The Kleptomaniac (1905)

US 8m, Silent, B&W
Director: Edwin S. Porter; Cast: Aline Boyd, Phineas Nairs, Jane Stewart, George Voijere, Ann Eggleston, William S. Rising

The crimes of two women, one wealthy and one poor are juxtaposed in two parallel stories which form a simple, but effective social commentary. The Kleptomaniac is one of the earliest examples of film being used for more than simple entertainment. In this short production, Porter suggests that justice is blind when the rich woman is set free after shoplifting, and the poor woman is punished for simply stealing a loaf of bread to feed her hungry family. These themes of injustice and poverty would become the mainstay of “message” films by later film makers, most notably D.W. Griffith (Klaus Ming December 2011).