The Fatal Hour (1908)
This one-reeler has been regarded as a classic example of a Griffith thriller. It engages with the Chinese White slave traffic from the perspective of a female detective, played by Marion Leonard, whose assignment is to expose and break the traffic ring. A fragment is widely available.
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Although this one-minute short from Griffith in his first year as a movie director is not very interesting to the modern eye -- the copy I viewed on Youtube was faded and may have been a cut-down -- it shows good composition thanks to Arthur Marvin's camera-work, and clearly shows that Griffith already knew how to cut for the purpose of telling a story.There isn't much of a story, though. It is your basic melodramatic race-to-rescue-a-girl piece as the girl, who seems to have been tied up by Chinese abductors, probably for the White Slavery trade, is rescued by the police. Nonetheless, there is a nice variety of scenery, including a bit at a trolley-car stop, and nice intercutting of he police racing to her rescue.Griffith would perfect and elaborate on the model for most of his career at Biograph. Here it is at the very beginning.
This one-reeler is regarded as a Griffith thriller (if there is such a thing). It engages with the Chinese White slave traffic (what?) from the perspective of a female detective, Marion Leonard, whose assignment is to expose and break the traffic ring. A bit complex for a short film!