Original subtitles

Now, for our story.

Have you ever seen a contraption like this?

Can you guess what it did?

Well, unless you're a buff on the history of photography,

the answer to both questions is probably "no."

It's called a "zoopraxiscope,"

and it played a major role

in the creation of a great industry,

at a turning point in the life of the man

who put it together, way back in 1872.

You'll see it work in this strange, true story

of a bet that was made and won in San Francisco.

We call it...

"The $25,000 wager."

[Horse snorts]

Flora? I thought it was you.

Oh, hello, Frederick.

Flora, please!

Mr. Muybridge is taking my picture.

Who?

You buffoon.

Swing by your tail for a while.

Frederick.

Don't talk to him that way.

He's asked me to marry him.

So has every man in San Francisco

with good eyes,

including me.

Well, I've accepted him.

Flora.

You can't.

Look at this.

And this.

These are diamonds, real diamonds.

I can buy them for you. I want to.

You'll be back in society.

Back? I was never in society.

Sure you were.

When George died, I was out. Where were all those friends?

The ones who never missed our parties?

I didn't drop them. They dropped me.

I've had my fill of society. I want to be with people.

But him? He's not people.

Even tries to look like a fool.

He has his reasons.

For wearing those clothes? For wearing those whiskers?

I said he has his reasons, and they're good enough for me.

Flora, I'm ready.

Well, I'm not.

I've got it!

Frederick, please go.

Not till you promise not to marry him.

Not till you talk to me.

I thought the clowns left with the circus.

The lady asked you to go.

She doesn't really want me to go.

I do.

Now, leave or--

or what?

Oh, Eadweard!

Eadweard, hurry.

When the Governor gets here, let him wait.

It'll help him to remember me.

Uh, darling, Governor Leland Stanford is here.

Won't you sit down? He'll be right with you.

Thank you.

Sugar? No, thank you.

I've never heard the name "Eadweard."

Is he Welsh?

No, my husband made it up.

When he came to this country from england,

his name was James Edward Muggeridge.

Nothing wrong with that.

Well, he wanted something different,

something people would remember.

You see, he feels he has to make good in a hurry.

For the past hundred years, all the men in his family

have died young.

Doesn't mean that he will.

No, but he wants to make sure

he has time to do something important.

And he will.

He has a hundred ideas for making better cameras.

Well, he feels that if people remember him,

if he becomes famous,

he can charge higher fees, close the studio,

and work on those ideas.

He'll do it, too.

I'm sure he will.

I gather my new coat startles you.

Your wife was just telling me

you want to stand out from the crowd.

I'm not in the crowd, Governor.

My husband is the world's greatest photographer.

I'll agree to that.

I saw the pictures you took in Alaska and at Yosemite.

That's not enough.

I've got to do something that no one else has ever done.

Big, important,

unforgettable.

Well, with the drive that you've got inside of you,

and this lovely lady to help you,

you might make it.

Meanwhile, why haven't you answered

my letters about taking

some pictures of my horse Occident?

People have seen lots of horses.

Not like Occident.

He's not just a horse.

He's the greatest trotting horse on earth.

He deserves to have his pictures taken

by the world's greatest photographer.

Oh. [Chuckles]

No wonder they elected you Governor.

[Chuckles] I'll think about it.

No time for that.

I'm leaving for Sacramento tonight

to see my horse Occident race against Silver King.

Silver King?

That's Frederick MacCrellish's horse.

MacCrellish? Is he a friend of yours?

On the contrary. Friend of yours?

Oh. On the contrary.

I'll take Occident's picture on one condition.

You name it.

That he beats Fred MacCrellish.

[Chuckles] I mean, Silver King.

Occident looks ready.

He is beautiful.

Hey, Flora!

And my old sparring partner. How are you, buddy?

Come on over and sit with the owner of the winner.

We are sitting with him.

Put your money where your mouth is.

Come on. You like Occident?

Bet on him. How much?

How about you, Governor? A little man-to-man wager?

Say, $5,000?

I bet on people, not horses.

[Man] There they go.

That's driving him, Charlie!

Let him go!

Look at that Silver King. Look at him go.

Come on, Occident!

It's a cakewalk, Charlie!

A cakewalk!

Hey, Governor,

when's your animal start running?

Drive him, Charlie! Drive him!

All the way, Charlie! All the way!

Here comes Occident.

Hang on, Charlie!

Come on! Come on!

Ya-hoo!

That was wonderful. Congratulations, Governor.

Occident deserves them, not me.

He's a magnificent animal.

Remember, you've got to take his picture.

I will.

Now, this is gonna be an important picture.

People will remember it, if you can catch that vigor,

that animal vitality occident had,

coming down the stretch.

He was flying.

Sure. He has wings.

His feet never touched the ground.

There are times when they don't.

What holds them up?

I told you he was a nut.

Muybridge, I believe you're right.

Okay.

You say you bet on people. Prove it.

I say he's wrong.

Let's make it interesting.

I've got $25,000 that also says...

You're both wrong.

Can you take a picture of Occident

with all his hooves off the ground?

Maybe.

Now, it all depends on--

come on, Stanford.

Let's put up or shut up.

Mr. MacCrellish, I do bet on people.

You have a wager.

Everything in order?

Almost. Good.

You know, every time I come to Palo Alto, this farm,

I'm tempted to move my office down here.

[Door opens]

Hold this, please.

Ready, Flora.

[Horse neighs]

Give him his head!

Let him run himself tired!

Muybridge, you can't scare a horse like that, not my horse.

I'm sorry, Governor, but I need that much light.

Get it some other way.

Governor, he's only trying to win your bet for you.

[Horse neighs in distance]

You're right, Mrs. Muybridge. I apologize to both of you.

He'll be right out.

Fine.

He'd better not be later than 3:00.

That's the deadline. Two minutes from now.

Well, Eadweard's been working on it for a whole month.

A minute or two more can't make any difference.

It will to him.

$25,000 worth.

I see that picture by 3:00.

We got it! We got it!

Congratulations!

Thank you.

You'll be remembered for this!

Why, you've not only built a better, faster camera,

you've shaken the entire world of art!

Really? Why, of course!

Every artist, even The Great Meissonier in Paris,

paints horses wrong.

Why, you've done something really important.

You've added knowledge to the world.

Well, are you willing to admit it, now?

Where's the negative of this?

What's the difference?

You can see all four hooves are off the ground.

Yes, but these hooves don't look right.

How do I know he didn't retouch the negative?

I did. You admit it?

Sure, but only to make the hooves come out clearer.

Pay me. I didn't change the picture.

Just improved it a little.

Can you make a picture like this without any retouching?

I'd have to invent an even faster shutter

to keep the hooves from blurring.

Well, can he have a few more days?

Why?

Did he give me a few more days?

Before I knew it, his trains were taking ice from the mountains,

and putting my wagons out of business.

Frederick, you know they're right.

That's why you won't do it.

All right. You want a one-week extension?

That might be enough.

You've got it, on one condition.

I want the whole city, the entire country,

to laugh at the great Stanford.

What's your condition?

That we invite reporters,

men from every paper to be judges.

You want a one-week extension.

That's the gamble you take.

We let everybody know about your crazy idea.

We don't have enough room here.

There will be plenty of room

at the San Francisco art association.

We'll be there next Monday.

[Horse neighs]

Well?

I hope so.

[Knock on door]

Come in.

Frederick.

Hello, Flora.

Eadweard's not here.

I didn't think he was.

Where are the glasses?

Frederick, don't open that bottle.

You're beautiful, Flora.

You belong on Nob Hill, drinking wine,

not here making a shirt for him.

I love him.

He's a decent, wonderful man.

He tries very hard.

So far, things haven't worked out.

You're not in love with him.

You're sorry for the poor fella.

But Flora, think of yourself.

You're wasting years with him that we could be enjoying.

Admit it, he's a loser, a failure.

Well, he won't be when he makes the picture

for Governor Stanford.

How's he going to make it?

I know. He'll find a horse that flies like a bird.

No, he'll make it with Occident.

You're sure? I'm positive.

Then bet on it, don't just talk.

I say he won't, you say he will.

If he does, I'll pay you $10,000.

If he doesn't...

You leave him and come with me.

It was worth a try.

Get out.

I just stopped by to check. You gonna show up Monday?

[Sighs] I don't know.

Did you take any pictures today?

Hundreds.

Muybridge, do you want a tip?

You and Stanford say Occident is smart enough to fly.

If he is, why don't you let him take his own picture?

Darling, that's it! He's right!

Occident can take his own picture!

I'm going back to Palo Alto.

These vertical lines are two foot apart.

This horizontal line is a foot-and-a-half up.

So, if our picture shows a continuous line,

it proves all four hooves

were at least that high off the ground.

Now, about this yarn,

as Occident hits and breaks each yarn,

thus...

The yarn will snap the shutter on the corresponding camera.

Now, this way, we'll get a dozen pictures

in the two-thirds of a second

it takes Occident to run 24 feet.

Wonderful!

Now, at some place in those 24 feet,

there will be at least one point

where all his hooves will be off the ground.

Congratulations.

Aw, you save that till you see if it works.

[Horse neighs]

He's afraid of that white yarn.

Get a darker color.

I've tried that first.

He shied when he felt the strings.

Now, I thought if he could see them--

don't get discouraged now.

I think you're close to the answer.

You want me to go on trying?

Well, of course.

Governor, you haven't got the bills for all this, yet.

I don't care what it costs.

If we're right, it'll teach people something they never knew.

And knowledge is cheap at any price.

Spend whatever you need, but get that picture.

Flora, these wires, you see them?

Yes, Eadweard.

There are 12, one for each camera.

They run into the ground,

then under the canvas so Occident can't see them,

then out the other side.

Now, the sulky wheels have steel rims.

As the rim hits each wire,

it completes the electric circuit

and trips the camera.

Do you understand?

Well, I think so.

Well, you will when you see it work.

If it works.

[Clicking]

Flora, those clicks-- those were the cameras!

I'll bring them over as soon as they're available to me.

[Knock on door]

I'm David Neal from The Bulletin.

Come in. Thank you.

I'm glad I found you home on a Saturday night.

This is Mrs. Muybridge. Mr. Neal's from The Bulletin.

How do you do? How do you do?

I'm supposed to be one of the judges on Monday,

if you show up.

Well, of course I'll show up.

You will? Why?

Because he's made the picture.

See for yourself.

That's a great job. Thank you.

And really looks legitimate.

If MacCrellish hadn't told us about that other retouched job,

this sure would have convinced me.

Looks like all his hooves really are off the ground.

They are! That picture's not retouched.

Sure. I'll show you the negative.

Muybridge, I write the funny stuff for The Bulletin.

The nut stories.

You know, about, uh...

People that invent a machine that can add and subtract.

People that have ideas about building a bridge

across San Francisco bay.

I got them all, so don't try to kid me.

He's not kidding you.

The picture's not retouched. He told you that.

My husband is not a liar.

All right. You really believe it.

Fine. That's my story.

What story?

Man convinces wife horses can fly.

See you Monday.

[Door closes]

If he thinks it's a trick, the others will, too.

Maybe not. Maybe?

Maybe?

That's not good enough.

Darling, I'm 35 years old.

If I miss this chance, I may not live to--

you didn't miss it.

But if they don't believe me,

if they think it's another retouching trick or--

you were brilliant enough to do what you set out to do.

Now, I-I know you'll be brilliant enough

to find a way to prove it.

Clear the table. I'll get some tea.

[Sighs]

Maybe we can prove it.

[Indistinct chatter]

[People laughing]

All right, boys, here he is.

Glad all of you got here.

You think there's any chance of the Governor winning the bet?

Sure. Stanford has a lot of political influence.

Maybe he got Sacramento to repeal the law of gravity.

[All laugh]

I hope you brought the money.

I did, but I don't think I'll need it.

The Governor's going to win the bet.

Eadweard can prove he's right.

Where is old whiskers?

He went home to change his clothes.

He was up all night finishing this machine.

Can I look?

I don't think Eadweard would mind.

Can this thing fly, too?

Excuse me, Gentlemen.

Excuse me.

Let him see the whole thing.

Muybridge, you'll be remembered for inventing this thing.

The first bicycle that can't move.

[All laugh]

I call it a "zoopraxiscope."

And you'd better remember that name.

It's going to cost you $25,000.

Shaving sure has made you cocky.

I'm not cocky. I'm satisfied.

How does it work? If it does.

Attached to this glass wheel

are negatives of the full set of pictures.

Now, the light will shine through this slot

and project onto that white surface.

Now, if any of you have any questions

after the demonstration,

I'll answer them.

Take your seats, gentlemen.

Oh, MacCrellish?

And you too, Neal.

Before you sit down, turn out the lights.

I'm not the janitor.

You want to see it work, don't you?

[MacCrellish] It's not flying.

[Muybridge] That's the first picture.

Now, I'm going to spin the glass wheel.

I don't believe it.

I do.

So do I.

[All applaud]

And so do I. Pay me.

Well, Mr. Muybridge, it cost me $200,000

to collect $25,000, but it's worth it.

I've paid more for old master paintings.

You've just done what no other artist ever did in history.

You've made pictures move!