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This touching little tale is rather less elaborate in terms of special effects than the other films that W.R. Booth and R.W. Paul made the same year (The Haunted Curiosity Shop and The Magic Sword being good examples), but it provides an excellent illustration of how effects used sparingly can often have more impact, especially when set in a suitable emotional context. Here, a young girl somewhat reminiscent of Dickens' Little Nell is confined to her bed, unable to attend a conjuring display that's much enjoyed by her brother. But the conjuror, when he hears of her situation, spirits himself to her bedroom, and festoons her with flowers and food. In contrast to many of Booth and Paul's other films, the effects here are very simple, relying almost entirely on jump cuts to create the illusion of transformation (objects out of thin air, boy into umbrella, parents into tray-bearing uniformed waiters) , though there is also an imaginative scene transition based around a spinning, opened umbrella. Michael Brooke *This film is included in the BFI DVD compilation 'R.W. Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908', with music by Stephen Horne and optional commentary by Ian Christie.
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Complete film (1:15)
