ALEXANDER SHIRYAEV 2: THE ENTHUSIASTIC AMATEUR

RU [?1906-1909?]. Restored in 2008 by Prestech. Presented with live commentary, grand piano: John Sweeney. Viewed at Le Giornate del Cinema Muto, Pordenone, Cinema Verdi, 8 October 2008.

The films according to the programme book:

I. Private Life in Ukraine

[ANIMALS] (source: 17.5mm pos., 1’20”)
[BEETLES AND SNAKE IN AQUARIUM] (source: 17.5mm neg., 1665 frames, 1’44”)
[BLIND-MAN’S BUFF] (source: 17.5mm pos., 40”)
[BOATING] (source: 17.5mm pos., 58”) (3 shots)
[BOATING] (source: 35mm neg., 1’06”) (2 shots)
[BRIDGE] (source: 17.5mm pos., 26”)
[CAROUSEL AT A COUNTRY FAIR] (source: 17.5mm neg., 198 frames, 12.5”)
[CHILDREN PLAYING “GORODKI” GAME] (source: 17.5mm neg., 916 frames, 57”)
[COUNTRY SCENES IN UKRAINE] (source: 17.5mm pos., 4’18”) (15 shots)
[EXPLOSION IN QUARRY] (source: 17.5mm pos., 45”) (Viktor Bocharov suggests that this was not made by Shiryaev, but may have been part of a film bought from Ernemann.)
[GARDEN SCENES] (source: 17.5mm pos.+ 35mm neg., 1’52”) (3 shots)
[GROUP OF FIVE WOMEN] (source: 17.5mm neg. + pos., 30”) (Three female generations of the Matveev-Shiryaev family.)
[HAYSTACK FUN] (source: 17.5mm neg., 882 frames, 55”)
[INTERIOR: WOMAN WITH SMALL BOY AND BABY] (source: 17.5mm pos., 8”)
[MAN IN A UNIFORM CHANGES CAP] (source: 17.5mm neg., 322 frames, 20”)
[NAKED SWIMMERS] (source: 17.5mm pos., 25”)
[PLAYING WITH BOATS] (source: 17.5mm neg., 1014 frames, 1’03”)
[SHIRYAEV SURROUNDED BY DANCING PEASANT CHILDREN] (source: 17.5mm neg., 356 frames, 22.25”)
[SHIRYAEV WITH BABY CHICKS (CLOSE-UP)] (source: 17.5mm neg., 530 frames, 33”)
[UKRAINIAN PORTRAITS] (source: 17.5mm pos., 4’15”) (20 shots)
[WINDMILLS, WITH CHILDREN PLAYING IN FOREGROUND] (source: 17.5mm neg., 166 frames, 10”)
[WINDMILLS, WITH PEOPLE GROUPED IN FOREGROUND] (source: 17.5mm neg., 50 frames, 3”)

2. Winter Scenes in and around St. Petersburg

[NIKOLAY PANIN] (source: 17.5mm pos., 40” + 24”) (2 shots)
[SNOWBALLING] (source: 17.5mm pos., 25”) (2 shots)
[TOBOGGANING] (source: 17.5mm neg., 1090 frames, 1’08”) (4 shots)

3. On Tour

[BERLIN STREET SCENES] (source: 17.5mm pos., 3’05”) 40

4. Staged Comedies

[THE BEFUDDLED FILM-MAKER] (source: 35mm neg., 30”)
[THE CLOWN AND THE ELEPHANT] (source: 17.5mm neg., 1812 frames, 1’42”)
[THE CROCODILE] (source: 17.5mm pos., 38”)
[DRUNKARDS] (source: 17.5mm pos., 1’15”)
[THE FISHERMAN’S DREAM] (source: 17.5mm positive , 4’20”)
[AN INTERRUPTED DINNER] (source: 17.5mm pos., 2’58”)
[ITINERANT CIRCUS ARTISTS] (source: 17.5mm neg., 583 frames, 36”)
[THE LODGER AND THE SPIDER] (source: 17.5mm pos., 1’52”)
[THE NAUGHTY GIRL AND GRANNY] (source: 17.5mm pos., 2’02”)
[THE TOMBOY] (source: 17.5mm pos., 2’45”)
[A TROUBLESOME COUPLE] (source: 17.5mm neg., 2778 frames, 2’53”)
[A WET ROMANCE] (source: 17.5mm pos., 1’27”)

5. Commercial Films Issued by Ernemann in the Shiryaev Collection

INDISCHER VÖLKERSCHAFTEN [Indian Tribes] (source: 17.5mm pos., 2’09”; with original title card)
ÜBERQUEREN EINES FLUSSES MIT PFERDEN [Crossing a River with Horses] (source: 17.5mm pos., 1’35”; lacking title card)
ÜBUNG DRESDNER FEUERWEHR [Turn-out of the Dresden Fire Brigade] (source: 17.5mm pos., 2’25”; with original title card)

AA: The films were shown in an order different from this, and hard to identify because they are untitled. But a charming collection, indeed!