UK, 1903
4m, 250 feet/76 metres
35mm film, black and white
silent
A British fantasy film directed by George Albert Smith.
Plot Summary
Mary Jane the maid tries to light a fire by pouring paraffin into the grate. Inevitably there’s a huge explosion which fires Mary Jane up the chimney and into the sky, her remains falling messily to earth. An old lady and several other maids mourn at her grave and Mary Jane’s ghost appears to fighten them off.
Credits
Crew
Director: George Albert Smith
G.A.S. Films
Cast
Mrs G.A. Smith [real name: Laura Bayley] (Mary Jane)
Alternative Titles
Mary Jane malörje – Hungary
Mary Jane’s Mishap – alternative title
Links
Extracts included in
Paul Merton’s Weird and Wonderful World of Early Cinema (2010)
Silent Britain (2006)
References
Periodicals
- Film History vol.16 no.1 (2004) pp.54-59 – illustrated article (Mary Jane’s Mishap: An early British film re-examined by John Barnes)
Books
- Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.292 – credits
- Silent Films, 1877-1996: A Critical Guide to 646 Movies by Robert K. Klepper p.26
