The Thieving Hand

When it came to "trick films" of the early 1900s, Frenchman Georges Méliès was the clear forerunner, not only for his two major masterpieces {'A Trip to the Moon (1902)' and 'The Impossible Voyage (1904)'}, but also his huge catalogue of minor gimmick shorts, a cinematic extension of his stage magician acts. On the other side of the Atlantic, director Stuart J. Blackton must surely have been the American equivalent, most notable for producing perhaps the first ever animated cartoon {see 'Humorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906)' or perhaps even 'The Enchanted Drawing (1900)'}. 'The Thieving Hand (1908)' is impressive because, above all else, it is most concerned with its story, something akin to what Chaplin would be doing a few years later, and tries carefully to keep the camera tricks – mostly substitution cuts – as inconspicuous as possible. The film has recently been restored from its only surviving copy, and is accessible on the excellent "Treasures from the American Film Archives" DVD, albeit minus the final seconds, which are believed lost.

When a one-armed street-peddler graciously returns a lost ring to a grateful philanthropist, he unwittingly discovers that every blessing is a disaster in disguise. The man is rewarded with an expensive mechanical arm from the local "limb store," but it doesn't take long for him to realise that this new appendage has been programmed with a life of its own. As the peddler honestly goes about his daily business, his left hand discreetly pick-pockets every passer-by, eventually getting him in trouble with the authorities. It is only after he is thrown into a jail cell that the criminal hand reveals its origin, and the reason for its unlawful habit. All this surreal craziness is played out with a surprisingly straight face, as though it's not entirely unusual to see a dismembered arm scooting purposefully across the floor (this particular effect was achieved with wires). A successful attempt to blend a comic narrative with early visual effects, 'The Thieving Hand' is a very enjoyable five minute interlude – it also foreshadows Dr. Strangelove's maniacal Nazi arm.

The Thieving Hand is a fun little silent-era film dating back almost 120 years. In it, a wealthy man buys a beggar an artificial limb-a hand that looks surprisingly realistic-but the hand turns out to have a mind of its own, constantly trying to steal from others.

This uncontrollable hand, which is also difficult to get rid of (as it keeps coming back to cause more trouble), has appeared in several films throughout cinema history. One of the most memorable examples is Evil Dead II, released nearly 80 years after this silent-era gem. It's kind of mind-boggling to realize that someone had this idea way back in the early days of film.

This offbeat fantasy feature is both funny and imaginative, combining a surreal story idea with some down-to-earth slapstick gags. It also features a pretty good range of special camera effects, and most of them work well. In the first decade of the 1900s, many film-makers strove to come up with off-the-wall ideas to give extra life to their comedies, and this is one of the better examples of its kind.

The story starts with a one-armed street peddler who earns the gratitude of a rich passer-by. To show his gratitude, the rich man takes him to a store that sells limbs, and from then on the story is amusingly bizarre. The poor man's new arm quickly displays a will of its own, leading to some entertaining situations. The closing gag is, by that time, somewhat predictable, but it is funny, and it works in rounding off the story neatly.

The special effects of "The Thieving Hand" in action seem to be relatively straightforward in terms of technique, but most of them are convincing and fun to watch. The camera tricks and the wacky nature of the story both make this short comedy an enjoyable one.

Thieving Hand, The (1908)

** (out of 4)

Very interesting, if not totally successful comedy about a one-armed man who buys a fake arm, which turns out to have a life of its own. The special effects and set design are terrific in this short and pretty much ahead of their time but the "laughs" just never come due to some timid direction.

Impossible Convicts (1905)

*** (out of 4)

Interesting short about four convicts who try to escape from jail. The technique used here is that the film was shot in a few takes with the action-taking place backwards. This makes for some nice scenes as well as a unique feel.

This charming and very amusing short film from 1908 surpasses many short films of today in its imagination and execution. The special effects, although nowhere near as slick as today add charm to a short film that succeeds in telling a visual story that may well not have worked so well if there was dialogue.