Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

The Perils of Pauline

 The Perils of Pauline
type
TVTItem
 The Perils of Pauline
label
The Perils of Pauline
 The Perils of Pauline
page
ThePerilsOfPauline
 The Perils of Pauline
comment
The Perils of Pauline was an immensely popular 1914 film serial starring Pearl White, who in this serial became the veritable Trope Codifier for the Damsel in Distress in modern media.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })The formula was simple. Pauline is an orphan, heir to a huge fortune. Her guardian, Mr. Marvin, hopes that a now grown-up Pauline will marry his son Harry. Pauline loves Harry, but she doesn't want to get married yet, wanting to roam the world and have adventures before she settles down to be a society wife.In the first episode Mr. Marvin dies, and Pauline and her fortune come into the custody of Marvin's secretary Koerner. Unfortunately Koerner is a crook. With Pauline having no other living relatives, he and his partner Hicks decide to arrange for Pauline's adventures to have a fatal outcome, so they can seize her fortune. Each episode would then involve Pauline going off on some adventure, getting into mortal peril thanks to Koerner, and being rescued by Harry.Not the first film serial, but a hugely popular one that became a Trope Codifier for film serials. Did not feature some of the tropes that are associated with it in the popular imagination. It didn't really rely on cliffhangers, as Pauline's adventures were resolved at the end of each episode. Nor is there a Dastardly Whiplash; Koerner the bad guy is young and clean-shaven and not particularly hammy in his mannerism. Nor was Pauline Chained to a Railway... in surviving footage, anyway (see below). Even in 1914, that trope was considered hokey and a staple of cheap theater.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })The original run was 20 episodes, one per week, which added up to 410 minutes. That version is now lost (and there are sources who insist up, down, and sideways that Pauline, some rope, and a railway did cross paths at some point in this cut). The surviving Pauline is a Re-Cut version made for the French market, which was cut down almost by half (214 minutes) and lasts only nine episodes. The series proved so popular that it was followed by a Spiritual Successor, The Exploits Of Elaine, in which Pearl White played a similar character getting into similar predicaments.Not to be confused with other films of the same name including the 1933 serials; the 1947 film, which is a humorous take on Pearl White's rise to fame, or the 1967 comedy based on the serial.
 The Perils of Pauline
fetched
2022-05-17T00:10:48Z
 The Perils of Pauline
parsed
2022-05-17T00:10:48Z
 The Perils of Pauline
processingComment
Dropped link to Blackmail: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The Perils of Pauline
isPartOf
DBTropes
 The Perils of Pauline / int_13e1c444
type
Plot-Triggering Death
 The Perils of Pauline / int_13e1c444
comment
Plot-Triggering Death: The death of Mr. Marvin in the first episode gets the ball rolling, as Pauline becomes endangered by the nefarious Koerner.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_13e1c444
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_13e1c444
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_13e1c444
 The Perils of Pauline / int_17257125
type
The Wild West
 The Perils of Pauline / int_17257125
comment
The Wild West: 1914 was a good 30 years or so past the point where the West was wild. But Pauline still goes into the rural west to visit her friends the Haines family in episode 2, and she is kidnapped by stereotypical desperadoes riding horses, with 10-gallon hats and bandanas over their faces. She also runs across a band of Sioux still living in tipis.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_17257125
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_17257125
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_17257125
 The Perils of Pauline / int_20917b55
type
Milking the Giant Cow
 The Perils of Pauline / int_20917b55
comment
Milking the Giant Cow: The old pirate in episode 3 does this both in the present day and in the "flashback" when recounting his bogus story of killing the other pirates and hiding the treasure.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_20917b55
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_20917b55
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_20917b55
 The Perils of Pauline / int_325ef3ab
type
Incredibly Obvious Bomb
 The Perils of Pauline / int_325ef3ab
comment
Incredibly Obvious Bomb: Amusingly, the only reason Harry and Pauline survive in episode 3 is that the bomb on the yacht ticks so loudly that Harry hears it.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_325ef3ab
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_325ef3ab
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_325ef3ab
 The Perils of Pauline / int_3cf44d4b
type
High-Class Glass
 The Perils of Pauline / int_3cf44d4b
comment
High-Class Glass: Amusingly, the High Class Glass which Koerner is affecting pops out when he is unpleasantly surprised to see his old partner Hicks.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_3cf44d4b
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_3cf44d4b
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_3cf44d4b
 The Perils of Pauline / int_4160410d
type
Damsel in Distress
 The Perils of Pauline / int_4160410d
comment
Damsel in Distress: Pauline wasn't a completely helpless damsel. It was her own desire for adventure that was the hook for the series. In the first episode she shimmies down to safety on a rope after Koerner sets her adrift in a hot air balloon. But she usually found herself needing rescue at some point in every episode.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_4160410d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_4160410d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_4160410d
 The Perils of Pauline / int_4cacfcc3
type
Honey Trap
 The Perils of Pauline / int_4cacfcc3
comment
Honey Trap: Mlle. Yagow in episode 7, who is romancing gullible Lt. Summers while stealing the lieutenant's plans for a new submarine.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_4cacfcc3
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_4cacfcc3
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_4cacfcc3
 The Perils of Pauline / int_50b1855d
type
Spy Fiction
 The Perils of Pauline / int_50b1855d
comment
Spy Fiction: Episode 7 is a martini-flavored version of this. Mademoiselle Yagow is a German spy seeking to learn the secrets of French submarines. Entirely by chance, Pauline, Harry, and Koerner stumble into this plot. Koerner recognizes a fellow villain and enlists Mlle. Yagow in a plot to get Pauline aboard the submarine, which Yagow's man will then sabotage.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_50b1855d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_50b1855d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_50b1855d
 The Perils of Pauline / int_53fd0a77
type
Out of the Frying Pan
 The Perils of Pauline / int_53fd0a77
comment
Out of the Frying Pan: In episode 9 Koerner fiddles with the engine to Pauline's motorboat, leaving her adrift at sea. Pauline spots a large vessel, manages to row her boat over to it, and clambers aboard. The large vessel is a derelict, which is out to sea to serve as a target for naval bombardment.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_53fd0a77
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_53fd0a77
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_53fd0a77
 The Perils of Pauline / int_651a8540
type
Indy Escape
 The Perils of Pauline / int_651a8540
comment
Indy Escape: Likely the Ur-Example. A Sioux tribe, wanting to confirm that the heroine is a goddess, subjects her to the test of the "Death Stone": she must run down a path pursued by a giant boulder.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_651a8540
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_651a8540
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_651a8540
 The Perils of Pauline / int_7286e96d
type
Idiot Ball
 The Perils of Pauline / int_7286e96d
comment
Idiot Ball: Koerner's goon, who scatters spikes on the road in episode 4 in order to wreck Pauline's race car—in full view of race spectators, who see him do it.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_7286e96d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_7286e96d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_7286e96d
 The Perils of Pauline / int_7570a10c
type
Bond Villain Stupidity
 The Perils of Pauline / int_7570a10c
comment
Bond Villain Stupidity: In episode 2, Hicks and his goons kidnap Pauline. Do they kill her? No, they abandon her in a cave "to her unfortunate fate." Pauline frees herself, of course. In episode 5 Koerner's minions have both Pauline and Harry Bound and Gagged. Do they kill them? No. They abandon them in an underground chamber next to a river, with a brick wall that is rigged to explode and flood the chamber. Pauline and Harry escape again. Episode 8 has Koerner enlisting a band of gypsies to kidnap Pauline. Do they kill her? No, they just keep her around until Harry arrives to rescue her.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_7570a10c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_7570a10c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_7570a10c
 The Perils of Pauline / int_7e4c243d
type
Film Serial
 The Perils of Pauline / int_7e4c243d
comment
Film Serial: As noted above, not the first, but the most famous film serial, a genre that started with the early days of movie-making and lasted until it was largely displaced by television.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_7e4c243d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_7e4c243d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_7e4c243d
 The Perils of Pauline / int_8ff8d545
type
Kissing Cousins
 The Perils of Pauline / int_8ff8d545
comment
Kissing Cousins: Pauline bears her guardian's last name; she's Pauline Marvin. So the best case scenario is that Mr. Marvin is guardian to his brother's son and Pauline is engaged to her first cousin, and the worst case scenario is that Pauline and Harry are adopted siblings.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_8ff8d545
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_8ff8d545
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_8ff8d545
 The Perils of Pauline / int_b5049d76
type
Added Alliterative Appeal
 The Perils of Pauline / int_b5049d76
comment
Added Alliterative Appeal: Couldn't call it "The Dangers of Pauline", now could we?
 The Perils of Pauline / int_b5049d76
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_b5049d76
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_b5049d76
 The Perils of Pauline / int_bd798dd5
type
Thrill Seeker
 The Perils of Pauline / int_bd798dd5
comment
Thrill Seeker: Pauline. Koerner's murder job would be harder if Pauline was content to stay home and knit. Instead, she's taking balloon rides, competing in auto races, searching after buried treasure, and the like.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_bd798dd5
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_bd798dd5
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_bd798dd5
 The Perils of Pauline / int_c3ae004a
type
Re-Cut
 The Perils of Pauline / int_c3ae004a
comment
Re-Cut: The French version, which is barely half as long as the original, and is the only version to survive.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_c3ae004a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_c3ae004a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_c3ae004a
 The Perils of Pauline / int_dc057cf3
type
Adaptation Name Change
 The Perils of Pauline / int_dc057cf3
comment
Adaptation Name Change: In the original American version, Koerner the bad guy was named "Raymond Owen." The French version gave him a German name.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_dc057cf3
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_dc057cf3
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_dc057cf3
 The Perils of Pauline / int_eb28ab57
type
Bound and Gagged
 The Perils of Pauline / int_eb28ab57
comment
Bound and Gagged: In the first episode, Pauline winds up bound and gagged after the bad guys snatch her away from Harry. In the second episode Pauline is bound and gagged by the desperadoes who kidnap her on Hicks's orders. In episode 5 Pauline and Harry are overpowered and bound and gagged by the bad guys.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_eb28ab57
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_eb28ab57
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_eb28ab57
 The Perils of Pauline / int_fed07537
type
Mighty Whitey
 The Perils of Pauline / int_fed07537
comment
Mighty Whitey: The tribe of Sioux that Pauline meets in episode 2 are pretty happy to have a blond girl in their midst.
 The Perils of Pauline / int_fed07537
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_fed07537
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_fed07537
 The Perils of Pauline / int_name
type
ItemName
 The Perils of Pauline / int_name
comment
 The Perils of Pauline / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
The Perils of Pauline / int_name
 The Perils of Pauline / int_name
itemName
The Perils of Pauline

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 ThePerilsofPauline
sameAs
The Perils of Pauline
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
Chained to a Railway / int_5896bcd7
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
Film Serial / int_5896bcd7
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
Forgotten Trope / int_5896bcd7
 The Perils of Pauline
hasFeature
Textile Work Is Feminine / int_5896bcd7