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Film, Video Subub surprises the burglar Subbubs surprises the burglar

About this Item

Title

  • Subub surprises the burglar

Other Title

  • Subbubs surprises the burglar

Summary

  • Opens on a bedroom set, with a man in a white nightshirt asleep on a Murphy bed. The bedroom window is raised from the outside, and a man dressed in black clothes and cap enters, furtively looks around the room, and checks to see that the bed's occupant is asleep. The burglar then rummages through the clothes in a chest of drawers and, finding nothing of interest, turns to the homeowner's pants near the bed. As the burglar finds and pockets a wallet, Subub awakes, sees the burglar, and activates the bed so that it closes up into the wall. The underside of the Murphy bed appears to be metal, with what look to be six cannon or gun holes. As the burglar turns and notices the folded bed, gunfire shoots from the bed's portholes. With the sixth and final shot, the burglar blows up and disappears in a cloud of smoke, through the use of stop-motion cinematography. An American flag is raised from the top of the curious weapon and the bed unfolds, with Subub gleefully clapping and waving his arms.
  • "Picture shows bedroom, and man asleep in bed. A burglar raises the window cautiously, climbs in, and proceeds to go through the man's clothes. The man awakes and pulls a lever, closing himself up in the folding bed, the bottom of which is iron-clad, with guns and portholes. The burglar is dumbfounded, and cannot move. Subbub turns his battery loose, blowing the burglar to pieces. He then raises an American flag on a staff on top of the bed as a signal of victory. The bed opens up again and Subbubs goes to sleep. Length 65 feet"--Edison films catalog.

Names

  • Porter, Edwin S., camera.
  • Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
  • Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress)

Created / Published

  • United States : Edison Manufacturing Co., 1903.

Headings

  • -  Burglary protection--Humor
  • -  Burglary--Humor
  • -  Burglars--Humor
  • -  Homeowners--Humor

Genre

  • Comedy films
  • Trick films
  • Silent films
  • Short films
  • Fiction films

Notes

  • -  H34382 U.S. Copyright Office
  • -  Copyright: Thomas A. Edison; 11Aug1903; H34382.
  • -  Original main title lacking.
  • -  Camera, Edwin S. Porter.
  • -  Duration: 1:04 at 16 fps.
  • -  According to C. Musser in Before the nickelodeon, Subub (also called Subbub) was based on a popular cartoon character.
  • -  Paper print shelf number (LC 0308) was changed when the paper prints were re-housed.
  • -  Additional holdings for this title may be available. Contact reference librarian.
  • -  Filmed in Edison's New York City studio on July 18, 1903.
  • -  Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as digital files.
  • -  Sources used: Copyright catalog, motion pictures, 1894-1912; Niver, K. Early motion pictures, p. 316; AFI catatalog online, viewed February 2, 2015; Edison films catalog, no. 225, July 1904, p. 23; Edison films catalog, no. 185, October 1903 supplement, p. 19; Musser, C. Before the nickelodeon, 1991, p. 245.
  • -  Early motion pictures : the Paper Print Collection in the Library of Congress / by Kemp R. Niver. Library of Congress. 1985.
  • -  35 mm. viewing print renumbered: FEC 2514 to FYA 1162.

Medium

  • viewing print 1 film reel of 1 (26 ft.) : si., b&w ; 16 mm.
  • viewing print 1 film reel of 1 (64 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm.
  • dupe neg pic 1 film reel of 1 (26 ft.) : si., b&w ; 16 mm.
  • dupe neg pic 1 film reel of 1 (64 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm.
  • paper pos 1 roll of 1 (ca. 65 ft.) : b&w ; 35 mm.
  • paper pos (copy 2) 1 roll of 1 (ca. 65 ft.) : b&w ; 35 mm.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • FLA 3322 (viewing print)
  • FYA 1162 (viewing print)
  • FRA 0635 (dupe neg pic)
  • FPE 8520 (dupe neg)
  • Box 0828N (paper pos)
  • Box 5535H (paper pos, copy 2)

Repository

  • Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA dcu

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 96519501

Online Format

  • video
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress American Variety Stage collection is in the public domain and is free to use and reuse.

Credit Line: Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Porter, Edwin S., Camera, Inc Thomas A. Edison, and Paper Print Collection. Subub Surprises the Burglar. United States: Edison Manufacturing Co, 1903. Video. https://www.loc.gov/item/96519501/.

APA citation style:

Porter, E. S., Thomas A. Edison, I. & Paper Print Collection. (1903) Subub Surprises the Burglar. United States: Edison Manufacturing Co. [Video] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/96519501/.

MLA citation style:

Porter, Edwin S., Camera, Inc Thomas A. Edison, and Paper Print Collection. Subub Surprises the Burglar. United States: Edison Manufacturing Co, 1903. Video. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/96519501/>.