For French film producers, the German Reich was undoubtedly a most attractive market. National competition was not up to par (even as late as 1914, firms such as Messter, PAGU and Vitascope were unable to satisfy the demand from German cinemas out of their own production […].
« The French Connection: Franco-German Film Relations before World War I »,
Frank Kessler and Sabine Lenk
in A Second Life: German Cinema’s First Decades (1996)
As from about 1913 onwards anti-French feelings were being stirred up and propaganda polemics came to the fore, French firms reacted in different ways. Pathe continued to advertise with its own French-sounding name ‘Pathe Freres & Co’ and kept its own distribution. Leon Gaumont decided to have his films handled by well-known German distributors […]; he also founded the ‘Deutsche Gaumont Gesellschaft’ on September 12th, 1913.
D・W・グリフィス監督初期作品の一つながら現在DVDで発売されているグリフィス短編集（キノ・インターナショナル社の『バイオグラフ短編集（Griffith Masterworks: Biograph Shorts）』、映画保存協会の『発見の日々（Griffith: Years of Discovery 1908-1914）』、グレープヴァイン社の『監督グリフィス（D.W. Griffith: Director）』シリーズ）いずれにも収められていない作品。
1910年代から映画にも出演。アレキサンダー・コルダ、マイケル・カーティスの初期作に登場、1917年の愛国主義メロドラマ『大地に囚われし者たち』（A föld rabjai）など幾つかの作品が現存しています。1920年代半ばにはE・A・デュポンの『緑のマニュエラ』でもヒロインを務めていました。 『大地に囚われし者たち』（A föld rabjai）
BETTY’S fiance, a railroad detective, is called out of town on private business and leaves his handcuffs in the care of the girl telegrapher. Shortly after the detective’s departure Betty receives a message to be on the lookout for Smoke-Up Smith, a notorious thief — a full description being given. Smith appears at the station, feeling assured that he will not be recognized and engages quarters at a nearby boarding house.
Betty, fully convinced that Smith is the person described in the message, slips the handcuffs into her pocket and goes over to the boarding house, where the happy-go-lucky thief is playing “blind man’s buff » with the young boarders. This gives Betty an opportunity to slip the irons on Smith and he immediately shows his true identity by the disturbance he causes, ere he is imprisoned in the station.
Smith manages to escape and, entering a locomotive, speeds down the track and out of the yards. Betty, however, discovers the flight of the thief and hastens to another engine, prevailing upon the engineer to steam up and follow in pursuit. A thrilling chase takes place and the criminal is captured. As the locomotive returns with the prisoner, the detective steps off a train and taking charge of “Smoke-Up,’’ congratulates the young operator on her bravery.
蒸気機関車を大きく扱い、駅構内に勤める女性を主人公としたアクションドラマ、という非常にピンポイントな短編映画がハリウッドでは1911年頃から盛んに作られるようになりました。その嚆矢となったのがグリフィスの『女の叫び』（The Lonedale Operator、バイオグラフ社、1911年）で、この流れはすぐにハリウッド史上最長の連続活劇『ヘレンの冒険』（The Hazards of Helen、カレム社、1914年）へと繋がっていきます。
カレム社はこの時期に同系統の作品（『1862年鉄道急襲事件秘話（The Railroad Raiders of ’62）』『時との闘い（A Race with Time）』）を幾つか作っており、ここで蓄積されたノウハウが『ヘレンの冒険』を生み出していきました。米連続活劇が好きなら見ておいて損のない作品だと思います。
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies ;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes :
Thus mellow’d to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
![Mizzi Parla in Durch Leid zum Glück [Kinematographische Wochenschau, 1913]](https://nitratecitycelluloidsky.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/mizzi-parla-00.jpg?w=250)
![Mizzi Parla in Tanz-Else [Kinematographische Wochenschau, 1913]](https://nitratecitycelluloidsky.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/mizzi-parla-02.jpg?w=250)
