''A Chess Dispute'' is a 1903 British short

black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...

silent

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

, directed by

Robert W. Paul Robert William Paul (3 October 1869 – 28 March 1943) was an English pioneer of film and scientific instrument maker. He made narrative films as early as April 1895, which were shown first in Edison Kinetoscope knockoffs. In 1896 he showe ...

, starring

Alf Collins Alfred Collins (Walworth, 19 June 1866 – 20 December 1951 Clapham) was a British theatre actor who later became a silent film director and actor. His shorts include ''Rescued by Lifeboat'' (1906), ''The Lady Athlete; or, Jiu-Jitsu Downs the Fo ...

. It is included on the BFI DVD ''R. W. Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908''.

Release

The film was released on 31 August 1903.

Plot

The movies depicts a stationary camera which looks on as two dapper gents play a game of

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

. One drinks and smokes, and when he looks away, his opponent moves two pieces. A comedic fight ensues, first with the squirting of a

soda siphon Soda or SODA may refer to: *Soft drink, a sweetened, carbonated, and usually flavored drink Chemistry * Some chemical compounds containing sodium ** Sodium carbonate, washing soda or soda ash ** Sodium bicarbonate, baking soda ** Sodium ...

, then with each punching the other. The opponents wrestle each other to the floor and continue the fight out of the camera's view, hidden by the table. The waiter then arrives to haul them out of the hotel.

References

External links

* British black-and-white films Films about chess 1903 comedy films 1903 films 1903 short films 1903 in chess Films directed by Robert W. Paul Silent British comedy short films {{1900s-UK-film-stub