US © 1908 American Mutoscope & Biograph Company.
Dir: D. W. Griffith. Story: ?. Photog: Arthur Marvin. Cast: Marion Leonard, Linda Arvidson, Harry Solter, Charles Inslee.
Filmed: 6.7, 8.7.1908 (NY Studio; Shadyside, New Jersey). Rel: 4.8.1908.
Copy: DCP (4K), 14'55" (from paper print, 839 ft, 15 fps); titles: ENG. source: Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Packard Campus, Culpeper, VA.
Film Preservation Society / Tracey Goessel / digital scan 2017. Given the absence of original intertitles, new ones have been written by the Film Preservation Society. 2024 edition.
43rd Le Giornate del Cinema Muto (GCM), Pordenone: Early Cinema - The Biograph Project.
Grand piano: Neil Brand.
Viewed at Teatro Verdi with e-subtitles in Italian, 5 Oct 2024.
Tracey Goessel (GCM, The Biograph Project 2024): "As with many an early Biograph, the intertitles are required to make sense of the story, and the scenes themselves are entirely theatrical reenactments of the plot points."
"Indeed, the only real pleasure to be derived from this tale comes from watching the kidnapped Marion Leonard (playing a virtuous young Señora) stage the ruse of pretending to be a wanton woman, cleverly maintaining control of a situation that would, in true circumstances, be terrifying. There is gratification in the consideration of a woman who not only outwits all the corrupt characters around her, but is somehow sophisticated enough to smoke a cigarette and blow the smoke in the villain’s unconscious face. This early portrayal of female empowerment, if nothing else, makes this little film worth the price of admission." Tracey Goessel
Moving Picture World (via IMDb): "The Outwitting of an Andalusian Brigand by a Pretty Senora. The hills of Southern Spain were infested by a gang of lawless freebooters who terrorized the country and made travel in the mountains a hazardous pastime. They waylaid, robbed and often murdered the unwary tourist who chanced their way. In the opening of this Biograph picture a party of these Andalusian bushrangers, in command of their chieftain, are seen hiding behind a huge rock in waiting for prey. They haven't long to wait, for after having held up and relieved several pedestrians, a stylish landau approaches in which are seated an old gentleman, a duenna, and a pretty young Senora. The inevitable happens; all are relieved of their valuables, and while the gentleman and duenna are sent on their way, the girl is held a prisoner. She realizes her helplessness, and at the same time assumes that her beauty has made an impression on the chief, hence resorts to woman's wiles to captivate the bandit. In this she succeeds, but must use strategy to regain her jewels, which are still in his possession. Her subtle artifice is promising, when they are surprised by the police, who take them in hand, but the sergeant finding them possessed of so much wealth, is content to take that and let them go. From here they go to the mountain inn, where later the sergeant again puts in an appearance, so Senora bribes the waiting maid to allow her to act in that capacity, and as the sergeant does not recognize her, she having been veiled when they met in the road, he is lured to a private room, where he is overpowered, bound and gagged by the bandit, who regains the jewels, and with Senora flees to another hostelry. Here Senora piles her conquest with cajolery and wine until he falls into a drunken sleep. Now is her chance. She secures her jewelry and after leaving a derisive letter for the enamored bandit, departs to rejoin her friends, chuckling in anticipation of the chagrin of the pillager upon his awakening." —Moving Picture World synopsis
AA: "The outwitting of an Andalusian brigand by a pretty señora" is the Biograph Bulletin tagline.
Harassing female victims is standard operation procedure for bandits in Biograph's thrillers in 1908.
This time they are outwitted by their female captive, and Marion Leonard is convincing as the heroine who displays sangfroid in a desperate situation. She pretends to yield but starts to pull the strings.
In a quarter of an hour there is time for a triangle drama, as the bandit chief's regular consort is unhappy with the presence of a newcomer.
In a clever switcheroo Marion Leonard changes places with a barmaid. A corrupt police sergeant has seized the bandits' loot, but after the bandit chief seizes it back, Marion Leonard gets him drunk, collects the loot, writes a derisive letter and blows a cloud of cigarette smoke over his face.
In 1908, DWG is better outdoors than indoors. Besides real locations there are painted backdrops.
Scanned from paper print origins, the visual quality is not great, but better than expected.
...
I missed The Bandit's Waterloo in GCM's Griffith Project (DWG 31) in 1997 when it was shown at Ridotto del Verdi on a Library of Congress 16 mm print at 320 ft /15 fps/ 14 min with intertitles missing and Donald Sosin at the piano.
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