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A Sound Sleeper
(1909) United States of America
B&W : Split-reel / 214 feet
Directed by D.W. Griffith
Cast: Anthony O’Sullivan [Somniferous Sam, the tramp], Mack Sennett [the gentleman], Anita Hendrie [the first woman], Florence Lawrence [the second woman], Owen Moore [a policeman], Robert Harron [a man in the fight], Arthur V. Johnson [a man in the fight], Herbert Prior [a man in the fight], [?] John R. Cumpson?, [?] Flora Finch?, [?] William A. Quirk (Billy Quirk)?
American Mutoscope & Biograph Company production; distributed by American Mutoscope & Biograph Company. / Scenario by [?] D.W. Griffith? Cinematography by G.W. Bitzer and Arthur Marvin. / © 8 April 1909 by American Mutoscope & Biograph Company [H125502]. Released 12 April 1909; in a split-reel with The Winning Coat (1909). / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Comedy.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Somniferous Sam, a knight of the road, otherwise tramp, possessed auto-soporiferous qualities that beat Rip Van Winkle to a frazzle. When he fell asleep, which was often, an earthquake or cyclone couldn't arouse him. Our introduction to the gentleman occurs when we see him seized with this lethargic torpescence approaching and tying down upon the soft side of a hemlock plank. Shortly after a fight between a mob of roughs, who sprawl and tumble all over him, but he simply snores forth that beautiful nocturne “Please go 'way and let me sleep.” He finally gets up and makes his way to a large barrel labeled “ashes.” In he crawls and sleeps, and is soon buried in ashes contributed by the house wives of the neighborhood still he sleeps. A cart backs up and carries the' barrel to the dump, where he and ashes are deposited; still he sleeps. Having completed his devotions at the shrine of Morpheus he gets up, brushes his clothes with a pocket whisk, and saunters off.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 17 December 2024.
References: Barry-Griffith p. 41; Spehr-American p. 3 : Website-AFI; Website-IMDb.
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