BFI

This comic short returns to the territory of Footpads (d. Birt Acres, 1895), one of R.W. Paul's earliest films, in that it depicts an innocent man being robbed. However, while the earlier film was largely a study in atmosphere (and was filmed in an evocative studio set recalling central London), this is set outdoors and devotes much attention to the humiliation meted out on the poor wayfarer.

Initially dressed respectably, complete with bowler hat, our hapless hero is forced to strip to his underclothes by the pistol-wielding thief, even after he's been handed his victim's wallet. The suspense primarily rests not on whether the thief will be caught and punished, but on how far the disrobing will go - which is given added tension by the fact that the film was clearly shot in the open air in (presumably) a public space.

Michael Brooke

*This film is included in the BFI DVD compilation 'R.W. Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908', with music by Stephen Horne and optional commentary by Ian Christie.

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