Then the picture is completed, the fire scenes previously taken being
inserted between other scenes showing the action of the plot.
One of the most thrilling and realistic fire pictures ever produced
was "The Incendiary Foreman," released by Pathe Freres early in 1908.
It had a well-developed plot that kept the dramatic interest keyed up
every moment, but the features of the film were the many thrillingly
realistic fire scenes, in which the Parisian fire department battled
with the flames while several enormous buildings were being destroyed.
One of the earlier scenes depicted the yard of the Pathe factory, and
showed a quarrel between the foreman and one of the workmen. The
ensuing action led one to believe that this was the factory that was
consumed by the flames, but one or two of the later scenes made it
plain to those who could read French and who watched the picture
closely that the actual fire scenes had been taken during the
destruction of an immense oil refinery. Yet the combination of the
rehearsed scenes and the views of the real and disastrous
conflagration made a picture that drew record-breaking houses to every
theatre where it was exhibited.
Again, whether or not the producing concern releases a weekly or
semi-weekly current-events reel, every company at times makes use of
portions of such pictures, either made by themselves or procured from
other firms.
Pages:
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303