THE AUTOMATIC MOTORIST (1911) – Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at another silent movie short by England’s Walter R. Booth. It’s a remake of his own 1906 short film The Mad Motorist but taken to the extreme. Running time is 6 1/2 minutes.
Booth more than lives up to his reputation as “the British Melies” with this light-hearted fantasy. A pair of newlyweds – as in the bride is still in her gown and the groom is still in his tux – visit their eccentric inventor friend.
The inventor’s newest creation is a robot which is skilled enough to serve as a chauffeur for the bride, groom and inventor. The robot drives off with its three passengers but the vehicle’s speed gets it pulled over by a traffic cop. When the robot punches the policeman he becomes infuriated. Continue reading
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