What is the origin of 'double- take' in 'He was astonished to see her. He did a double- take and leapt up ..'? This instant second glance, a reaction to a surprising event, sounds as though it might be from the cinema.Is it?

Since no-one else has so far responded to this question, I'll give you my take on it: I'm pretty sure in does come from the cinema.

There is a possible confusion in that a "take" is a given shot of a scene, and since cinematographers often do many "takes" of the same scene, you might think it had to do with "taking" or "shooting" a scene twice.

It doesn't though. The double-take, as I understand it, is a staple of comedic actors, and was probably practiced on stages long before the advent of film. But I've only heard it used in reference to actors in films. The gesture called a double-take consists in glancing at something very briefly, barely seeming to notice it, then averting the eyes, pausing for that all-important instant, and then darting the eyes back, often with a look of wide-eyed astonishment.

I once saw the American comedian/actor Pat Paulsen in a live performance of a play, and he was the absolute master of this gimmick, if you want to call it that. He did it with such perfect timing that he invariably evoked gales of laughter.