''How Rastus Gets His Turkey'' is a 1910

slapstick comedy Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as ...

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

directed by

Theodore Wharton Theodore Wharton (1875–1931) was an American film director, producer and writer. He directed 48 films in the 1910s and 1920s, including the 1915 '' The New Adventures of J. Rufus Wallingford'' featuring Oliver Hardy. Biography Wharton was bo ...

. The film stars

Billy Quirk William Andrew Quirk (March 27, 1873April 20, 1926) was an American stage and silent-film actor. He performed in more than 180 films between 1909 and 1924. Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, he died in Los Angeles, California. Gem Motion Picture ...

(in

blackface Blackface is the practice of performers using burned cork, shoe polish, or theatrical makeup to portray a caricature of black people on stage or in entertainment. Scholarship on the origins or definition of blackface vary with some taking a glo ...

Edward José Edward José (5 July 1865 – 18 December 1930) was a Belgian film director and actor of the silent film, silent era. He directed 42 films between 1915 and 1925. He also performed in 12 films between 1910 and 1916.Octavia Handworth Octavia Handworth (1887–1978) was an American actress of Danish heritage during the silent film era. She was born Octavia Boas and was married to Harry Handworth (1878–1916), an actor, producer and film director who headed Excelsior Feature Fi ...

. The movie was written by José and produced and released by

Pathé Frères Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...

. The film was part of a series of comedies that featured the title character named "

Rastus Rastus is a pejorative term traditionally associated with African Americans in the United States. It is considered offensive. As a type of stock character, Rastus is meant to portray ignorance and foolishness. Similar images have appeared in adve ...

Plot

It is the day before

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory ...

, and Rastus who is without a cent to his name, has promised himself that, come what may, his wife Eliza and his daughter shall eat of a plump turkey the following day. Prowling round the local butchers he watches the stock of birds gradually dwindle without having the opportunity to take one unobserved. At last he becomes desperate, and when old George Green purchases the last bird he sees that his only chance is to take it from him by hook or by crook. Arriving home, Green takes the turkey out in the yard to kill it. While he turns away for a few minutes to sharpen his knife, Rastus puts his hand through a hole in the wooden fence and seizes the bird. The hole is not large enough to pull the bird through, but Rastus tries to do so, with the result that he pulls three of the planks of the fence out, and with his hand through these and still holding on to the turkey like grim death, he bolts for home. Green starts in pursuit, but Rastus soon gets away from him, although he has many a laughable difficulty to overcome, for his stony brain could not see that he could take the turkey in the other hand and drop the three boards. When Thanksgiving Day arrives the following morn, Rastus and his family have a great time over the dinner. :''The Moving Picture World'' (1910)

Cast

– Rastus *

– Rastus's wife

References

External links

New York Times Overview
* 1910 films Stereotypes of African Americans History of racism in the cinema of the United States Silent American comedy short films 1910 comedy films 1910 short films American black-and-white films Blackface minstrel shows and films Thanksgiving comedy films 1910s American films {{1910s-short-comedy-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links