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The Jonah Man; or, The Traveller Bewitched
Also known as The Bewitched Traveller in the USA
(1904) England
B&W : 246 feet
Directed by Lewin Fitzhamon and Cecil M. Hepworth
Cast: (unknown)
Hepworth Film Manufacturing Company production. / Produced by Cecil M. Hepworth. / © 12 August 1904 in the USA by American Mutoscope & Biograph Company. / [?] 35mm spherical format? / The film was released in the USA at 272 feet by American Mutoscope & Biograph Company.
Comedy.
Synopsis: [Biograph Bulletin number 29, 18 August 1904, page ?] The old style trick pictures which were so popular so long, and which have only lost their popularity because of a lack of novelties, have been surpassed in a most surprising way by the celebrated London firm, Hepworth & Co., in their newest production, “THE BEWITCHED TRAVELLER.” This is a straight comedy picture, without the magicians, ballet girls and the rest of the familiar characters. A young gentleman is traveling for pleasure. In the first scene he is in the dining-room of an inn endeavoring to get a meal. The table fades away before his eyes and simultaneously appears on the opposite side of the room. He changes his seat and takes up a cup of coffee, but the table again fades away. Then, in anger, he goes into the street and stops a ’bus. He has no sooner taken his seat than the horses fade away. He dismounts and, with the other passengers, goes to the front to investigate. The entire ’bus and the passengers also fade away. He tries to get on another ’bus, but it slides out from under him, and he rolls headlong into the street. He then goes to the railroad station and tries to board a train. The train comes in, and before he can board it, it fades away. Another train goes through at full speed and vanishes in a similar manner. The young man then determines to try a ’bus again and sits down on his valise at the roadside. A ’bus comes, but just before it reaches him it fades and goes by like a vision, and he never sees it. The young man, now thoroughly distracted, goes crazy and dances about the road waving his arms over his head as if pursued by a swarm of imps. As he does this he vanishes, and his valise follows him in a puff of smoke. This film must be seen to be appreciated. It is a continuous series of laughs and astounding tricks throughout.
Survival status: Print exists in the Library of Congress film archive (paper print collection) [35mm paper positive].
Current rights holder: (unknown) [United Kingdom]; Public domain [USA].
Keywords: Animals: Horses - Carts - Explosions - Hats: Top hats - Hotel rooms - Maids - Street scenes - Suitcases - Transportation: Bicycles, Carriages, Omnibuses, Trains (Train stations) - Trick films - Umbrellas
Listing updated: 13 January 2015.
References: Film viewing : Gifford-British n. 00902; Niver-First pp. 63-64.
Home video: VHS.
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