The Girl at the Throttle
The Girl at the Throttle

Movie spotlight

The Girl at the Throttle

1914
Movie
12 min
English

Helen, the telegrapher at Downing Junction, receives word that an engineer has been accidentally shot by a partridge hunter, and the runaway train will collide with the Eastbound Express. Helen jumps onto a nearby standing locomotive, opens it up full throttle, catches up the Express, warns the engineer of the impending danger

Insights

Director: UnknownGenres: Short, Drama

Plot Summary

A young woman, eager to prove herself capable in a male-dominated world, takes on the challenging role of operating a locomotive. She faces skepticism and adversity but ultimately demonstrates her skill and determination. The film highlights themes of ambition and overcoming societal expectations.

Critical Reception

As a silent short film from 1914, detailed critical reception is scarce. However, films of this era often aimed to entertain and to showcase burgeoning cinematic techniques. Its focus on a female protagonist in a non-traditional role was likely notable for its time.

What Reviewers Say

  • Rarely screened today, making specific consensus difficult to determine.

  • Representative of early 20th-century short dramas.

  • Likely appreciated for its narrative simplicity and potentially its progressive theme for the era.

Google audience: Information on Google user reviews for this film is unavailable due to its age and limited distribution.

Fun Fact

Although the director is listed as unknown, "The Girl at the Throttle" is notable for featuring a female lead in a role that was almost exclusively performed by men at the time, reflecting a nascent push for female empowerment in popular media.

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