for a messenger boy. The "boy" is actually tiny Marie Eline--star of many films for Thanhauser. On the way to the rich lady's house, the evil broker "accidentally" bumps into the kid and switches envelopes. Now here's the impossible to believe part. All this occurs in the middle of an outdoor shoot for some film company and the transaction is accidentally recorded on film! But, in the meantime, the child is jailed for theft and the broker thinks he's gotten away with it. Later, however, when the film is viewed, it clearly shows what had occurred and the broker is jailed and the child released.

Entertaining and certainly one of the earliest sex-change films!!