Video Details      

The tramp's unexpected skate



On a stage with a painted backdrop of a terrace overlooking a park, a man identified as a tramp by his ragged costume and beard lies asleep against a potted palm tree. Two boys enter from screen right, each rolling on one skate. They see the sleeping tramp, communicate to each other through gestures the gag they have in mind, and bend down to untie their skates. The boys then tie the skates on the feet of the sleeping hobo, and awake the man by raising and then dropping one of his legs. The tramp quickly wakes and jumps up to grab the boys, only to roll and slip, then fall on his back, as the boys easily run around him. As the tramp struggles to his feet and then falls again, the boys laugh at and taunt the hapless man. The comedic actions and pratfalls of the tramp on roller-skates are repeated.                                               
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Video Information
Year: 1901
Genre: Historical
Keywords: Tramps--United States--Drama; Practical jokes--Drama; Roller-skating--United States--Drama; Boys--United States--Conduct of life--Drama; Silent films; Slapstick comedies; Vaudeville; Shorts;
Duration: 00:00:47
Color: No
Sound: No
Amount of Motion: Medium
Language: English
Sponsor: Thomas Edison
Contributing Organization: Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division
Transcript Available: No

Digitization Information
Digitization Date:
Digitizing Organization: Library of Congress

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