Silent Film of the Month: Three American Beauties (1906)

 

Run Time: 40 Seconds. Studio: Edison Manufacturing Company. Directors: Wallace McCutcheon, Edwin S. Porter. 

Though its less than a minute runtime and lack of a storyline may make one think of this patriotic film as simply a product of a bygone era, this short is still very charming today. 

There is no real story to this film (as one might expect from a film this short). This film begins with a close-up of a rose (the first American beauty). Then we see a pretty young woman (the second American beauty). She picks up the rose and sniffs it. Finally, we cut to an American flag (the third American beauty). 

This proved to be one of the most popular films of its era. It was often used in Nickelodeon theaters at the end of a movie program. It was used so often that the original negative would actually wear out. The film was then shot again including in-camera dissolves. The first version was directed by Wallace McCutcheon and Edwin S. Porter in March 1906. The remake was done by Porter in September 1907. 

Something that will automatically stand out to those watching this film for the first time is that it is in color. Rather than the later color techniques this film was colored directly onto release prints. To do this separate cut-out stencils were used for each color. This method was more common in France than in the U.S., but it works beautifully in this American film. 

This film is still a visual joy today. The images on screen are simple but there is a real charm to them. Because the method of color used here is so different than what is used today instead of looking dated or quaint, the film has a charm completely separate to that of a modern movie. To a modern viewer the look of this film has a stylized feel that is still greatly appealing today. That a 40 second plotless shirt is still a joy today, shows why this pre-Chaplin pre-Griffith era deserves to still be studied by movie buffs today. 

Edwin S. Porter is a filmmaker that should be well recognized movie buffs. He remains one of the most popular and in important filmmakers of the turn of the century. Best known for the landmark silent western, The Great Train Robbery (1903), he has been credited with creating many filmmaking techniques and for helping move cinema to the narrative storytelling it is best known for today. While with the complexity of film history it is impossible to say who created what, his influence on cinema cannot be overstated. Wallace McCutcheon was a very important cinematographer of this era. He worked as a cinematographer on many of the important film for the Edison company at this time, including many of Edwin S. Porter’s best short films. Films they worked on together include The Whole Dam Family and the Dam Dog (1905), The White Caps (1905), The Miller's Daughter (1905), The Night Before Christmas (1905), Dream of a Rarebit Fiend (1906), Daniel Boone, or Pioneer Days in America (1907) and The "Teddy" Bears (1907) among many others.

For anyone interested you can watch the film below. It can also be found on the wonderful Treasures from American Film Archives, 50 Preserved Films DVD box set, essential watching for all movie fans.

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