The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (1895)

Film Record

The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots

Country: United States
Release: 28 AUG 1895
Runtime: 1 min
Original Language: English

Community Rating

★★★★★

0 up · 0 down

A short film depicting the execution of Mary, Queen of the Scots. Mary is brought to the execution block and made to kneel down with her neck over it. The executioner lifts his axe ready to bring it down. After that frame Mary has been replaced by a dummy. The axe comes down and severs the head of the dummy from the body. The executioner picks up the head and shows it around for everyone else to see. One of the first camera tricks to be used in a movie.

Why It's Here

A film this short still manages to reveal one of cinema’s defining powers. The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots is an early proof that editing can create an impossible event, not just record one. It is also one of the earliest films to dramatize a historical event, turning recorded history into staged screen illusion.

What to Watch For: The substitution splice, or stop trick. Watch the executioner raise his axe. The filmmaker stops the camera, replaces the performer with a dummy, and resumes filming before the axe falls. This hidden cut is one of the earliest foundations of cinematic visual effects.

Behind The Scenes

No behind-the-scenes images have been published yet.

The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots

Behind The Scenes

More from the 1890s

The Dreyfus Affair

King John

La Fée aux Choux

Fred Ott's Sneeze