Released: July 1913

Directed by: Lois Weber, Phillips Smalley.

Cast: Lois Weber, Valantine Paul, Sam Kaufman, Douglas Gerrard, and Lule Warrenton as the Maid.

First time viewing.

Suspense has everything you could want in a thriller. Tension, jeopardy, a villain without a conscience, a young mother in life threatening danger, a desperate husband trying to save his wife and baby, a car chase, trigger happy cops, sinister camera angles, nail-biting pacing, justice, a happy ending, and a maid who quits because she’s bored. And it’s only 11 minutes long.

 In 1913, narrative storytelling in film was barely a decade old and filmmakers were still experimenting with structure, format, and technique. Although we’ll likely never know who made the first true narrative thriller, Suspense hits the bullseye.

Written, co-directed and starring Lois Webber, Suspense presents themes and set pieces that haven’t changed in 111 years and continue to thrill audiences.

A young mother (Lois Weber) is home taking care of her baby. Meanwhile, her husband (Valantine Paul) toils at a desk job in the big city. Unknown to the young mother the Maid (Lule Warrenton) quits, leaving a note stating she can no longer work in such a lonesome home. Well that’s pretty cold and selfish, but at least she leaves the key under the mat on the back porch.

A Tramp (Sam Kaufman) is lurking about and starts peaking in the windows. He finds the key under the mat. The young mother, now aware of the danger, frantically calls her husband. The Husband springs into action, stealing a car in order to rescue his wife. Pursued by the cops, the Husband tears through the countryside. Meanwhile, the Tramp has broken into the house. He finds some food, and enjoys a bite. However, it’s obvious he wants to see what other treasures he might be able to find.

With the pedal to the floor, the Husband is outrunning the cops and hits a pedestrian. Fortunately, the pedestrian is okay. The cops, however, are catching up. Back at the house, the Tramp, armed with a knife, is creeping up the stairs. The Young Mother is barricading herself and her child in the bedroom.

The cops have caught up to the husband, and one of the cops tries to leap onto the stolen car. He fails as the Husband pulls away. At the house, the Tramp is breaking down the door, and moving the dresser blocking the door. The Husband arrives at the house, with the cops on his tail, guns blazing.

The Tramp, hearing the shots tries to flee, only to find himself in the long arms of the law. Reunited, the young family is safe. Realizing what the Husband was doing, the owner of the stolen car doesn’t press charges. The cops leave the young family relieved that everyone is safe. The end.

Suspense likely thrilled audiences in 1913. Although it’s antiquated today, Suspense still manages to draw you in to the Young Wife’s’ peril. Today the scenario of Suspense would be a sequence of a feature length film. Indeed, all of the film’s elements can be found throughout film history. How many times have we seen a parent and child threatened by creeps, while the other parent is helpless, or must resort to drastic measures. Who can forget Gene Hackman in The French Connection, stealing some poor guy’s car out from under him so he can recklessly chase after Frog Two, who’s just murdered a young mother. It goes on and on.

I have seen a couple of other silent thrillers from this time period, most notably D.W. Griffith’s An Unseen Enemy (1912). With a somewhat improbable, impractical situation, Griffith’s film is awkwardly paced. An intruder poking a revolver through a hole, threatening the Gish sisters. Neither being able to see the face of one another. Seems like an easily escapable situation. Suspense on the other hand, is a proper, beginning, middle and an end, structure. And is reasonably plausible.

Suspense also features what possibly might be innovations in film, such as striking camera angles, split screen, and a car mounted camera. There is also a striking scene shot from the stolen car where you see the pursuing car in the rear-view mirror. Foreshadowing Bullitt?

For any film enthusiast, Suspense is a treat. Especially when all you associate with silent cinema of the 1910s is The Keystone Kops. No disrespect to The Keystone Kops, but Suspense is a serious cinema evolution.

Suspense is streaming on the Criterion Channel and can be found on the YouTube.