• MAIN TITLE: A CORNER IN WHEAT. COPYRIGHT 1909. BIOGRAPH COMPANY. NEW YORK.

1. FARMYARD. Farmer bends over grain sack, gestures wearily to wife and child, heads off with helper. (60 seconds at 18 frames per second projection speed)

2. FIELD. Farmer, followed by helper and horse-drawn plow, sows toward camera, passes camera, then starts sowing new row away from camera. (68)

• TITLE: THE WHEAT KING. ENGINEERING THE GREAT CORNER.

3. OFFICE. King, sitting at desk, gets an idea, rises, gives instructions in turn to each of four subordinates, who each leave; a fifth enters and brings him good news, and they exit. (49)

• TITLE: IN THE WHEAT PIT. THE FINAL THRESHING.

4. STOCK EXCHANGE. Amid frantic trading activity, King enters, makes an announcement, rejects offers of an elderly trader, mounts stairs and leaves. (69)

• TITLE: HIS ANSWER TO THE RUINED MAN’S PLEA. “GET IT IN THE PIT WHERE I GOT IT.”

5. OFFICE. King enters, is congratulated by associates, rejects another plea by the old trader who leaves broken, then continues to accept congratulations. (49)

• TITLE: THE GOLD OF THE WHEAT.

6. DINING ROOM. Servants pour wine for guests. King enters; all rise to toast him. (38)

• TITLE: THE CHAFF OF THE WHEAT.

7. BAKERY. SIGN IN FOREGROUND: “OWING TO THE ADVANCE IN THE PRICE OF FLOUR, THE USUAL 5 CTS LOAF WILL BE 10 CTS.” SIGN IN BACKGROUND: “DON’T BLAME US – THE RISE IN WHEAT IS RESPONSIBLE.” While assistant sweeps up and saleslady at the rear sells and socializes, baker sells loaves to two well-dressed customers, each of whom, when shown the foreground sign, shrugs and pays an extra coin. A poor woman enters with her child, receives a loaf but when shown the sign cannot pay, gives the loaf back and exists. (75)

8. DINING ROOM. The lavish meal continues. (18)

9. BAKERY. No apparent motion – baker stands behind counter, male customers stand in line, women and children at rear door. (11)

10. DINING ROOM. King and his friends stand around talking in groups, then exit. (26)

11. FARMYARD. Wife and child await farmer, who enters despondently with helper and gestures empty-handedly. (36)

• TITLE: THE HIGH PRICE CUTS DOWN THE BREAD FUND.

12. BAKERY. Baker passes out last loaves of bread to men on line and turns the rest away. (30)

• TITLE: A VISIT TO THE ELEVATORS.

13. OFFICE. King’s friends enter, talk excitedly, and leave together. (24)

14. GRAIN ELEVATOR. King and friends come up stairs and are warned by a foreman away hold in foreground floor into which wheat is pouring from a chute. (13)

15. GRAIN PIT. Wheat pouring in. (5)

16. GRAIN ELEVATOR. Friends go off to rear, Before King follows, associate comes up stairs and hands him a letter, which he begins to read. (13)

• INSERT OF LETTER: “MR. W. J. HAMMOND. DEAR SIR: YOU HAVE CONTROL OF THE ENTIRE MARKET OF THE WORLD. YESTERDAY ADDED $4,000,000 TO YOUR FORTUNE. H. J. MARTIN, ACCOUNTANT.”

17. GRAIN ELEVATOR. King and associate gesture triumphantly. Associate runs off down stairs. King slips and falls into the foreground hole. (14)

18. GRAIN PIT. King falls in and is covered by cascade of grain. (9)

19. BAKERY. Baker talks with a policeman, who then exits. Poor people enter and make threatening gestures. Baker summons policeman, who enters and hits a man with his nightstick. Another policeman enters and draws his gun. (30)

20. GRAIN PIT. A flailing hand, barely visible, is covered by grain. (9)

21. GRAIN ELEVATOR. Friends return from the rear, ask foreman a question and are escorted out by two workers. (27)

22. OFFICE. Friends enter, question King’s associates and exit hurriedly. (17)

23. GRAIN ELEVATOR. Workers lift King’s body from the grain pit as friends rush up stairs. One man lifts King’s head and speaks briefly to a woman in a flowered hat, who collapses over the corpse. (30)

24. FIELD. Farmer, sowing alone, proceeds dejectedly toward camera, hesitates, then turns away and begins to sow the next row as the scene darkens. (55)

Copyright 2009 by Peter Gutmann