Revised list of high-class original motion picture films (1908)

COMEDY. victim. The two highwaymen finally get the better of him, as the point of the sun compelled him to turn his back to them and run. We have next several different mishaps, such as a heroic rescue of two children from a speeding automobile by a brave policeman. The collision of two boys on the bicycle riding into a policeman, who is standing on a corner talking to a friend. A busy man is seen loaded down with bundles, waiting for a street car. The motorman pays no attention to him, and he starts running after the car. Of course the bundles fall everywh< re, and he with them, causing a very comical sight. A wagon load of newly grown watermelons next appears in view. The two peddlers of these big, juicy melons haven't gone very far when a black coon espies them. "Me for them," says he, and he starts in to reduce the load. He grabs the best melon lie -can find, and, not being able to wait until he gets to a secluded spot, he proceeds to devour it immediately, breaking the watermelon on the ground, ]!<• gives a free illustration of a coon and a watermelon. The poor farmer gets his next. Two typical grafters are telling each other of the emptiness of their pocketbooks, and are concocting some scheme whereby they can get a square meal, when Mr. Reuben Looms into view. Of course he is music to their ears. After a hurried conversation between them, one quickly departs, while the other stays to take the poor hayseed into tow. He begins by making Reuben believe he knows him, and ends by relieving him of his watch; but this is not all, as he then leads him away to be trimmed right. Next scene shows a horse and buggy standing in front of a store. The grafter who has run away quickly comes up and puts a sign over the horse's head which reads, "For sale, cheap; $25." He then disappears, when the second grafter comes into view leading the citizen from Squashtown. Of course he attracts his attention to the horse and buggy, which will be sold by them for $25. The poor farmer bites immediately, and grafter No. 2 brings out grafter No. 1, who has removed his hat and coat, making it appear that he belonged to the store and is the owner of the horse and buggy. The easy manner in which the poor farmer parts with his savings from his sock is a shame. After getting the money, the grafters beat a hasty retreat and Mr. Farmer gets in the buggy to go off with his new purchase, and you can imagine the finish when the real owner of the horse and buggy sees him. He is ignominiously thrown from out of the buggy and not very nicely handled. S. F. 2443-2450. HIS FIR3T BIDE. Price, $60.00. Approximate Length, 500 feet. All lovers of comedy subjects will find this to be what they require. A piece of unadulterated, good-natured fun, so full ' of action and incident that every moment the picture is shown on the screen means a hearty laugh. The extraordinary experiences of an amateur bicycle rider, the wonderful escapes and adventures which result from his ride, and the many comic situations in which he involves himself and the bystanders who are unfortunate enough to get in his way have been carefully sized up by our camera man, with the result that it is almost too funny for description. A good-natured, irresponsible tramp is seen contemplating the finished performance of a swell bicycle rider, and on his going into an office building and leaving his bike standing in the doorway Mr. Tramp sees no reason why he cannot do the trick just as well, and being troubled with no conscientious scruples appropriates the bicycle, mounts it and proceeds on his wabbly — very wabbly — way, and entertaining his audience with some of the most extraordinary falls and somersaults from the wheel that were ever seen. Gaining control as he proceeds, he manages to brace up a little and avoid quite so many bad falls, but seems to have a peculiar faculty for running into any and every body on either side of the road. A swell madam out to do her shopping, an Italian vendor, and a lady trying to purchase his goods, are victims of the bicyclist. In his next encounter he gets the worst of it. Two girls come out in front to shake a carpet, and while so engaged the crazy bicyclist 200