Paramount Press Books (1919)

Cast and Story of “Alias, Mike Moran” For Use of Exhibitors in Their House Organs or for General Publicity in the Exploitation of Wallace Reid’s New Photoplay A Paramount Picture Wallace Reid , Paramount Star , has Admirable Starring Vehicle in “Alias, Mike Moran” Story Deals With a Slacker Who Later Proves Himself a Hero in Battle and Incidentally Becomes Worthy of the Woman He Loves. LARRY YOUNG is a young department store salesman with million dollar tastes and a twenty dollar a week income. He dresses well and uses this as a foundation on which to build his social aspirations. Larry and an ex-convict named Mike Moran are caught in a slacker draft raid in a public park and become acquainted. Larry doesn’t want to serve his country, but Moran does, but he isn’t allowed to enlist because he has a prison record. Moran is out of work and Larry befriends him by giving him a dollar. Larry’s father, who lives in a far-off country town, is a civil war veteran and is greatly bereaved and ashamed at his son’s lack of patriotism. While strolling in the millionaire residence district, Larry becomes acquainted with Elaine Debaux, a beautiful girl, who he presumes is the daughter of the wealthy Mr. Vandecar, a millionaire shipbuilder. Elaine doesn’t deny the presumption and the two meet secretly, as the girl had requested, and go to a cafe for dinner. At dinner, Larry, thinking the girl wealthy, also pretends that he is rich. On their way home they are held up by a gang of thugs whom Mike Moran has joined, he having been unable to get work. Moran protects them from the thugs and puts up a fight while Larry and the girl escape. Returning to assist Moran, Larry finds him half unconscious and takes him to his own room. When the national draft lottery is held in Washington, Larry’s number is the fifth drawn. He dreads the idea as he doesn’t want to go, but Moran asserts his desire to go and wishes he had Larry’s chance. As there is a striking physical resemblance between the two men, Larry bribes Moran to impersonate him “ALIAS, MIKE MORAN” The Cast Larry Young, a Clerk Wallace Reid Elaine Debaux Ann Little Mike Moran, an ex-Convict . . Emory Johnson Peter Young Chas. Ogle Ma Young. .. ,Edy the Chapman Tick Flynn William Elmer Mr. Vandecar, a Capitalist Winter Hall Miss Vandecar ... .Jean Calhoun Jim Day Guy Oliver and report in his place, to which Moran readily agrees. The next day Larry’s fellow employees warmly congratulate him at his opportunity. That night his sweetheart looks upon him as a hero. Larry now begins to realize his mistake, but it is too late to turn back . When Elaine declares her love for him, he impulsively embraces her. Larry is ordered to report for duty. He again weakens and, according to agreement, Moran reports in his stead, he assuming the name of “Larry Young.” Moran first gives Larry his penitentiary discharge papers, telling him that he, in turn, will now have to be “Mike Moran,” the ex-convict, and leave town. Known as . .Larry Young, Moran leaves for camp. Ashamed to face Elaine, Larry leaves for a distant seaport and gets work in a shipbuilding plant under the name of Moran. In time Larry receives letters from Elaine which had first been sent to France and then forwarded back to him by the real Mike Moran. Fearing to reveal his secret, Larry doesn’t answer her letters. The news comes 5 that “Private Larry Young” has been killed in action and decorated for bravery. Larry’s manhood now asserts itself and he enlists in the Canadian forces as “Michael Mo-, ran.” His sweetheart, hearing of his supposed death, goes abroad to care for French War Orphans. After months of training in France, Larry finds himself in the thick of the “big fight.” He sees a chance to rescue a wounded officer and takes it, hoping that he might make the supreme sacrifice and thus glorify Moran’s name, as Moran had glorified the name of Larry Young. A few days later he awakens in a Paris hospital with one hand missing. Elaine, who is serving in a French hospital, hears that “Sergeant Michael Moran” has been wounded in action and remembering the name as that of the man who protected Larry and herself from the thugs on the night of their first meeting, she goes to help him. She finds Larry in the hospital and mutual recognition follows. He confesses to all the lies he told her, but her joy upon again seeing the man whom she had believed dead, and her admiration of his many sacrifices outweighs his past mistakes. Elaine now reveals that she, too, had deceived him, and that she is not Mrs. Vandecar’s daughter, but only her companion. Their mutual deception now cleared and their lives changed, the two lovers are hapiply united in a stronger, truer love. The newlyweds, at the instigation of “Mrs. Larry Young,” now visit Larry’s parents. He confesses all to them, and is readily forgiven. Some army officers in Washington want to hold Larry for his draft violation, but are out-argued by a wise old general, who says: “How in hell are you going to put a man in jail for having left a right hand in Flanders?”