Mary and Gretel

Plot

Mary and Gretel follows two young girls who find themselves transported to a surreal fantasy world reminiscent of both Alice in Wonderland and the Garden of Eden. In this strange realm, they encounter a drunk rabbit who guides them through bizarre landscapes populated by bowling dwarfs and other fantastical creatures. The girls must navigate this dreamlike environment, facing increasingly absurd situations and characters as they attempt to find their way back home. The film combines live-action sequences with early animation techniques to create its distinctive otherworldly atmosphere. As their journey progresses, Mary and Gretel encounter various symbolic challenges that test their innocence and understanding of the world around them.

Historical Background

1917 was a pivotal year in world history, with the United States entering World War I in April. This period saw significant changes in American cinema, as the industry was consolidating and moving toward the studio system that would dominate Hollywood in the coming decades. Animation was still in its infancy, with pioneers like Winsor McCay and the Fleischer brothers just beginning to explore the medium's possibilities. The surreal and fantastical elements in 'Mary and Gretel' reflect the escapism audiences sought during the turbulent war years. The film's production coincided with major technical innovations in cinema, including the refinement of color processes and sound experiments, though most films of this era remained silent and black and white.

Making Of

Very little is known about the actual production of 'Mary and Gretel' due to its age and obscurity. The film was likely created using early animation techniques such as cutout animation or primitive cel animation, combined with live-action photography. Director Howard S. Moss worked during a period when animation was still finding its artistic and technical footing, and filmmakers were experimenting with various methods to bring drawings to life. The production would have required a small team of artists working in cramped conditions, hand-painting each animation cell or paper cutout. The integration of live-action with animation would have been particularly challenging, requiring careful planning and precise timing to ensure the animated elements interacted convincingly with the real actors.

Visual Style

The cinematography would have utilized the standard techniques of silent-era filmmaking, likely shot on 35mm film with hand-cranked cameras. The integration of animation with live-action would have required careful matte work or multiple exposure techniques. Visual effects would have been achieved in-camera rather than through post-production, as optical printing was still in its early stages. The film's visual style would have been characterized by the soft, romantic lighting typical of the 1910s, with the animated sequences featuring bold, graphic designs to ensure clarity when projected.

Innovations

The film's primary technical achievement was its early combination of live-action footage with animated sequences, a technique that was still experimental in 1917. The animation methods likely involved cutout animation or early cel animation, both of which were innovative for their time. The film may have also utilized early special effects techniques such as multiple exposure or matte photography to integrate the animated and live-action elements. These technical innovations, while primitive by modern standards, represented important steps in the development of animation as a cinematic art form.

Music

As a silent film, 'Mary and Gretel' would have been accompanied by live musical performance during theatrical exhibition. The score would likely have been performed by a theater organist or small ensemble, using compiled music appropriate to the film's fantasy elements. Typical accompaniment might have included classical pieces by composers like Debussy or Ravel for the dream sequences, with more whimsical tunes for the comic moments involving the drunk rabbit and bowling dwarfs. The music would have been cued by the musicians using cue sheets provided by the distributor, though these materials have not survived.

Memorable Scenes

• The sequence featuring the drunk rabbit guiding Mary and Gretel through the fantasy world represents the film's most distinctive imagery, combining early animation with live-action in a way that would have appeared magical to 1917 audiences.

What Critics Said

Due to the film's age and obscurity, contemporary critical reception is largely unknown. Reviews from 1917, if they exist, would likely have appeared in trade publications like Variety or Moving Picture World. Modern critical assessment is impossible as the film appears to be lost or extremely rare, preventing scholarly evaluation. However, film historians who have referenced the film generally classify it as an interesting example of early American experimental animation, noting its ambitious attempt to combine live-action with animated fantasy elements during a formative period in the medium's development.

What Audiences Thought

Information about audience reception to 'Mary and Gretel' in 1917 is not available in surviving records. Audiences of the silent era were typically receptive to novelty and experimentation, especially in short subjects that accompanied feature presentations. The combination of live-action with animation would have been a selling point, as these techniques were still relatively new and magical to viewers of the time. The fantasy elements and whimsical characters would have appealed to family audiences, a demographic that theaters were increasingly courting during this period.

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