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What Happened in the Tunnel
(1903) United States of America
B&W : 60 feet
Directed by Edwin S. Porter
Cast: Gilbert M. Anderson [the masher], [?] ? [the young woman], Bertha Regustus [the young woman’s maid].
Edison Manufacturing Company production; distributed by Edison Manufacturing Company and Kleine Optical Company. / Cinematography by Edwin S. Porter. / © 6 November 1903 by Thomas A. Edison [H37683]. Released November 1903. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / The production was shot in Fort Lee, New Jersey (backgrounds), and in Edison’s 21st Street studio in New York, New York (actors), on 30-31 October 1903.
Comedy.
Synopsis: A man in a railway car picks up a dropped handkerchief. He attempts to kiss the woman who dropped the kerchief but the train momentarily travels through a tunnel. As the train emerges the man discovers he is kissing the woman’s black maid. // [From Edison promotional materials] Scene, interior of railroad coach. Pretty young lady and negress maid occupy seat. Young man in rear seat tries to attract young lady's attention. She drops her handkerchief. Young man picks it up and hands it to her, and then begins to make love to her. As the train enters a tunnel he is last seen trying to put his arms around her. Upon emerging he is hugging and kissing the colored maid, the young lady having changed seats with her while in the tunnel, much to the young man's disgust.
Survival status: Print exists in the Library of Congress film archive (paper print collection) [35mm paper positive].
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: African-Americans - Kissing - Maids - Transportation: Trains
Listing updated: 12 April 2024.
References: Film viewing : Leyda-Before pp. 66, 81, 112 : Website-AFI; Website-IMDb.
Home video: DVD.
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