Moving Picture Weekly (1915-1920)

32 THE MOVING PICTURE WEEKLY Broker Wins Fortune on Girl's "Tip" HE New York stock market from the time war started in August, 1914, until a month ago was stagnant. Brokers dismissed their clerks and stenographers wholesale, thousand employes of RELEASED JULY 9. COPPER," two-reel Imp modern drama, features William Gar Violet's Sisters. Perhaps ten the Wall Street district were thrown out of work and much distress resulted. Relief committees were organized and much was done to alleviate the distress of those who could ill afiEord to be out of work. Brokers found that they would have to live on their savings until financial conditions adjusted themselves. Not long ago, however, the placing of large orders for ammunition and artillery in this country gave business an upward trend. The hint quickly went around that steel would make a good buy. When it was learned that the firm of J. P. Morgan & Co. were handling the large purchase of supplies for the Allies ammunition manufacturers the country over increased their plants and sublet their contracts to every large machine plant which might possibly be able to handle the making of cartridges, shells, rifles, machine guns or artillery. In addition, the "bigger navy" qiovement, started in New York by the Navy League, induced big shipbuilders to look to the enlargement of their plants in anticipation of orders. From all this increased demand for armament and ammunition the steel manufacturers were the first to profit Steel stocks went up with a bound. On the other hand copper did not respond for some time to the upward trend in the market. At times it dropped several points. Basing their story upon this current topic in Wall Street, the Universal Imp Company produced "Copper," a two-reel, up-to-the-minute drama, featuring William Garwood and Violet Mersereau. The story tells how a young broker, acting upon a . j 4.„ u;„ false tip to buy copper, believes he has given an order to his stenographer to purchase that stock, but finds later on that his araamiensis. believing that her employer is being duped a supposed friend, changes the order to read "steel" m wood and Violet Mersereau in timely story of Wall Street and Fifth Avenue. CAST. Bill William Garwood Violet Violet Mersereau Bert Brinsley Shaw Florence F-lorence Crawford ( Jane Lee ' ' * ■ 1 Catharine Lee Scenes from the Wall Street Drama, "Copper. by but on the other stead of "copper." Copper drops alarmingly, hand, steel rises to new high marks. The young broker thinks himself ruined until he receives a puzzling letter telling him that he has "cleaned up" on steel. Then, and only then, does he learn that his stenographer not only has saved him from financial ruin, but has made him a fortune as well. His rival for the h%nd of a heartless heiress tells the heiress that the broker has been ruined because of his investment in copper and the latter immediately accepts the broker's rival, only to learn to her chagrin later that the broker has "made a killing." Her change of heart comes too late, however, for the young broker, grateful to the young woman who has made him a fortune, proposes marriage and is accepted by his pretty little stenographer. The story of "Copper" is intensely interesting and, in brief, is as follows : Bill and Bert, prosperous young brokers, are rivals for the hand of Florence, the daughter of wealthy and socially prominent parents. Each seems to have an equal chance. Bert has in his employ a stenographer. Violet is the only support of the family, consisting of her mother and small brother and sister. Bert one day, realizing what a beautiful girl she is, makes advances to her which she scornfully rejects. Soon after Bert discharges her. The following Sunday, when she has the children in the park, they wander away during their play and Billy, also walking in the park, sees one fall. He takes the child to its sister. Bill, being in of a stenographer, adverin the paper for one and Violet, seeing the ad, makes application for the position. When she is taken m to see Bill he recognizes her and gives her the position. Bert. '"^ calling a few days later, finds Violet and. after taunting her. attempts to kiss her. The struggle is heard by Bill, who comes from his private oflice. He and Bert quarrel and ght. Bill gets the better of Hert and drives him from the ofiice. Bert, smarting under his defeat and anxious for revenge, goes to Brown, the proprietor of a bucket shop and a mutual friend of both, and induces him to help him ruin Bill financially. Brown tells Bill he has the chance of " a lifetime to make a fortune by buying copper, as it is going up fast. Violet, the stenographer, sees something wrong, and when BUI comes to her to write the letter enclosing the check to Brown and telling him to buy copper, she, after he has gone, changes the word copper to steel, and the order goes through that way. Bill sells out at an enormous profit. Bert meantime goes to Florence and tells her Bill is ruined. She consents to marry him. Bill finds Violet at her home and they both realize that they love each other. The story ends as they are about to embrace, spied upon and laughed at by Violet's two little sisters.