The Cost of Carelessness (1913) Online

THE COST OF CARELESSNESS is part of a collection entitled "American Film Archives: Vol. 3: Disc 1". The DVDs deal specifically with American short films that deal with various social issues. These are the sort of films that usually would be forgotten or lost had it not been for some film preservationists work. Now this set certainly isn't for everyone, as the content is a bit dry. However, for history teachers (like myself) and cinemaniacs (again, that would be me), it's an invaluable set. As the films are all silent, they actually are very watchable along with the optional audio commentary--which gives nice background information.

This film is a rather preachy public safety film made to teach kids about safety in the streets, as the city of Brooklyn was concerned about accidental deaths in the busy city's roads. I was sure hoping they'd show kids doing things the wrong way--with all the horrific repercussions--and thankfully there is a bit of this to scare the kids and entertain modern audiences. The streetcar running over the stickball playing kid was particularly sick and exciting--though they copped out a bit by saying that the kid miraculously survived and kept his leg (it sure looked fatal to me). However, at the end, a chauffeur pays the ultimate price in a pretty realistic looking accident.

While this film isn't one that plays as well today as it once did, it still is pretty entertaining AND a valuable portrait of this era in one of America's largest cities.

Cost of Carelessness, The (1913)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Universal made this film with the co-production of The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company and it's an early safety film warning kids not to play in the streets or jumping on trolley cars. The second part of the fifteen-minute short talks to adults about bad driving and other dangerous habits. As with the legendary traffic safety films of the 1950s, this one here is pretty simple in its message but it doesn't come off quite as campy as some of the later films. I was shocked to see how graphic some of the violence was including one scene where a kid gets ran over by a trolley. You pretty much see his entire body get crushed yet you won't believe the outcome. The film starts to get tiresome towards the end but if you're a fan of this type of movie then this one here is worth checking out.