Waiting at the Church (1907) Vesta Victoria

Vesta Victoria performs 'Waiting at the Church (My Wife Won't Let Me)' by Fred Leigh and Henry Pether.

Although a quintessentially British music hall artiste, this film of Vesta Victoria is said to have been made at the Edison Studio in New York for the Novelty Song Film Company (source: IMDB user kekseksa - https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4426529.... According to Rick Altman's book "Silent Film Sound", the visuals variously accompanied a vocal performance or singalong according to the exhibitor. The film contains a pause, curtain call and encore of the chorus, with an extra visual gag coming at the end. The song "Waiting at the Church" was the basis for a comedy narrative film in 1906 (wrongly conflated on some parts of the internet, such as IMDB, with this film), and was later recorded by such notables as Julie Andrews and Miss Piggy.

The synchronisation here is by Glenn Mitchell from an audio recording of Vesta Victoria performing the same song. The apparent key of the performance matches recordings issued on Clarion #2268 and Edison Bell #6792. Upload from a PAL speed DVD of a VHS recording.

Vesta Victoria performing "Poor John" was filmed on the same background, presumably in the same session. It's on YouTube posted by the Library of Congress, unfortunately without sound.
   • Poor John [Vesta Victoria (Poor John)...  

refs:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3691638/...
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235009/
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=M...