Latina, contortionist / American Mutoscope and Biograph Company.

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The American Variety Stage: Vaudeville and Popular Entertainment, 1870-1920

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Latina, contortionist / American Mutoscope and Biograph Company.

CREATED/PUBLISHED
United States : American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, 1905.

SUMMARY
A woman wearing a light-colored leotard, gathered at the waist, and tights stands against a black background. Although she is filmed in a long shot, her feet are cut off in the frame. She opens with a flourish of her arms and faces the camera. First stretching up with her arms, Latina then bends in half at the waist, steps into a metal ring or hoop, and places her head in the ring as well. Still bent at the waist, she moves the hoop up past one shoulder and then the other, past her waist, and over her buttocks, finishing with her body completely free of the ring now held up behind her back. Latina repeats the contortion act in reverse, passing the ring down her doubled-up body and past her shoulders to the ground. She steps out of the hoop and gestures with her arm. Turning to face screen left, with her left side in profile, Latina places her hands behind her neck, bends at the waist until her head touches her legs, steps into the ring on the floor, and repeats her contortionist trick as above, first from the ground up and then back down. She faces the camera when finished, throws the audience a kiss, and gives a small bow. The film then cuts to a medium shot of Latina, from the bust up. She interlaces her fingers and holds out her arms in front of her with palms towards the camera, so that her elbows point out. In that position, she raises her arms over and behind her head, and then down her back, dislocating her shoulders in order to achieve that motion. The film ends as she turns her back to the camera.

From K.R. Niver, Early motion pictures: We see a woman in tights, attempting to maneuver her body through a hoop that seems too small. However, she does it since her body is double-jointed.

NOTES
Copyright: American Mutoscope & Biograph Co.; 21Nov1905; H68883.

Original main title lacking.

Camera, G.W. "Billy" Bitzer.

Performer: Latina.

Duration: 0:55 at 16 fps.

Materials listed originate from the paper print chosen best copy of two for digitization; for other holdings on this title, see the M/B/RS Paper Print database.

From the New York clipper, 12/26/03, p. 5: Mlle. Latina, whom Eugene Sandow characterizes as a type of "the perfect woman," is a more than ordinary contortionist, and saves a rather repellant specialty by the pleasant manner in which she performs her work. This little lady does her work in a clever and most finished style, her costumes are always bright, clean, and attractive looking. She is engaged as a special feature with Neil Burgess' "County Fair" Co. this season.

Catalog no. 3112.

NCN046327; Latina, contortionist.

Filmed Nov. 15, 1905, in the Biograph New York City studio.

Sources used: Copyright catalog, motion pictures, 1894-1912; Niver, K.R. Early motion pictures, 1985; AFI cat.: film beginnings, 1893-1910, 1995.

Received: 11/28/94 from LC film lab; ref print; preservation; Paper Print Collection.

Received: 8/3/94 from LC film lab; dupe neg; preservation; Paper Print Collection.

Received: 11/21/05; paper pos; copyright deposit; Paper Print Collection.

SUBJECTS
Acrobatics--United States.
Acrobats--United States.
Tricks.
Joints--Range of motion.
Dislocations--United States.
Shoulder joint--Dislocation--United States.
Silent films.
Vaudeville.
Shorts.

MEDIUM
1 reel of 1 (55 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm. ref print.
1 reel of 1 (55 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm. dupe neg.
1 roll (55 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm. paper pos.

CALL NUMBER
FEC 2131 (ref print)
FPE 7624 (dupe neg)
LC 201b (paper pos)

DIGITAL ID
(m) varsmp 0201

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