Mary Jane's Mishap
| Mary Jane's Mishap | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | George Albert Smith |
| Produced by | George Albert Smith |
| Starring | Laura Bayley |
| Cinematography | George Albert Smith |
Production company | G.A. Smith |
| Distributed by | Warwick Trading Company |
Release date |
|
Running time | 4 mins 8 secs |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | Silent |
Mary Jane's Mishap; or, Don't Fool with the Paraffin is a
George Albert Smith, depicting disaster after housemaid Mary Jane uses paraffin
to light the kitchen stove.
The film, according to Michael Brooke of BFI Screenonline, "is an example of Smith's interest in cinematic effects - including, here, the use of superimposition to suggest ghosts," which, "is notable for its then sophisticated mix of wide establishing shots and medium close-ups," and, "also contains two wipes to denote a change of scene."[1][2]
Plot
A
grave
to find her paraffin can and once she finds it, she goes to her final resting place.
Production
The plot of Mary Jane's Mishap was probably inspired by a 1901
dark comedy typical of the Brighton School of filmmaking.[3]
Mary Jane's Mishap was filmed in Smith's studio at
John Barnes instead considered a production date of August 1902 to be more plausible.[4]
Critical analysis
John Barnes has written that "this could be considered as the first modern film", describing it as "far ahead of its time as regards film technique".[4]
References
- Citations
- ^ Brooke, Michael, "Mary Jane's Mishap", BFI Screenonline Database, retrieved 24 April 2011
- ^ Fisher, David, "Mary Jane's Mishap", Brightonfilm.com, archived from the original on 17 March 2012, retrieved 24 April 2011
- ^ Robinson, David (2002), "Funny Ladies: The Comediennes of the Silent Screen", Le Giornate del Cinema Muto, Cineteca del Friuli, p. 2 (Films, I–Y), retrieved 19 December 2017
- ^ a b Barnes 2004, p. 54.
- Bibliography
- Barnes, John (2004), ""Mary Jane's Mishap": An Early British Film Re-Examined", JSTOR 3815559
External links
- Mary Jane's Mishap at IMDb
