Stop Thief! (1901) User Reviews

Why You Shouldn't Pay Much Attention to This Review.... or Any Other

[boblipton · 7/10 · 18 July 2018]

No sooner do I write a review in which I cast doubts on the idea that the first chase film was made in 1903, but I look at this amusing James Williamson comedy from 1901, in which a tramp steals a leg of lamb and is pursued in three scenes by an irate housewife and a pack of assorted dogs.

I've seen this movie before, which causes me repeat two things: first, be very careful when you proclaim something as a "first" in film history; and second, rely on no opinions save your own. Other peoples' opinions may give you an interesting idea, an interpretation that you might not have thought of on your own, that you realize is a pretty good one, but your esthetic is the proper guide to what is good in movies.

By the way, the housewife in this movie is quite obviously a man.

Chasing Shots

[Cineanalyst · 1 October 2009]

The crime chase film was a popular genre in the early history of film, and it perhaps began here, with James Williamson's "Stop Thief!" Many of these films, including this one, are notable for their fluid succession of shots to create (at least at the time) an exciting continuity of action. Demonstration of this can be seen in three 1903 crime chase films also included on Kino and the BFI's programs--they being "A Daring Daylight Robbery", "A Desperate Poaching Affray" and "The Great Train Robbery". Later, D.W. Griffith expanded upon this genre with his last-minute rescue films, such as in "The Girl and Her Trust" (1912). Also, Williamson created one of the earliest comedy chase films, "Our New Errand Boy" (1905). Pathé and Keystone comedies, notably, but also just about every other studio, continued the tradition of chase comedies past the early stages of cinema history. By the 1920s, there was still Buster Keaton making some exceptionally funny slapstick chases, including the one in "Cops" (1922).

"Stop Thief!" is a three-shot film and appears primitive compared to the chase films that followed it. It involves a vagabond stealing a loaf of bread; he's then pursued by the baker, or deliveryman, he stole the bread from. Some dogs also enter the chase. The thief hides in a barrel, but unsuccessfully, as his pursuer pulls him out and begins assaulting him. The continuity editing interestingly doesn't follow the modern rule of the axis of action. In the first shot, the characters exit the frame at the left side in the background. They enter the second shot from the left, which they had just exited from. After exiting the second shot at the right side, they then enter the third shot from the right. Following the modern continuity rules of direction across the screen, that's all backwards. In 1901, however, the rules hadn't been invented--because film pioneers like Williamson had only just begun to establish them. Another 1901 movie made by Williamson, "Fire!", obeys this rule of continuity, as do his later films "An Interesting Story" (1904) and "Our New Errand Boy". In addition, Michael Chanan ("The Dream That Kicks") makes an interesting suggestion that in "Stop Thief!" Williamson was following theatrical continuity.

The other continuity element here is the direct cuts, which have continued to be the preferred transition between shots throughout the history of film. That's a given nowadays, but Williamson and other pioneer filmmakers were faced with conscious decisions on such elementary matters back then when there wasn't an established history of film grammar.

Dogs stop the thief

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 21 July 2015]

In this 2-minute, black-and-white, silent short film from almost 115 years ago, we see a man steal an object from another man and run away. The other man starts following him and his dogs run for the thief as well. Only chance the criminal sees is jump into a barrel and hide in there until he is safe. Sadly, not gonna happen as the dogs spotted exactly where the thief was going and jump into the barrel too. A the end the other man gets his item back and justice has won. The director here is Scottish silent film pioneer James Williamson. And he does a good job for the most part. Mildly entertaining watch, yet nothing what stands out somehow from the huge quantity of silent films made during that time.

Surreal mayhem, and a look forward to 'Pulp Fiction' (spoiler in last paragraph)

[the red duchess · 9/10 · 22 March 2001]

Many of the first fiction films were crime stories, but still seem fresh and exciting today because they're not yet shackled by genre or iconography. In some ways, they are preferable to more acclaimed thrillers, because, with no generic expectations, anything can happen, and usually does. They haven't as yet begun to express the collective unconscious, and the absence of 'character' means you can enjoy pure plot.

'Stop Thief!' is so potty it seems to prefigure Surrealism. A man, skulking against a weirdly incongruous, free-standing wall, waits for a butcher boy to pass by, and robs his meat! He is naturally chased by his victim, but also, more amusingly, by a pack of hungry dogs on the scent. Some good folk hear the din and come out of their houses, but they don't join the chase - they don't know the rights or wrongs of the matter any more than we do, and are content to watch a puzzling spectacle, as if they've just walked into a Bunuel film.

I said there were no generic expectations, but the villain must be punished. it's the way he's punished that's treasurable - he hides in a large barrel in a bizarre open space, and successfully eludes his pursuer. Dogs aren't that thick though, and greedily leap into the barrel after the meat. These aren't trained dogs daintily obeying a director's orders; there is a naturalness here you never get in 'Lassie' that is totally adorable, and you can see the poor things' bewildered resentment when the butcher boy catches the thief, rescuing the meat, although they seem to have gotten plenty.

The butcher's revenge is slightly risque, however, as he proceeds to remove his enemy's nether garments. This glorious, sun-bright film discreetly ends, but I wouldn't be surprised if Tarantino had been watching this while writing the character of Marcellus Detroit.

A Fairly Entertaining Trifle

[Snow Leopard · 16 May 2002]

This is a pretty entertaining trifle from the earliest days of the movies. It's a simple comic chase film, but it has good energy and a couple of funny ideas, with technical aspects that are of good quality for its time. It's one of a handful of James Williamson's films that survive, and like a number of the others it has a good dose of wit along with basic movie-making skill.

For all that some of the plot developments are pretty goofy, it is rather well-conceived in itself. The manic situation builds nicely, starting with the theft being committed, and going on from there. Including the dogs in the chase was a good idea that works well, and it provides an amusing take on crime, justice, and punishment. It probably also took some real ingenuity (and perhaps a little luck) to have the sequence with the dogs come out so well.

This is one of the very earliest 'chase films', and it has a lot of energy, plus a couple of good gag ideas that would hold up well enough even if they were used in a movie of a somewhat later era. It's not that hard to tell how old this movie is, but it still works pretty well, and is certainly worth seeing for those who enjoy watching these early movies.

Who let the dogs out?

[guisreis · 8/10 · 30 November 2021]

This is us short film is one of the earliest, if not the very first, chase films. It is very well edited and has a quite good pace, besides the lovely dogs and the smart fate for the stolen object. An important film in the history of cinema, also remarkable for being interesting and comprehensible without a single lettering or subheading.

Funny but with a weak (or no) ending

[bob the moo · 27 February 2008]

I watched this film on a DVD that was rammed with short films from the period. I didn't watch all of them as the main problem with these type of things that their value is more in their historical novelty value rather than entertainment. So to watch them you do need to be put in the correct context so that you can keep this in mind and not watch it with modern eyes. With the Primitives & Pioneers DVD collection though you get nothing to help you out, literally the films are played one after the other (the main menu option is "play all") for several hours. With this it is hard to understand their relevance and as an educational tool it falls down as it leaves the viewer to fend for themselves, which I'm sure is fine for some viewers but certainly not the majority. What it means is that the DVD saves you searching the web for the films individually by putting them all in one place – but that's about it.

This film starts out as a robbery with a chase but I was immediately amused to see the butcher's lad chasing the hobo being joined in the hunt by loads of dogs all after the meat for their own reasons! It is a comic scenario that I have seen since but not before this film. This inventive humour continues as the edit allows dog after dog to pile into a barrel after the hiding hobo and I found it quite tickling. Just a same then that there isn't really any punch line or conclusion to speak of. If there had been then this would have made more of an impression on me than it did, although I did still find it amusing.

the first crime movie (?)

[Quinoa1984 · 8/10 · 10 May 2016]

Characters, set-up, and pay-off: a hobo walks along acting like he minds his own business, and steals a tray from a waiter walking by him. He runs with the food or whatever's in his hands, and the waiter, a dog and others give chase. There is a conclusion but I won't spoil it (duh). It's rough around the edges, but what might you expect for 1901? There's just straight-forward storytelling here, or at least detailing an incident. There isn't exactly things like characterization or much in the way of inventive techniques, but it doesn't need that - in one minute it gets in, tells its story, and gets out on a high (rather violent) note. I liked it a lot.

The Chase Film Genre Begins

[Tornado_Sam · 29 May 2017]

This short film is considered to have started the chase film genre. After this other filmmakers started to create more elaborate productions using big chase scenes like this. Other chase films include "Daring Daylight Burglary" "A Desperate Poaching Affray" and the infamous film "The Great Train Robbery".

The plot is simple but entertaining. A butcher is carrying some meat on a board when a hobo steals it and the chase is on. Neighborhood dogs join in and when the thief climbs into a barrel (a big mistake on his part) the dogs jump in as well. The butcher then enters the scene and empties the barrel of its occupants.

Nice film, and I can see why it is considered the development of the chase film genre. With three scenes, this is ground-breaking enough for 1901 and should earn at least a 7. As simple as it is, it is fun and is a basic example of this very popular genre.