Still from The African Prince. Image via Chicago Film Archives
United States
00:51:36
16mm
Colour
Silent
"Silent film set in a small African village. The King takes his young son, the Prince, on a journey to teach him lessons on how to be a great leader by showing appreciation and care for the people they rule. The King guides the Prince to help care for the ill suffering from leprosy, learn skills like farming the land, making clothing and building shelter, and enrolls him in school to get an education and learn religion. The film shows many skills and medical processes of African villagers in detail from start to finish." Chicago Film Archives
Part of the Julian Gromer collection held by Chicago Film Archives
Julian Gromer Collection, Chicago Film Archives
"00:15 - Title, PAN rocky dry mountains of African landscape, VS King and young Prince w/ followers walk into a village of straw huts, villagers bow low to greet them 02:54 - MS two women sweep debris from dirt floor in hut, set up large mortar and pestle, CU dried branches of plants, MS women grinding down plants, CU picking branches out, gathers ground substance into bowl 04:45 - MS woman repeatedly pours substance from one bowl to another as she walks, looses some dust to the wind, CU grinding plants into flour 05:32 - MS women gather water from well in ground with bucket, fill bowls, carry bowls on shoulders to dump into a vase inside hut 06:25 - VS woman and boy start a fire, prepare meal over fire 09:57 - PAN woman and boy bring bowls of food to their royal guests, VS they gather in circle and all eat together with hands 11:45 - MS sit and talk after eating, walk into hut and shake hands with villagers, MS two men wash their feet, royalty kiss the ground in prayer, King and Prince enter hut, two men sit outside of door all night as it becomes dark, King and Prince leave in the middle of the night 13:43 - King and Prince go on journey together, visit “Garkida Leper Colony” to help people get medical attention, VS boy w/ leprosy getting a checkup, doctors test skin sample under microscope 20:26 - MS boys w/ leprosy line up for inspection by doctor, receive a shot and sent home 22:25 - King brings Prince to village to help work in fields, gather brush for bonfire, herd cattle 25:01 - VS two white visitors hand out food to children and Prince 26:09 - MS Prince reluctantly attends school/religious service, refuses to participate 27:27 - men and women march carrying flags, Prince looks on 29:37 - MS Prince learns how to spin cotton, knit, weave with a loom, sew 31:34 - PAN MS men in group beat plants dry to make rope for straw huts, MS teach Prince to make rope, thatch straw 33:03 - CU making clay pot, MS finished clay pots, Prince paints design on bowl 34:26 - MS woman tying sticks together, man weaving straw, children playing game with pebbles w/ holes in dirt 35:43 - VS Prince visits market to buy vegetables and meat, learns how to give a haircut 38:45 - VS villagers line up for shots, Prince helps w/ medical checkups 41:33 - time lapse CU orchid flower blossoming 41:59 - MS, CU Prince doing math on chalkboard in classroom 43:17 - MS man playing drum, MLS young boys playfully dancing in a circle 45:02 - MS down a row of women clapping hands together 45:25 - MLS boys lined up in uniform doing exercises directed by a white man 46:21 - CU man leading people in song, PAN people singing, CU man playing stringed instrument with bow 47:26 - CU African man [grown Prince ?] and white man talking, they visit lepers to preach and pray w/ them 50:20-51:36 - African preacher shakes hands with white man and woman, says farewell" Viewing notes by Chicago Film Archives
Amateur Cinema