A woman walks past a camera holding and talking into what looks like a mobile telephone.
An every day scene – with the exception that this image was actually captured in 1928.
And as a result, the clip from a Charlie Chaplin film has become an internet sensation and left film experts baffled.
The footage, which has been viewed nearly 800,000 times on You Tube in just days, shows an old woman with her hand to her left cheek talking.
The woman, dressed in a long coat and hat, gestures as she talks and appears to stop mid-conversation.
The mystery clip has left film fans scratching their heads as it was filmed decades before the invention of mobile phones and there appears to be no-one around for her to talk to.
Irish film-maker George Clarke, believes the footage is of a time traveller caught walking through a scene on a DVD of Chaplin’s film The Circus.
Mr Clarke said he had shown it to more than 100 people and no-one could come up with an explanation.
He said: “I have been studying this footage for over a year now and I just can’t explain it. Some people have come up with a few theories but to me her actions and gestures are exactly those of someone talking on a mobile.
“I’m a massive Charlie Chaplin fan and when I first saw the clip I couldn’t believe my eyes. I kept rewinding it and zooming in to try and work out what was going on.
“The only conclusion I can come to – which sounds absolutely ridiculous to some people – is it’s a time traveller,” he said.
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Great story, deffo leaves a lot to be thought about. I read that it wasn’t a phone at all and it was nothing but a ‘hand warmer’ being used to warm the face. lol
(Source – http://tinyurl.com/2uft82f )
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Reply to Dave Dee, I’m sure it wasn’t common practice to talk to ones hand warmer but it’s a theory. For Women and Gents in this era it was very common to have a time piece, generally very crude 7 lever movements which once wound would often need a good shake to get them going, obviously in this situatation one would shake it and hold it to the ear to affirm it was running/ticking. But again doesn’t explain the motion of her mouth.
One for Arther.C.Clarke me thinks.
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The poor old time travelling lady may have a torrid time trying to get a signal, given there were very few mobile masts back in 1928 – Erm… zero to be precise.
However, that aside, I have just started up an on-line clothes shop now that I have seen the ladies attire of the future. I will make a fortune!
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Who’s to say she’s phoning anyone on this planet??? Could be asking Scotty to beam her up!!
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As many people have pointed out, the ‘lady’ in fact looks very much like a man. So how about this…
A transvestite out for a stroll, minding his own business, happens across a premier being filmed. Not wanting to be identified on film he covers his face with his hand, while muttering to himself “Oh sh**, I’ve been busted. Gotta get out of here. If the pope gets wind of this I’m going to lose my job”
Just a theory. I’m pro ‘time travel theory’, but this is clearly a publicity opportunity… and it is working a treat!
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