The Kleptomaniac. 1905. et al.

(10/24/99)

The Kleptomaniac. 1905. The Life of an American Policeman. 1905. The Rivals. 1907. Cohen's Fire Sale. 1907. All directed by Edwin S. Porter.


In general, I found these films hard to follow. I didn't get the end of The Kleptomaniac. Was the wealthy woman let go because of her status? It wasn't clear. I was lost with the last part of American Policeman whichhad to do with a carriage and changing costumes. I was also lost during part of Cohen's Fire Sale, the part where the women are in the shop, before he hits on the plan of having a fire.

The Rivals seemed just plain stuipid. I suspect it worked better as a comic strip than as a movie, but that may have been because I wasn't feeling so well. It did have a moral, though, in that these two men were knocking themselves out trying to outdo each other in courting this woman and she goes off and marries someone else.

Cohen's Fire Sale reminded me a little of Clair's An Italian Straw Hat. The crate of hats was taken away on (I guess) a garbage truck and the hats were falling out all over the place. And everybody loved those hats.