Turning the Tables

1903 Comedy 1 minute Directed by A.C. Abadie

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About Turning the Tables

Boys run to a lake and ignore a sign that forbids swimming. A policeman catches them, gathers their clothes, and scolds them from the bank. The biggest boy shoves him into the water. The officer drops the clothes, the boys grab them, and they get away while he climbs out.

Cast & crew

More about Turning the Tables

Thomas A. Edison copyrighted it on 1 September 1903 as H35327. The AFI Catalog lists a September 1903 release at 85 feet and credits A. C. Abadie as cameraman, while Wikidata and IMDb credit Edwin S. Porter as director.

Themes

  • A posted ban
  • Boys in the water
  • A policeman soaked
  • Clothes used as a prize
  • no swimming sign
  • policeman
  • lake
  • boys
  • Edison

Look

A. C. Abadie is the credited cameraman in the AFI Catalog. The scene is an outdoor lake, not a studio interior.

Preservation

A print circulates from Wikimedia Commons.

Notes

  • The New York Clipper noted the film on 19 September 1903.
  • An Edison catalogue summary is the source of the lake, the sign, and the ducking.
  • The short was included in the 2005 compilation Edison: The Invention of the Movies.

Scenes

  • The policeman stands on the bank holding the boys' clothes.
  • One boy pushes him in, and the swimmers run off with the pile.

Also available

  • Wikimedia Commons (Turning the Tables (1903).webm)

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