Year: 1904
Director: Siegmund Lubin
Country: US
Language: English
Films of the 1900s (that is, 1900-1910) were split between fiction and actualities - footage of exotic locations, political events etc. An ever growing film audience made both types of pictures extremely profitable. Actualities could provide educational opportunities whereas fiction films could push the boundaries of what was socially acceptable. Many sought to view crime and thus The Bold Bank Robbery, a film about crime, would be made under these conditions.
A group of conspirators plan to rob a bank. They succeed, but can they escape the long arm of the law?
The desire to push boundaries was not the only staple of early cinema; the lack of copyright, patent claims, and abundance of piracy also were at the forefront. Filmmakers would often steal from other filmmakers, sometimes copying the entire film scene for scene, and very rarely would justice prevail. Thus Siegmund Lubin's The Bold Bank Robbery heavily "borrows" from Edwin Porter's sensation The Great Train Robbery.
Not unlike today, when Bold Bank Robbery was displayed much of the public became concerned that these "violent" pictures were corrupting their youth. Directors would have to fight this negative reputation, while at the time giving a paying audience what they wanted to see. This film shows that crime doesn't pay, which seemed to satisfy both ends of the spectrum. It's not masterpiece by any means, but Lubin's picture does provide a window into the society of which the film was made and that's good enough.
The Bold Bank Robbery is a fairly entertaining picture that proves most enjoyable when played alongside Edwin Porter's The Great Train Robbery. The production isn't the best, especially when real street scenes clash with obviously painted on backgrounds, but it's passable.
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