The Airship Destroyer - Cracked Jewel

Steam punk? In its time, 1909, the Airship Destroyer was hard science. Walter R. Booth, director and writer, had been a magician before turning to the camera, and brought all of his tricks with him, plus working with the tricks possible with a camera, including forced perspective. The movie is astonishing. Heavier than air craft, airplanes, and automobiles were just coming into use, Booth took them further: placing weaponry on the aircraft (very dishonorable in 1909!), armoring the car, and adding a radio control to his flying torpedo. Many of the scenes are simply painted sets, but get a look at them. I'd swear that was an oscilloscope on the ground in the workshop! Glass tubes and big mechanical switches, circuit boxes, it's all carefully painted in. Booth also pioneered another science fiction convention: the romantic sub plot. So if you're wondering what is going on with the inventor and his girl, they get into a little tiff, make up, go see Dad, Dad sends the inventor off, and then - Invaders from another country (hm, wonder which he meant) attack! This is part of a trio of films in the same vein, this particular film was taken from the Internet Archive. "The Aerial Submarine" and "The Aerial Anarchists", well, one copy of "Submarine" is said to be in a British film archive, but not distributed, and the "Anarchists" seems to be lost. Since "Destroyer" was sold in the 1950s on 8mm for home viewing, there is hope the other two could surface! The music is an interesting Flying Monkeys offering. Spare, strange, a patter of beat from a cardboard box, a handful of bits and pieces - it shines, it fumbles, it turns around, it hesitates and moves on - it truly is a cracked jewel. You'll hear themes from "Jewel City" and "Moonbeams" both, performed on the Roland GR 20 guitar synth, and the oddly dark tap of the box. It's very odd, and it fit the movie so well, I have to say, no they weren't watching it when they played. Also, as Mike moves onto rhythm instruments, expect the unexpected and unique. You can get the movie at the Internet Archive. Some Rights Reserved. Welcome to Route 66

» View the original video «

YouTube | January 9, 2009

Tags:. .dishonorable. .airship. .weaponry. .torpedo. .tiff