The Thieving Hand
Encyclopedia
The Thieving Hand is a 1908 American
silent
short film. It is credited for its astounding trick photography and effects for its age. It was directed
and produced
by J. Stuart Blackton
of Vitagraph Studios
.
The film was shot on location in Flatbush, Brooklyn
, New York City
and released on February 1, 1908 in the United States
.
It is one of the 50 films in the 4-disc boxed DVD
set called Treasures from American Film Archives (2000), compiled by the National Film Preservation Foundation
from 18 American film archives. The film's print is preserved by the George Eastman House
.
In November 2008, it was shown in Leeds Film Festival, as part of Back to the Electric Palace, with live music by Sasha Siem
, performed in partnership with Opera North
.
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
silent
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
short film. It is credited for its astounding trick photography and effects for its age. It was directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and produced
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
by J. Stuart Blackton
J. Stuart Blackton
James Stuart Blackton , usually known as J. Stuart Blackton, was an Anglo-American film producer of the Silent Era, the founder of Vitagraph Studios and among the first filmmakers to use the techniques of stop-motion and drawn animation...
of Vitagraph Studios
Vitagraph Studios
American Vitagraph was a United States movie studio, founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York. By 1907 it was the most prolific American film production company, producing many famous silent films. It was bought by Warner Bros...
.
The film was shot on location in Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and released on February 1, 1908 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
It is one of the 50 films in the 4-disc boxed DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set called Treasures from American Film Archives (2000), compiled by the National Film Preservation Foundation
National Film Preservation Foundation
The National Film Preservation Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization created by the U.S. Congress to help save America’s film heritage. Growing from a national planning effort led by the Library of Congress, the NFPF began operations in 1997. It supports activities nationwide that...
from 18 American film archives. The film's print is preserved by the George Eastman House
George Eastman House
The George Eastman House is the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in Rochester, New York, USA. World-renowned for its photograph and motion picture archives, the museum is also a leader in film preservation and...
.
In November 2008, it was shown in Leeds Film Festival, as part of Back to the Electric Palace, with live music by Sasha Siem
Sasha Siem
Sasha Siem is a British composer and singer-songwriter.-Musical Life:Siem has recently composed music for the London Symphony Orchestra, Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, The London Sinfonietta, The Aldeburgh Festival, Opera North, Caius Choir Cambridge, The Rambert Dance Company The Royal Opera...
, performed in partnership with Opera North
Opera North
Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays and the Theatre Royal, Newcastle...
.