The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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The Magic Pills
In this funny amateur film from Leeds, a magic pill salesman offers extraordinary physical powers to those in need of a little help.
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Overview
This humorous film features a magic pill salesman and a number of clients in need of aid. It begins with the salesman approaching the camera, before focusing on a gang pushing a boy around. The boy buys a magic pill and grows huge muscles which allow him to take his revenge. Next, the salesman encounters a running race; the boy in last place buys a magic pill and then promptly finishes first.
The selling of fraudulent alternative or magical medicine, which has come to be known as quackery, has occurred around the world for centuries. Quackery became a significant problem in Britain during the 17th and 18th Centuries. Due to the hazardous nature of many fraudulent medicines, the British government attempted to crack down on quacks in the early 20th Century by introducing laws and prosecuting individuals.
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