Robetta and Doretto, [no. 2] | 1894 | Comedy, Short

Title: Robetta and Doretto, [no. 2] | 1894 | Comedy, Short Director: William K. L. Dickson Studio: Edison Manufacturing Co. Starring: Phil Doretto, Robetta Based on: Robetta and Doretto’s vaudeville “Chinese laundry” act Release Date: 1894 Runtime: 0.35 Format: 35mm, black-and-white, silent, Kinetoscope, 1.33:1 Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Comedy, Short, Vaudeville --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Setup at the laundry 00:00:05 Doorway business 00:00:12 Policeman intervenes 00:00:18 Chase and exit --- Summary: Two vaudevillians perform a brisk “Chinese laundry” skit, darting in and out of a small shed as a policeman gives chase. The action relies on rapid entrances, exits, and simple slapstick to deliver a compact gag. Presented as a single-shot tableau for the Kinetoscope, the film distills a popular stage routine into a few seconds of motion, emphasizing physical humor and clear sight gags over narrative complexity. --- Background: Filmed around November 26, 1894, at Edison’s Black Maria studio in West Orange, New Jersey, this short was photographed by William Heise and produced under William K. L. Dickson for the Edison Manufacturing Co. Marketed for Kinetoscope peepshow exhibition and listed by Maguire & Baucus as “Chinese laundry,” it survives from a strip of roughly 40 feet of 35mm film, typical of Edison’s filmed vaudeville subjects of the period. --- Trivia: Also known as Chinese Laundry Scene and Fun in a Chinese Laundry. The performers are the vaudeville duo Robetta and Phil Doretto . The surviving running time is about 21 seconds at 30 frames per second. Shot as a single, static view in the Black Maria, using a minimal two-door shed set. Prints are preserved at the Library of Congress and the Museum of Modern Art. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: 1894 Original Studio / Distributor: Edison Manufacturing Co. / Maguire & Baucus Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: No --- Hashtags: PublicDomain SilentFilm Edison 1894 Vaudeville ShortFilm LibraryOfCongress Source page: https: //www.loc.gov/item/00694137/ Direct media URL: https: //tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/mbrs/ntscrm/00180338/00180338.mp4