A Quick Shave and Brush-up | 1900 | Comedy, Short

Title: A Quick Shave and Brush-up | 1900 | Comedy, Short Director: George Albert Smith Studio: G.A. Smith Starring: Tom Green Runtime: 1 minute Format: Silent; black-and-white Country: United Kingdom Language: Silent Genres: Comedy, Short --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Morning shave begins 00:00:15 Lather and first strokes 00:00:30 Razor frustration 00:00:45 Finishing touches 00:01:00 Ready to face the day --- Summary: A Victorian gentleman undertakes his morning toilette, struggling through a shave with a straight razor that seems determined to resist him. Shot as a single, intimate view of the face and upper torso, the film builds humor from contorted expressions, exaggerated effort, and the everyday ritual of grooming. The piece exemplifies early cinema’s fascination with performance directed to camera, presenting a concise sketch whose comedy rests on physicality and the novelty of seeing such detail enlarged on screen. --- Background: Made by Brighton-based pioneer George Albert Smith, the film belongs to a cycle of “facial” shorts showcasing comedian Tom Green pulling expressions for the camera. Produced at the turn of the twentieth century, it reflects the era’s shift toward closer framing and the use of simple domestic actions as subjects for screen amusement. --- Trivia: Tom Green was a frequent collaborator with George Albert Smith and appears in other “facial” films such as Old Man Drinking a Glass of Beer . The film’s tight framing highlights a straight razor shave, offering a rare contemporary record of a common Edwardian grooming routine. BFI presents the title as a one-minute silent comedy, crediting G.A. Smith as director and listing Tom Green as the featured performer. The film’s humor comes from facial contortions and timing rather than intertitles, a hallmark of many very early British comedies. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: 1900 Original Studio / Distributor: G.A. Smith Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: No --- Hashtags: AQuickShaveAndBrushUp GeorgeAlbertSmith TomGreen SilentFilm BritishCinema 1900s PublicDomain EarlyCinema This video was sourced from Internet Archive. Originally uploaded by George Albert Smith. https://archive.org/details/a-quick-shave-and-brush-up-1900-directed-by-george-albert-smith