A New Trick

2 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageSilent

A New Trick is a silent American crime comedy film directed by D. W. Griffith. It was released in the United States on June 10, 1909.^[1] Griffith also wrote the screenplay. A production of Biograph Company, the film starred Marion Leonard, Mack Sennett and Arthur V. Johnson. The survival status of the film is unknown.^[2] The American Film Institute mentions that A New trick was a split reel with The Lonely Villa.^[3]

A woman walking in a park loses her wallet. A young man picks it up and refutes the woman's claim that he has the wallet. Two young men come by and promise they would help the woman regain her wallet. The two young men quickly arrange red paint and a knife. Using a shortcut in the park, they get in front of the thief and one of the boys lies on the ground with a paint-smeared knife. The other calls for help and hides. When the thief comes running and reaches the scene of the alleged murder, the second boy jumps out of hiding and accuses the thief of being the murderer. This forces the thief to empty his pockets; the stolen wallet comes to light and can be returned to its owner.^[4]

The film was shot in Edgewater, New Jersey.^[5][2]