He_who_lurks Notice I didn't say athlete. That's because this guy here really isn't an athlete. None of what he's doing is fascinating or remarkable in any way. All he's doing is assuming a lot of positions while holding a wand. But, as uninteresting as this film is, there's a bit of humor as well. A dog is sleeping at the side of the screen and at the end lifts his/her head, wondering how much more boring the guy could get. Slightly dull but remember you're seeing a film from over a hundred years ago. This isn't to be sneezed at despite the fact that the Edison Company made more interesting film. Not watchable by today's standards but film buffs should see it because of the historical significance.

kobe1413 W.K.L. Dickson films another "performer". This unnamed "athlete" steps left, right, and towards the camera, while moving a "wand" in basic movements.Not sure what to make of this strange presentation from Dickson and Edison. The guys movements are not what one would call athletic. For examples of athletes around the turn-of-the-century, watch Dickson's "Sandow" and "Hadj Cheriff", both from 1894. Those performers show real physical aptitude, while the "athlete" from this film is upstaged by the dog in the lower right. Why the dog is there, no one knows. Such were the crazy days in cinema's first year.

Michael_Elliott Athlete With Wand (1894) The title is pretty much what you get in this Edison film. This is a rather interesting film on many levels because of the history behind it. I'm not sure if the athlete has ever been identified but he certainly doesn't get to show off his talents, if he even had any. Pretty much the man just stands in the center of the frame and moves his arms and legs into various positions while holding a wand in both hands. The point of this? I'm really not sure but it's interesting to note that Dickson keeps the actor in the center of the frame apparently thinking this is where people are going to be looking. If you're eyes are centered on the center of the frame then you're going to miss the best moments and that's the dog sitting on the floor, looking at the athlete with a face, like the viewer, wondering what the hell the guy is doing. The dog itself makes this worth viewing not only for history but for pure entertainment.

Snow Leopard This brief footage provides a glimpse into a developmental stage of early cinema, in that it preserves what was understood to be a practice feature made by the Edison Company, in preparation for filming some popular acts in their 'Black Maria' studio. The material itself is largely bland, but it contains a dash of ironic humor, whether it was intentional or not.The focus here is on a gymnast who does a brief, very simple routine using a wand or short staff, which he holds as he takes up various positions using his arms and legs. The point of the movie was not the gymnastic routine, which in itself is neither difficult or interesting. Rather, this footage allowed W.K.L Dickson and the other Edison film-makers to gain experience in the studio before filming the strongman Sandow (which they did shortly after making this) and other popular acts. Filming a moving performer helped them in judging how much movement the subject could make without leaving the camera field, and also with other such considerations that did not apply to still photography.Besides its main purpose, it has one humorous detail, in the dog lounging in the corner of the foreground. It's quite possible that the dog was placed there solely as a practical measure, to see how well the camera captured movements at the edges of the camera field. But it's also rather amusing to watch the dog and to see its reaction to the activities of the gymnast and the camera crew. Whether intentional or not, it adds a touch of humor to a movie that already holds some historical interest.