User:Semajdonnelly/sandbox

Braving Blazes Release Date: January 8, 1917 Black Diamond Comedy United States Motion Picture Corporation Wilkes-Barre P.A.

Synopsis written when the film came out: The story tells about “The Swede” and The Ted. “The Swede” sweeps the streets and The Tad drives a dump cart. While talking one day the fire department runs past and they envy the firemen. They stop the pollutant boss and ask him to get them jobs with the fire department. He tells them to stick to their jobs. During the noon hour they sit in the rear of the dump cart and share the contents of their lunch pails. As they sit back and enjoy a smoke, their imaginations show them as fire chiefs surrounded by busy firemen. A political friend dashed up and informs them about an independent fire league and wants them to take charge of it. They are delighted and are taken to the new firehouse. They are introduced to the firemen and at once take charge. They put the firemen to work at once and keep everything humming. The chief orders a fire drill after which all grab the pole and slide up to their dormitory. There the firemen all undress in order. The helmets all come off at one count and are thrown across all their respected pegs on top of another. The shows follow and are thrown into a corner where they arrange themselves in a row. The firemen jump backwards into bed and are automatically covered up. The chief and his assistant retire to their own bedrooms where they undress, and their clothes on a rack. In the night the fire-gong awakes the firemen who turn to a row of push buttons. They push No.1 and the bedclothes fly off. No.2 and the shoes fly out of the corner on to their feet. No.3 tips the bed and lands the firemen on the floor. On pushing No.4 their helmets fly off the pegs on to their heads. No.5 lines them all at attention. The chief starts for the door. As they pass the clothes rack they appear on the other side fully clothed. They dash out of the dormitory and all slide down the pole. The Horses are quickly harnessed and all start for the fire. The chief in a dinky roadster, the other on the fire engine, while the horse cart, pulled by dried up little firemen speeds up and passes the engine, up behind the chiefs auto and jumps over it. At the fire they have many difficulties and finally seeing a girl at the fourth story window with the flames shooting out around her, they lasso her and pull her to the ground. She “bawls them out” and the boys decide that their methods at rescuing are wrong. Another girl appears at an upper window. The chief orders his men to ploy the hose under her window. He pumps the stream and slides up to the window, gets the girl and prepares to slide down again when the hose breaks. With his arm around the girl and struggling against the flames to be awoken to find himself in the dump cart with his arms around the street sweeper. He retells his dream and finishes by saying “I don’t want to be a fireman” and they start for their afternoon shifts.