Pathé: Olympic Games in London (1908)
The first Olympic Games of modern times took place in Athens in 1896. They were organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a club of rich lords, according to their specifications. As far as is known, there is no film footage of these games. Film images, which for a time were passed off as footage of these games, were actually taken in 1906 during the "Intermediate Games" in Athens, which were not recognized by the IOC. The first summarized report is from the 1908 Olympic Games in London. The film, produced by Pathé, shows a series of competitions (athletics, swimming, tug-of-war, gymnastics, water polo) in eight minutes. Female athletes can also be seen in one of them - archery. The film concentrates on showing the competitions. It is not clear who wins and how. But it ends narratively, as it tells of a drama. In the marathon, which took place in the parks and on the streets of London and ended in the "White City Stadium", the Italian Dorando Pietri leads at the finish line. But he had exhausted himself so much that he collapsed several times. Spectators and judges helped him up again and again and guided him across the finish line. Although he finished first, he was disqualified for the illegal help, which is not visible. To this day, he is better known than the winner John Hayes (USA), who is carried through the stadium on a table at the end.
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