Wilhelm Zeitz (lost footage of fatal filming accident; 1907)

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27th April 1907 issue of Cheltenham Chronicle's headline of the fatal accident.

Status: Lost

On 17th April 1907, cycle builder Wilhelm Valdemar Zeitz was involved in a short film produced by the Clarendon Film Company. Its final scene required him to lie on a train track at Stoats Nest station while an engine approached. The sequence ended in tragedy when the train hit a sleeper which struck Zeitz in the back, resulting in him passing away from a punctured lung. One of the earliest known fatal filming accidents, the entire event was captured on camera.

Background

Clarendon Film Company was forged in 1904 by Henry Vassal Lawley and Percival Stow in Croydon.[1][2] The organisation specialised in short British films; some of its most notable and surviving works included the 1908 adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Tempest and the Lieutenant Rose series.[3][4][2] In early 1907, Lawley and Stow were looking for inspiration for their next project involving a dog. There, they stumbled upon 48-year-old Wilhelm Valdemar Zeitz, a cycle producer.[5][1] Originally hailing from Germany, Zeitz and his wife Emma moved into Whitehouse Villas, not far from the Clarendon Film Company factory.[6][1] What caught Clarendon's attention was that Zeitz's Great Dane Felix had risen to local prominence by performing a series of tricks.[7][6] Clarendon was therefore interested in recording a short film starring Felix. Stow subsequently approached the Zeitz couple, with Wilhelm agreeing to participate.[1]

The film was a drama production. Its narrative began with Zeitz, who portrayed a signalman, discovering a conspiracy to derail a train using sleepers. Before he can intervene, Zeitz is ambushed by the three villains and tied up on the track. Felix arrives with Zeitz's lunch, only to discover his master's terrifying predicament. The Great Dane runs home in a bid to find human assistance. Sources conflict on what happened in this scene, as some reports stated Felix located Zeitz's wife while others claimed he saw nobody. In the inquiry over her husband's death, Emma claimed to have participated in the film.[8] Regardless, Felix rushes back to the line and spots a train fast approaching. In a last-ditch effort, Felix or Emma enters the signalbox and pulls a cord, resulting in a signal at danger. The train subsequently stops mere metres away from Zeitz. Following this, Zeitz is freed by the train's driver and stoker, while his masters and the train's occupants hail Felix for his intelligence and bravery.[5][1][6][8][7]

Clarendon planned to record the scenes at the Stoats Nest and Crane Hill station.[1][5] Opened in November 1899, Stoats Nest was named after the titular village and the Crane Hill asylum. It consisted of four platforms operated by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR).[9] Two of these provided access to sidings;[9] a week before filming, Lawley approached experienced station master John Samuel Bromley for permission to use a siding for filming purposes.[1][5][6] Though Bromley approved Lawley's proposal, it began the crucial chain of events towards the eventual tragedy, as the station master lacked official authority.[10][1] In the inquiry, LBSCR representative Mr Austin claimed his company were completely in the dark concerning the filming project.[10] Lawley and Stow were unaware of this and, satisfied they had been given the go-ahead, aimed to commence filming on 17th April 1907.[1] Production began sometime after 11 am with the scenes recorded without rehearsal.[6][1] Filming was virtually wrapped up by 12:10 pm.[1]

The Accident

The only sequence left involved the train itself approaching Zeitz. Zeitz was instructed to lie on the track and pretend the villains had knocked him out.[5][8][1] He was not restrained in any fashion.[5] In the inquiry, Bromley claimed he lacked knowledge a man was on the track and insisted he would have disallowed it ahead of time.[1][8][5][6] At 12:22 pm, the train entered the station, driven by William Podmore.[1] Podmore met up with Bromley and Stow, who explained that Clarendon wanted him to drive up to the camera and grind the train to a halt roughly 20 feet from the sleepers, pretending that he had encountered a signal at danger.[6][1][8][5] Podmore and the fireman were to be replaced by actors, so Stow opted to board the engine to provide further instructions and to ensure its crew were hidden from the camera.[1][5] Like Bromley, Podmore alleged in the inquiry that nobody had informed him of Zeitz's placement on the track.[1][5][8] The train itself began its initial slow acceleration at 12:26 pm. Lawley swiftly began recording, about 40 feet from the sleepers.[1]

As the train travelled to its destination, Stow made a critical error in judgement. He instructed Podmore to maximise the train's speed so that the film's conclusion was more exciting and dramatic.[1][8][6][5] The train accelerated to at least 10 mph,[6] which Bromley immediately realised was too fast for it to safely stop before the sleepers.[1][5] Worse still, because he was situated between the train's crew, Stow's point of view ahead was compromised as he could not access the engine's plate windows.[1] Though Podmore and the fireman had better views, they were ordered to stoop down and were exclusively looking for the camera.[1][8][5] Both claimed in the inquiry that they could not see Zeitz or the sleepers.[8][6][5] Podmore insisted he waited for Stow to give him a signal to stop, which the latter admitted he never gave.[8][6] Bromley tried his best to order the train's deceleration but was not seen upon being overtaken by the train.[1] Meanwhile, Podmore was satisfied with the engine's current speed and lacked awareness that a disaster was now inevitable.[6][1][8] With the train 40 feet away and rapidly approaching, Lawley and substitute actor and photographic enlarger Charles Gorer also recognised the impending danger and yelled at Zeitz to get out of harm's way.[1][8][10]

Zeitz attempted to dive onto the four-foot way.[8][6] Alas, it was too late; the train's guard rail collided with the sleepers.[1] It caused a sleeper to slam onto Zeitz's back, while the train itself pushed him a further 20 feet (6.6 yards) down the rail.[5][1][7] Trapped between the guard rail and the sleeper, Zeitz hit several other sleepers before the train finally became stationary.[1] None the wiser, Podmore stopped the train in line with the camera, only to be informed that he ran over someone.[6][1] He promptly accused Stow of deceiving him.[6][5] Meanwhile, Emma fainted upon witnessing the accident. Rescue efforts began promptly, with the engine reversing so that an unconscious Zeitz could be freed.[1] He was taken out on a stretcher, where a doctor administered aid to a scalp wound.[11][1] Zeitz was transferred to Croydon General Hospital, where an examination revealed he had suffered nine broken ribs and shock.[1][11][7] During the impact, a broken rib ruptured a lung.[1][7] Zeitz's injuries were ultimately unsurvivable, resulting in his death on 20th April 1907.[1][7][6]

Inquiry and Aftermath

An inquiry headed by coroner Dr Jackson was conducted two days later.[5][8][1] Taking place at Croydon General Hospital, the recorded footage was shown to a jury as evidence.[5][6] Among those who testified included Lawley, Stow, Bromley, Podmore, the fireman, Gorer and an inconsolable Emma.[1][8] Representing LBSCR was a Mr Austin, who informed the inquiry that his company had suspended all officials involved in the incident, including Bromley and Podmore.[8][10][1] Meanwhile, Clarendon representative J. H. Price expressed sympathy and insisted that the company had "generously compensated" Emma.[8] After deliberating through the evidence, Dr Jackson concluded that the proposed sequence itself would have been acceptable if appropriately handled. However, a series of miscommunications combined with the train's excessive speed caused the tragedy. The jury agreed with this, ruling that Zeitz's death was accidental.[1][5][7] Hence, despite the June 1907 issue of Popular Mechanics demand for justice over the blunders made,[12] very little appeared to actually be served.

Following this, Clarendon continued its filming operations until it was acquired by Harma in 1918.[2] Other films were notably produced at Stoats Nest station, this time without incident. Emma left Whitehouse Villas before 1907 concluded, with her and Podmore quickly falling out of the public eye. Bromley was transferred to a Sussex Weald station before he later managed Horsted Keynes.[1] Finally, the Stoats Nest station experienced a second disaster on 29th January 1910 when a train collided with a platform, killing eight and injuring at least 30 others.[13] The station itself was renamed several times, including to Coulsdon North in August 1923. It was officially closed on 4th September 1983.[9]

Zeitz's fatal accident received extensive national and international coverage, including in the United States and Australia.[14][15][16] Such was the fledgling nature of early film-making that some newspapers summarised Zeitz as a "victim of realism".[5][16] In the early 1910s, some publications discussed early filming accidents with Zeitz's commonly being cited.[17][18] This included the 25th October 1913 issue of Picturegoer which noted that Zeitz's fatal accident may well have been the first in filming history to receive mass attention and documentation.[17] Further, the 21st November 1913 issue of Daily Citizen (Manchester) claimed British railway authorities subsequently banned the usage of its trains because of Zeitz's accident.[18] Despite this, the incident fell into relative obscurity until it received comprehensive documentation from the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society in one of its newsletters. Bromley's great-grandson Alan later received permission to republish the story in full for his website All About My Father, which documented the Bromley lineage. He remarked that his great-grandfather was affected enormously by the tragedy.[1]

Availability

Aside from the Bluebell newsletter,[1] Zeitz's fatal accident has been mostly forgotten in film history. While it is known that the footage was played during the inquest,[5][6] it is unclear whether it was eventually publicly released. A few Clarendon films have survived the test of time, including (but not limited to) The Mistletoe Bough,[19] Rescued in Mid Air,[20] Willie and Tim in the Motor Car,[21] and the aforementioned The Tempest.[22] However, these appear to be rare exceptions, with 80-90% pre-1929 silent films being declared forever missing.[23][24] Ultimately, no footage nor photos from any scenes of the unfinished film are known to exist. Considering the infamy of early filmed deaths (e.g. Franz Karl Reichelt and Emily Davison),[25] it provides further evidence that Zeitz's filmed accident is missing as more attention would have been placed on the case.

Some publications detailing early film accidents also discussed a very similar occurrence.[26][27][17] In particular, Picturegoer treated it and Zeitz's accident as being two separate events.[17] In 1911, a man named Dunne was reportedly tasked to lie on a rail.[17][27] Unlike Zeitz's film, this production's narrative would witness Dunne's character being run over by the locomotive.[26] Naturally, the film company planned to record the train approaching before replacing Dunne with a lifelike dummy.[17][27] Despite a nervous driver at the controls, it appeared the locomotive would reach its intended braking point.[26] However, on the day of filming, the rails were exceptionally slippery. Therefore, despite the driver's efforts, the engine travelled much further than the filmmakers anticipated.[26][27] This caused it to run over Dunne, crushing the unfortunate actor to death.[26][27][17] According to the 17th February 1912 issue of Ovens and Murray Advertiser, the scene was actually kept in the final product and shown worldwide, as the film company paid a "big sum" of compensation to Dunne's widow. It remarked most viewers were probably not even aware that Dunne actually died on camera.[26] Like Zeitz's accident, the film featuring Dunne's death is also presumed lost.

See Also

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.38 1.39 1.40 The Bluebell Railway Preservation Society newsletter's extensive documentation of the incident (reproduced by All About My Father). Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Encyclopedia of Early Cinema summarising the history of the Clarendon Film Company (p.g. 128). Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  3. ↑ British Film Institute summarising Clarendon's adaptation of The Tempest. Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  4. ↑ British Film Institute summarising Lieutenant Rose and the Stolen Code. Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 27th April 1907 issue of Derbyshire Courier reporting on part of the inquiry into Zeitz's death (found on The British Newspaper Archive, p.g. 2). Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 27th April 1907 issue of Cheltenham Chronicle reporting on the film of the incident being played at the Croydon General Hospital for the inquiry (found on The British Newspaper Archive, p.g. 8). Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 22nd April 1907 issue of Kinematograph Weekly reporting on the fatality and summarising the proposed film's plot (found on The British Newspaper Archive, p.g. 22). Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  8. ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 23rd April 1907 issue of Morning Leader reporting on key inquiry details, including comments from Austin, Price and Emma Zeitz (found on The British Newspaper Archive, p.g. 1). Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Disused Stations summarising the history of the Stoats Nest station. Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 23rd April 1907 issue of Londonderry Sentinel briefly reporting on the incident and inquiry, and how Austin stated the LBSCR did not approve nor were aware of filming on the track (found on The British Newspaper Archive, p.g 5). Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 18th April 1907 issue of Nottingham Evening Post reporting on the incident prior to Zeitz's death, including listing his injuries (found on The British Newspaper Archive, p.g. 5). Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  12. ↑ June 1907 issue of Popular Mechanics briefly summarising the incident and calling for justice (p.g. 682). Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  13. ↑ 30th January 1910 issue of The New York Times reporting on the second Stoats Nest station disaster (p.g. 20). Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  14. ↑ 20th April 1907 issue of The Pittsburgh Press briefly reporting on the incident (found on Google Newspapers, p.g. 1). Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  15. ↑ 22nd April 1907 issue of Oneonta Daily Star briefly reporting on the incident (found on NYS Historic Newspapers, p.g. 1). Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 23rd May 1907 issue of Bendigo Advertiser briefly reporting on the incident (found on Trove, p.g. 6). Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 25th October 1913 issue of Picturegoer summarising the Zeitz and Dunne incidents in its article about fatal filming accidents (found on The British Newspaper Archive, p.g. 9). Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 21st November 1913 issue of Daily Citizen (Manchester) listing early accidents in filmmaking, including Zeitz, and claiming British railway authorities subsequently forbid the usage of its trains for film-making (found on The British Newspaper Archive, p.g. 4). Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  19. ↑ The Mistletoe Bough. Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  20. ↑ Rescued in Mid Air. Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  21. ↑ Willie and Tim in the Motor Car. Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  22. ↑ The Tempest. Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  23. ↑ Film Foundation claiming that roughly 90% of pre-1929 films are forever lost. Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  24. ↑ Deutsche Kinemathek stating roughly 80-90% of silent films are permanently missing. Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  25. ↑ Ben Beck's Website summarising early recorded death footage, including that of Franz Karl Reichelt and Emily Davison. Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 17th February 1912 issue of Ovens and Murray Advertiser summarising a filming accident involving a train (believed to be the Dunne incident) and claiming the footage was then publicly screened worldwide (found on Trove, p.g. 5). Retrieved 15th Oct '24
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 28th December 1912 issue of The Mansfield Shield summarising the Dunn train accident (found on Google Newspapers, p.g. 3). Retrieved 15th Oct '24


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