The Impossible Convicts
Plot
Four prisoners dressed in convicts' stripes perform a series of backward movements under guard supervision, marching backwards down stairs and hopping backwards into their cells. The comedic routine takes a dramatic turn when one prisoner manages to overpower a guard and frees his three companions. As the felons attempt their escape, additional guards arrive to assist their fallen comrade, leading to a chaotic sequence where both guards and convicts spring forward and backward through the prison. The film culminates in a frantic chase through cells, up and down stairs, as the prisoners desperately try to reach freedom while being pursued by their captors.
Director
About the Production
This film was produced during Biograph's early period when they were experimenting with comedic scenarios and physical comedy. The backward movement gimmick was likely inspired by the popular reverse-motion effects being explored in early cinema. The film was shot on Biograph's unique 68mm film format, which provided exceptional image quality for the time but was abandoned by 1903 in favor of standard 35mm.
Historical Background
1906 was a pivotal year in American cinema, occurring during the transition from novelty exhibitions to narrative storytelling. The film industry was still in its infancy, with most theaters showing mixed programs of short films lasting only a few minutes each. The American Mutoscope and Biograph Company was engaged in fierce competition with Edison's film manufacturing company and other emerging studios. This period saw the development of film grammar that would later become standardized - continuity editing, narrative structure, and genre conventions. The prison escape theme reflected contemporary social concerns about crime and punishment in Progressive Era America, while the comedic treatment demonstrated cinema's growing sophistication in handling various tones and genres. The film's release coincided with the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which had dominated news coverage and public attention, potentially affecting its reception.
Why This Film Matters
While 'The Impossible Convicts' may seem primitive by modern standards, it represents an important milestone in the development of American comedy cinema. The film demonstrates early experimentation with physical comedy and sight gags that would later become staples of silent comedy. Its use of reverse motion effects showcased the magical possibilities of cinema to audiences still marveling at the new medium. The prison escape theme it helped popularize would evolve into one of cinema's most enduring genres, influencing countless future films. The work also illustrates the transition from actuality films (documentaries of real events) to narrative fiction films that dominated cinema by the late 1900s. As a product of the Biograph studio, it contributed to the company's reputation for technical innovation and quality production values during cinema's formative years.
Making Of
The production of 'The Impossible Convicts' took place during a fascinating transitional period in American cinema. The American Mutoscope and Biograph Company was one of the leading film producers of the era, and their rooftop studio at 841 Broadway in Manhattan was a hub of innovation. Billy Bitzer, who had been with Biograph since its founding, was experimenting with directing while also serving as the company's chief cinematographer. The film's backward movement gimmick was likely achieved through reverse printing of the film stock, a technique that was still novel to audiences in 1906. The performers were probably drawn from the vaudeville circuits that Biograph regularly recruited from, as they possessed the physical comedy skills necessary for such a routine. The entire production would have been completed in a single day with minimal equipment - just a camera, a few set pieces, and natural lighting from the rooftop studio's open-air environment.
Visual Style
The cinematography in 'The Impossible Convicts' reflects Billy Bitzer's expertise and the technical standards of 1906. Shot on Biograph's 68mm film stock, the images would have possessed exceptional clarity and detail compared to the 35mm format that was becoming industry standard. The camera work is static, as was typical for the period, with the camera mounted on a tripod for stability. The lighting would have been natural, utilizing the open-air rooftop studio's exposure to daylight. The composition follows the theatrical conventions of the time, with performers arranged to face the camera and action staged for maximum visibility. The reverse motion effects were achieved in post-production by running the film backward through the printer, creating the illusion of backward movement that was still magical to audiences of the era.
Innovations
The film's primary technical achievement was its sophisticated use of reverse motion effects, which were still relatively novel to audiences in 1906. The backward movement sequences demonstrated the magical possibilities of cinema beyond mere recording of reality. The production on Biograph's 68mm film format represented exceptional image quality for the period, though the company would abandon this format by 1903. The film also showcases early continuity editing techniques, maintaining spatial coherence despite the complex movements of characters through the set. The efficient use of a single location (the prison set) while creating the illusion of multiple spaces demonstrated the resourcefulness of early filmmakers working with limited means.
Music
Like all films of 1906, 'The Impossible Convicts' was a silent production with no synchronized soundtrack. Exhibition would have been accompanied by live musical performance, typically a pianist or small ensemble in the theater. The music would have been improvised or drawn from popular collections of photoplay music, with selections matching the on-screen action - comedic tunes for the backward movements, dramatic music during the escape attempt, and chase music for the pursuit sequences. The quality and appropriateness of musical accompaniment varied greatly between venues, from prestigious theaters with professional musicians to small nickelodeons with a single piano or even just a phonograph record.
Famous Quotes
No dialogue survives from this silent film
Memorable Scenes
- The opening sequence where four prisoners march backwards down stairs in perfect unison, creating a surreal and comedic effect that immediately establishes the film's playful approach to the prison escape genre
Did You Know?
- Billy Bitzer, though primarily known as a cinematographer, directed approximately 50 films between 1896-1908 before focusing exclusively on camera work
- The film was shot on Biograph's proprietary 68mm film stock, which produced images of remarkable clarity but was expensive and cumbersome
- The backward movement routine was a popular novelty in early cinema, showcasing the magical possibilities of the new medium
- This film represents an early example of the prison escape genre, which would become a staple of American cinema
- The convicts' striped uniforms were historically accurate for the period, as this style was standard in American prisons until the early 20th century
- Biograph films of this era were typically shot in one day with minimal rehearsal, relying on performers' vaudeville experience
- The film was likely exhibited as part of a mixed program of short films, as feature-length films did not yet exist
- No intertitles or dialogue cards survive, as these were not commonly used in Biograph productions of 1906
- The film's comedic approach to prison life was unusual for the time, as most prison films of the era were more dramatic
- Bitzer would later become D.W. Griffith's primary cinematographer, helping to establish the visual language of narrative cinema
What Critics Said
Contemporary critical reception for films of 1906 is difficult to document, as film criticism as we know it today did not yet exist. Reviews, if they appeared at all, were typically brief mentions in trade publications like 'The New York Clipper' or 'The Moving Picture World.' The film was likely noted for its novelty value and clever use of reverse motion effects. Modern film historians view the work as an interesting example of early American comedy and an important artifact showing the development of narrative cinema techniques. The film is studied today for its place in Billy Bitzer's career and as representative of Biograph's production methods during this transitional period.
What Audiences Thought
Audience reactions to 'The Impossible Convicts' would have been shaped by the novelty of cinema itself in 1906. The backward movement sequences would have likely elicited laughter and amazement from viewers unaccustomed to such visual tricks. The film's short length and straightforward comedy made it suitable for mixed programming alongside other short subjects. Prison themes were familiar to audiences through popular stage melodramas, so the setting would have been immediately recognizable. The physical comedy would have appealed to the working-class audiences who constituted the primary market for nickelodeons and early movie theaters. While specific audience records don't survive for individual films of this period, the continued production of similar comedies suggests they were commercially successful.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- French comedies of Georges Méliès
- American vaudeville routines
- Stage melodramas
- Biograph's earlier comedy shorts
- Popular prison escape stories of the era
This Film Influenced
- Later prison escape comedies
- Keystone Cops chase sequences
- Chaplin's prison-themed shorts
- Laurel and Hardy's prison films
- The development of physical comedy in cinema
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Film Restoration
The film is preserved in the Library of Congress collection as part of the Paper Print Collection. Early Biograph films were submitted for copyright protection as paper prints, and many have since been transferred back to film. The preservation status is considered good, though some deterioration may have occurred over the 115+ years since its creation.