A Gesture Fight in Hester Street

SUMMARY
Opens on a street scene with a sidewalk and backdrop of storefronts, including a liquor store and pharmacy, apparently meant to represent Hester Street in New York City. A bearded, dark-haired street peddler in a long dark coat and hat hawks suspenders and perhaps neckties. A young woman in a long skirt and long-sleeved white blouse with a flowered hat walks quickly past, and the peddler turns to gesture angrily after her. Behind him enters another bearded peddler, also identified through his clothing as Jewish, and his pushcart. The cart bumps the first peddler, who turns and argues with the interloper. The argument escalates into a pushing match and then a brawl, with the men's hats knocked off and the pushcart turned over by their wrestling. A policemen enters and tries to break up the fight with his nightstick.

From Biograph picture catalogue, Nov. 1902 [MI], p. 36: 26 feet. A comical fight between two Hebrews: one a pushcart man, and the other a suspender peddler.

CREATED/PUBLISHED
United States: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, 1903.

NOTES
Copyright: American Mutoscope & Biograph Co.; 19Aug1903; H34815.

Camera, Arthur Marvin.

Filmed June 8, 1900, in the Biograph New York City studio.

SUBJECTS
Peddlers and peddling--New York (State)--New York--Drama.
Jewish men--New York (State)--New York--Drama.
Affray--New York (State)--New York--Drama.
Commercial strips--New York (State)--New York--Drama.
Streets--New York (State)--New York--Drama.
Police--New York (State)--New York--Drama.
New York (N.Y.)--Commerce--Drama.
Silent films.
Comedies.
Vaudeville.
Shorts.

RELATED NAMES
Marvin, Arthur W., 1861-1911, camera.
American Mutoscope and Biograph Company.
Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress)

DIGITAL ID
(m) varsmp http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@field(NUMBER+@band(varsmp...))

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• library
• congress
• silent
• peddlers
• new
• york
• vaudeville
• comedy