Mary kneels at the execution block and has her head chopped off. This has the reputation of being the first historical re-enactment in a film that lasts about 20 seconds. Stories that some people believed that the actor really did have their head cut off are most likely exaggerated. However the significance of this film is that it is the first film that has an edited cut in it. The cut allows the actor to be replaced by a dummy which has its head cut off. The film was directed by Alfred Clark who made some innovative films during his year with Edison, though most of his work is now lost.
