| A New Trick | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | D. W. Griffith |
Production company | |
Release date |
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Running time | 2 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent |
A New Trick is asilent Americancrime comedy film directed and written byD. W. Griffith, released in 1909.[1] A production ofBiograph Company, the short film was distributed as asplit reel withThe Lonely Villa.[2][3][4] Shot inEdgewater, New Jersey, the film starredMarion Leonard,Mack Sennett,Herbert Prior, andArthur V. Johnson.[5]
A 1909 article inThe Monroe News-Star calledA New Trick "one of the cleverest bits of comedy Biograph has yet turned out", describing it as "short and snappy".[6]
A woman walking in a park loses her wallet. A young man picks it up and refutes the woman's claim that he has the wallet. Two young men come by and promise they would help the woman regain her wallet. The two young men quickly arrange red paint and a knife. Using a shortcut in the park, they get in front of the thief and one of the boys lies on the ground with a paint-smeared knife. The other calls for help and hides. When the thief comes running and reaches the scene of the alleged murder, the second boy jumps out of hiding and accuses the thief of being the murderer. This forces the thief to empty his pockets; the stolen wallet comes to light and can be returned to its owner.[7]