The Thieving Hand

Starring: Paul Panzer (uncredited)
Directed by: J. Stuart Blackton
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Short, Comedy
Length: 5 minutes
1908

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A one-armed man buys an artificial hand. It has a mind of its own, however, and starts picking the pockets of everyone around him.

Review:

Tim: I am actually a huge fan of 1908's The Thieving Hand. It is a masterfully constructed short comedy that features some imaginative filmmaking and is incredibly enjoyable. It is a funny, entertaining little movie, and I genuinely wish it was longer.

The idea is simple- a one-armed man buys a prosthetic arm, which moves on its own accord, picking everyone's pockets and getting him into trouble. Some interesting techniques were required to bring this to life. A shopkeeper brings out an artificial arm and lays in on the counter. The movie makes a quick cut (sometimes imperceptible, sometimes obvious) and the arm is replaced with a real person's arm, who starts moving it around. The technique is simple, but when it works, it looks exceptional on screen. It made me laugh.

The real comedy happens when the arm is placed upon our protagonist. He goes about his normal routine, but the arms moves around on its own, picking pockets left and right. What is so funny is the performance of Paul Panzer. He makes you believe the left arm isn't really is, and that it moves of its own accord. The pickpocketing is funny because it happens so effortlessly, and while Panzer is facing away from the people being robbed. You really have to see it to appreciate it- it is hilarious, and entertaining. I actually laughed out loud at several scenes.

I really love this short little film. It took the medium to new heights, combining filmmaking with some magical sleight-of-hand. The film is truly a gem, and so much fun to watch. While I enjoy seeing early 20th century films, they are often films to be appreciated mainly for what they represent. The Thieving Hand is a movie that still works today and is truly an entertaining movie.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- N/A



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: N/A