The Derby (1895 film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Derby | |
|---|---|
 Screencap for The Derby |
|
| Directed by | Birt Acres |
| Produced by | Birt Acres Robert W. Paul |
| Cinematography | Birt Acres |
| Release date(s) | 1895 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | Silent |
| Followed by | The Derby |
| IMDb profile | |
The Derby is an 1895 British short black-and-white silent documentary film directed and produced by Birt Acres. It was filmed on May 29 1895. Unlike many of the films from this period, a photograph of Acres filming the movie has survived. This photograph shows that the camera used in the production was relatively portable despite what might have been expected from the equiptment of the time. [1]
[edit] Plot
A stationary camera looks diagonally across a racetrack toward the infield showing the horses as they pass. Once the horses have passed the camera it is clear that the race has come to an end and there is a close finish between three horses. Once the race is over police officers run onto the field. The camera also displays various members of the audience moving around.
[edit] Current status
Given its age, this short film is available to freely download from the Internet. It has also featured in a number of film collections including The Movies Begin - A Treasury of Early Cinema, 1894-1913 . [2]. The surviving print for this film has Paul-type perforations, but is believed to be a reprint from 1896 when both Acres and Paul (working separately) were exhibiting the film. This copy however was filmed at a far slower speed than the 40fps which would be typical of the time from an 1895 Kinetoscope film. This is said to cast doubt on the identity of the NFTVA print. [3]
[edit] References
- ^ Birt Acres (HTML). Who's Who of Victorian Cinema. Retrieved on March 30, 2007.
- ^ Merchandise links (HTML). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on March 30, 2007.
- ^ Derby, The (1895). Screenonline. Retrieved on March 30, 2007.
