Alexander Black is one of the unsung pioneers of the film business.
Before film and projectors, he published photo narratives which
he called "Picture
Plays". As an illustrator who could take photographs, he sought
to combine the skills in tableaux in which he created the scenery and
hired the actors. For the photo narrative above - Miss Jerry - he wrote
the following text,
SCENE 1 "When the story opens Holbrooke and his daughter have been
in New York for five years enjoying the fruits of the miner's success...
The first cloud of misfortune is a letter from the mine reporting probable
disaster. The miner and his daughter must make some radical change in
their way of living..."
SCENE 2 "When she surpises him... he starts guiltily, slipping the
letter into his pocket, muttering some commonplace about being late
for the office. But she reads trouble in his face, and the Colorado postmark
on the envelope which he has not taken from the table, confirms her
suspicions of trouble at the mine."
SCENE 3 "On the same morning Kate the maid announces in much excitement
that there is a Pirate in the Hall. The pirate lounged in and drawls "I
guess this is Jerry.. " - "Is this you Pink ?" exclaims the
girl....." The Photo Narrative survived the impact of the movies
- here a cheap and badly produced books of picture puzzles, each section
devoted to a crime case. The clues are there to see or rather - would
be if the printing was clear.
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