The Farmer's Troubles in a Hotel
Rating
Title
The Farmer's Troubles in a Hotel
Creator
Lubin
Description
Restoration of this comic trick film salvaged 108 ft. of its original 150 ft. length. Some opening action described by the catalog in which the Farmer first enters the hotel lobby was missing. In shot #i , a porter escorts a Farmer with chin whiskers , long coat , and broad-brimmed hat down a corridor to a hotel room. This lap dissolves into shot #ii , a maid preparing the room , which quickly dissolves into shot/scene #iii , in which the Farmer is shown the room , hides his wallet under the pillow , and prepares for bed. When he tries to climb in, the bed flips upside down , rights itself , then jumps back and forth across the room via stop-camera effects. The catalog attributes this to bed bugs which also make him itch. Other large vermin begin crawling up the wall ; when he touches one with a candle it explodes. As he tries to sleep on the floor an enormous flying mosquito attacks him. When the Farmer catches it and throws it down , this creature also explodes. Immediately , a large scowling face (resembling a sculpted mask) arises from the smoke and terrifies him. The porter soon returns and throws him out. The 'haunted hotel ' was a perennial trick film situation , often motivated as either supernatural occurrences or nightmares. American producers made several films like this one that combined the 'Rube ' genre and trick film ; most follow the structure of the hayseed shown to the room , his nocturnal torments , and eventual ejection for excessive noise. Blending fantasy elements from M?li?s ' haunted inns with the tall-tales motifs of the American 'Jersey Skeeter ' films , The Farmer's Troubles in a Hotel is a particularly well-crafted comedy. (Worland , 1995 : http://www.fiafnet.org/pdf/uk/fiaf51.pdf)
Contributors
Worland , Rick
Original Date
1902
Original Format
35 mm nitrate film
Related Resources
Worland , R. 1995. The Sulphur Springs , Texas early films discovery. Journal of Film Preservation 51 : 54-64. http://www.fiafnet.org/pdf/uk/fiaf51.pdf (Note : go to page 56 in the.pdf file)
Item Number
SSM26
Type
Video
Digitization Date
Digitized for web: 2011
Digital Format
TRT 00:01:12.07 ; Archival File: Video: DV-NTSC, 640 x 480; Streaming File: Presented in Vimeo as 480 x 360
Digitization Process
Files were ripped from source DVD to create NTSC .mov master file. Utilized reverse-telecine using standard 2s3w pattern to create a 640x480, 23.98fps, square pixel master file. Uploaded .mp4 derivative to Vimeo.
Web Page
http://digitalcollections.smu.edu/all/cul/ssm/stream/SSM26_Stream.html
Movie File
ssm26_farmer_up.mp4
Digital Collection
Sulphur Springs Collection of Pre-Nickelodeon Films
Part of
Sulphur Springs
Library
G . William Jones Film and Video Collection ; Hamon Arts Library
Publisher
Central University Libraries , Southern Methodist University
Rights
Please cite the G. William Jones Film and Video Collection, Southern Methodist University when using this file. For more information contact filmarchive@smu.edu.
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