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Title: FUNERAL OF THE GREAT LAFAYETTE, EDINBURGH

Reference number: 1620

Date: 1911

Production company: [ B.B. attributed to Bennell's Brilliants]

Sound: silent

Original format: 35mm

Colour: bw

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 1.27 mins

Description: Funeral of the Great Lafayette at Piershill Cemetery, Edinburgh. A brass band leads the funeral procession behind the horse- drawn hearse. May 14, 1911.

See also ref. 1607

See info file for contemporary newspaper accounts of the fire.
Lafayette's real name was Sigmund Neuberger. Cameraman information supplied by grand-daughter of Bryant, 2008. Bryant also worked for Gaumont and later Fox.

Additional notes from 'The Life & Times of The Great Lafayette' (Arthur Setterington, 1991): 'The band in the film is from the Empire Palace Theatre Orchestra under the direction of James Howarth (they played "Marche Funebre" by Chopin and a hymn "Days and Moments Quickly Fly".) The tall flower tribute on the grave with the words "The Last Act" was from his leading lady in the show, Lalla Selbini. This was 6 feet high by four feet.and the words were created with Forget Me Nots. As seen in photographs but NOT in the film, resting on top of the flat grave slab (just in front of the Selbini tribute) there was a large floral head of a dog made with forget Me Nots, resting on a cushion of white flowers. This was from Harry Houdini (who was not in Britain at that time). The attached card read "To the memory of my friend, The Great Lafayette, from his friend who gave him his best friend, Beauty"'.

Credits: B.B. [possibly Bennell of Glasgow's BB Pictures]
[camera attributed Albert Bryant]

Shotlist: credits - shots as horse-drawn wagon enters the gates of Piershill Cemetery, Edinburgh, with floral tribute - c/u of the floral arrangement with legend "The Last Act", from Lafayette's leading lady Lalla Selbini - brass band leads the funeral procession through the gates of the cemetery - brief shot of approaching hearse (1.27)