TELEGRAPH FROM MEXICO, A

 

1913, Netherlands / Germany

Aka… Een Telegram uit Mexico / Het Telegram uit Mexico / ‘Telegram from Mexico’ (Nl), Die Depesche aus Mexiko / ‘The Dispatch from Mexico’ (Ger)

Ex… La Dernière Dépêche du Mexique / ‘The Last Dispatch from Mexico’ / La Dernière Lettre du Mexique / ‘The Last Letter from Mexico’ (alt Fr)

(Fr), A Telegram from Mexico (UK)

T: 800mt (UK) / 13:43m (YT)

Pc: Filmfabriek Hollandia (Haarlem, Nl) & Düsseldorfer Filmmanufaktur (Duss, Ger)

Dist: Filmverhuurkantoor Union [Paul Davidson] (06/09/14, Nl), R. Prieur & Co. Ltd (09/14/14, Lon), Düsseldorfer Filmmanufaktur (Ger), Silent Film Renaissance: ‘The Dutch Silent Cinema’ (12/01/2000, Jpn), YouTube [Eye Filmmuseum] (02/19/18)

Visa: Berlin: Jugendverbot (No. 14.21, Ger)

D: Louis Hendricus Chrispijn; P: Maurits Binger

C: Louis H. Chrispijn (Bezoeker), Esther De Boer-van Rijk (Moeder), Coen Hissink (Blind father), Willem van der Veer (Willem) & Christine van Meeteren (Housekeeper)

Syn: Willem Vandoorn is a Dutch colonist in Mexico. When the revolution breaks out, the young man decides to go back to his homeland. He sends his parents a telegram announcing his planned return. When his journey is delayed by a rebel attack, his parents - already worried about the many dramatic newspaper articles - fear the worst. These nervous suspicions even lead the blind father to have a vision, in which he sees his son's execution. Only when Willem has returned unharmed are their fears replaced by joy.

     Comm: In 1913 Louis H. Chrispijn was asked by Maurits Binger to direct films for his company Hollandia. A TELEGRAPH FROM MEXICO was director Chrispijn ninth film, and his fifth as an actor. It was the debut of actress Esther De Boer-van Rijk.  

     Bioscope in the July 23, 1914, issue said “Delightful domestic drama by the “ Hollandia” producers. Strongly emotional and replete with very artistic settings.      

     A print of A TELEGRAPH FROM MEXICO was screened at the Silent Film Renaissance: ‘The Dutch Silent Cinema’ on December 1, 2000, in Japan.

Ref: Dutch Film Archive Database/nederlandsefilmdatabase.nl

Submitted by Michael Ferguson