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Title: FOURTH IN HAND: A Fantasy of the Card Table

Reference number: 1949

Date: 1935 - 1936

Director: filmed by Meteor Film Producing Society

Sponsor: Columbia University, University Extension, Division of Film Study.

Sound: silent

Original format: 16mm

Colour: bw

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 14.00 mins

Description: A bridge party invite a mysterious stranger to make up a fourth at their table, only to be unpleasantly surprised by his card tricks. When their fourth player arrives late, the strange interloper disappears, leaving an oddly familiar Joker in his place.

Exhibited at the International Amateur Movie Show and the Scottish Amateur Film Festival, 1937.

See paper archives file for production stills and references to the Meteor Film Society.

Credits: [film-makers include Stanley L. Russell]
cast Fred W. Connor Jr., A.L. McManus, Catherine Fletcher, Maisie McDonald, James C. Hastie, Pearl Colquhoun & James Keddie

Shotlist: Credits (0.50) Adamson Brown & Co Diamond Merchants ints. office, two men examine diamonds; the older rises to leave "Remember- I'm expecting you, and your mother and fiancee at the Club to-night, for that game of bridge" "Yes, rather, I'm looking forward to it-mother will bring Maisie- we'll all be there, prompt at eight" (2.44) exts. Club; ints. older man reading a newspaper; c/u clock showing a little after eight; mother and Maisie arrive, as time passes they wonder where Freddie is; c/u clock moving to 8:25; party look bored (5.08) "Let's start without him. Bring the cards" attendant brings cards; older man shuffles the deck, dropping the Joker; attendant brings a newspaper to an apparently invisible guest (6.34) "Couldn't you ask him to make up a fourth?" older man invites the stranger to join them; the stranger shuffles the cards and spreads them on the table (7.45) the older man picks the one of diamonds; fantasy sequence where young man steals his diamonds and escapes to sell them in Amsterdam (10.05) blank (10.38) c/u bow of ship; labelled suitcase; shifty young man enters Diamand Slijperij; older man stares at card (14.29) mother chooses the nine of spades; young man leaves the office; he is met on a street by a man in a sports car; tracking shot car in city; accelerating in country lane, intercut with spade slipping off wheelbarrow (13.03) shots of wrecked car, son lying dead beneath it; c/u spade (13.37) mother replaces card looking horrified; girl draws the Queen of hearts (13.59) young man takes phone call from a blonde with heart-stitched shoes; (15.24) the pair tryst over tea; c/u poster advertising Paris by air; c/u pair of empty shoes beside a closing door. Maisie looks livid; stranger laughs (16.32) stranger collects the cards and returns them to the older man; stranger laughs evilly, intercut with looks of shocked recognition from the other three (16.53) c/u clock; young man arrives "When I went home to change"; shots of his struggles to tie his bow tie, snapping it, sewing it back together "Sorry to keep you waiting" (19.28) the group look for the stranger, who has disappeared; c/u Joker [which bears the caricature of the stranger]. The End (20.18)