Footpads

Footpads is an 1896 British short silent drama film, directed by Robert W. Paul, featuring a tophatted pedestrian against a rainy London backdrop, who is assaulted by three footpads and rescued by a passing policeman. The atmospheric film, is chiefly of interest for its imaginative approach to background dcor, where according to Michael Brooke of BFI Screenonline, some effort has been made towards establishing a sense of realism. RolandFranois Lack of University College London points out that this painted backdrop looks like a hybrid of Trafalgar Square, with its electric advertisement for Bovril, and Piccadilly Circus, with the advertisement for Mellins Food, but has discovered that it in fact represents Ludgate Circus.

Source: Wikipedia