Fire! (1901 film)

Fire!
Directed by	James Williamson
Produced by	James Williamson
Cinematography	James Williamson
Production company	Williamson Kinematograph Company
Release dates	15 October 1901 (1901-10-15)
Running time	4 minutes 47 seconds
Country	United Kingdom
Language	Silent

Fire! is a 1901 British short silent drama film, directed by James Williamson, showing the occupants of a house in Hove being rescued by the local fire service.

Description

This five tableaux film, according to Michael Brooke of Screeonline, "was one of the very first films to make use of multiple shots edited together to create a chronological sequence propelling a coherent narrative along. Williamson also creates suspense by showing the audience the extent of the fire in the first shot, which heightens the sense of urgency as the fire crew (who lack this privileged information) leave the station and rush to put it out." It was released along with Stop Thief! (1901), "indicating the direction Williamson would take over the next few years, as he refined this new film grammar to tell stories of unprecedented narrative and emotional sophistication." "Brooke also states that it was, "a major influence on a pioneering American film, Edwin S. Porter's Life of an American Fireman (1903), which borrowed Williamson's narrative model and developed it further by introducing close-ups."

Screenshot from the film

Production

The director made the film at a derelict house called Ivy Lodge in Hove, where he had previously shot Attack on a China Mission (1900).

External links

• Fire! at IMDb