Miss Jerry (1894)
The adventures of a female reporter in the 1890s.
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Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.
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The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.
While both in USA and in Europe directors were producing one-shot short films, merely of a documentary nature, Alexander Black had produced (arguably) the first feature of moving pictures. The photoplay 'Miss Jerry' tried its best to create the illusion of motion, with the slides changing once every 15 seconds, while Black was effortlessly providing the voice for every character. Despite the handicap of the format, 'Miss Jerry' holds well if compared to a plethora of films that followed after it. The credit has to go to the script, which provides a charming portrayal of a countryside girl, Geraldine Holbrook who decides to become a reporter. The romance developing between the main character and her editor is remarkably subtle, refusing over dramatisation. Both Blanche Bayliss and William Courtenay provide memorable stills, their emotions managing to transcend the barriers of the photos, ultimately vibrating in the eyes of the viewer. Unknowingly, Alexander Black had set a number of themes and motives, as well as scenes, that became cliché long after the tour of 'Miss Jerry' finished in 1907. It offered a glance in the future of film-making, when the Lumière brothers saw no use in motion pictures. The sight was delightful.