Davy Jones' Locker, Early Superimpositions (1896-1900) [3-film compilation].

Format:

Video

Series:

Academic Video Online

UNSEEN CINEMA 7: Viva La Dance: The Beginnings of CINÉ-DANCE

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

1900s.

Local Subjects:

1900s.

Genre:

Documentary

Physical Description:

1 online resource (2 minutes)

Place of Publication:

[Place of publication not identified] : Filmmakers Showcase, 1900.

Language Note:

In English.

System Details:

video file

Summary:

VIVA LA DANCE is part of the film retrospective UNSEEN CINEMA that explores long-forgotten American experimental cinema. "Davy Jones' Locker" (1900) combined "Wreck of the Schooner 'Richmond'" (1897) with "The Dancing Skeleton" (1897) creating the appearance of the skeleton rising from the sunken vessel. -PAUL SPEHR Frederick S. Armitage, an innovative cameraman-director for the American Mutoscope and Biograph Co. (c.1899-1905) and the Edison Company (1909- ?) made an early attempt to combine film and sound ("A Gay Old Boy", 1899) and several prototype "special effects" films featuring innovative cinematography and printing techniques. - PAUL SPEHR EARLY SUPERIMPOSITIONS (1896-1900) - 3 FILM COMPILATION149 00:00 DAVY JONES' LOCKER (1897, 1900, 26 seconds)150 00:54 NEPTUNE'S DAUGHTERS (1897, 1899, 1900, 28 seconds)151 01:23 A NYMPH OF THE WAVES (1896, 1899, 1900, 26 seconds)The filmmaker in 1900 took several different scenes shot earlier between 1896, 1897 and 1899 and double-printed two sets of images together to create new artistic creations. The transformation of a stage dance into a unique ciné-dance could only be possible in cinema and never be presented as a live performance. -BRUCE POSNERThe work was done at the laboratory in Hoboken as Biograph's (American Mutoscope & Biograph) efforts to produce trick films at the very end of 1900 and the beginning of the new January with camera operator F. S. Armitage in charge. The big (68mm) camera could not be stopped and backed up to do in the camera double exposures. So they tried a variety of ways to create them. Three films were made on Jan. 5, 1901 with the two other films made that day were "Cast up by the Waves" (combining "Phrosine and Meledore" and "Sad Sea Waves") and "Rock of Ages" (combining ["Upper Rapids from Bridge"] and "Rock of Ages"). -PAUL SPEHR 16mm from 35mm 1.33:1 black and white silent with music 16fps 1:49 minutes. Production: American Mutoscope and Biograph Co.

Notes:

Title from resource description page (viewed March 22, 2021).