13173_27548_scared
1920
This clip contains footage of a home’s black help being frightened by what they believe are ghosts.Begins with the butler calling the rest of the help into the room. They all come running in and the butler tells the ghost story the uncle just told him. There is an intertitle using improper grammar and annunciation representing the butler’s speech. CU of several faces looking scared. The little boy jumps and grabs on to the butler’s leg. The butler jumps and pulls the boy off. Cuts to their legs all shaking in unison. Cuts to the couple arriving in their car in the rain. CU of them covering themselves with an umbrella as rain pours down on them. They scramble out of the car and run towards the house. Cuts to the help standing in the sitting room looking afraid, one man points and a woman covered in a white sheet walks up the stairs. The help all run in different directions except for the butler who jumps and taps his feet in place. As the husband attempts to enter the house members of the help scramble to leave and continually run into him, causing him to slip and fall on top of the stairs, the wife helps him to his feet and they walk inside. Cuts to the butler still marching in place, the husband taps his shoulder but the butler continues marching, the husband tries to get the butler to stand still which he does when the husband’s arms are around him. MCU of the 2 talking, the husband’s hand grips his coat. CU of the wife looking around apprehensively. The husband and butler continue arguing and the husband explains with an intertitle: “I don’t believe in ghosts.”MS of the butler, husband and wife in the entryway, the table next to them begins moving and the butler takes off. The husband and wife slowly back into another room while the table follows them. Cuts to the butler frantically running, he passes a room, backs up and runs into the room. Cuts to the couple in the kitchen as the table follows them, the little boy pokes his head out from the tablecloth. CU of the boy’s face. The husband pulls off the tablecloth and the couple laughs. The little boy grabs the husband’s arm scaring him. CU of the couple laughing again before looking about them nervously.