Moving Picture Weekly (1915-1920)

THE M O A' I N G PICTURE WEEKLY 43 Ben Wilson Featured in '^Souls in Pawn'' R XE little realizes how easy it is to become :i niiuikTer. For instance, .1 family man is walkinj; with his wife to his hume. One of a gang of corner rowdies makes an insulting remark, holding the woman up to scorn. The husband strikes his wife's insulter and fells him. The gangster falls to the street, striking his head on a sharp corner of the curb and fracturing his skull. He dies several hours later in hospital. The family man is arrested and charged with murder. Two youths with a difference engage in a fist tight. A well-directed blow paralyzes the heart action of one of the boys. His assailant, instantly repentant, is nevertheless a murderer in the eyes of the law. Two ironworkers settle their long standing differences on a wooden platform high above the street. In their .stnigglcs one is accidentally pushed over the edge of the platform and falls down through the building, striking the steel girders in his passage. He is picked up, dead, at the bottom of the shaft. His assailant is arrested for murder, although he protests that he meant merely to give his combatant a black eye, at the most. Quai-reling on au excursion steamer, two youths come to blows. Backing away from his opponent, one of the youths falls overboard and before he can De rescued, is drowned. Every man has heard of at least one of such int a n c e s . Sometimes the quarrels do not result fatally, oftentimes they do, and where it can be shown that enmity existed between the combatants the law usually deals harshly with the survivor. "I didn't meant to do it," is a poor plea in the face of death. There occurs such an instance in " Souls in Pawn, " a Rex three-reel society drama, in which Ben Wilson is featured, with Dorothy Phillips playing opposite. A boy of twenty-two fells his opponent, who strikes his head _ against the corner of a table, splitting his skull. In this engrossing play the man is always the big dominant figure.' His name is John Tremain. He loves Violet Ellis, but she has given her heart to Dick Travers, a boy of twenty-two, who, despite his engagement to her, is throwing his money away on an actress, Nina La Farge. Nina, of course, wants to get all she can from the boy and then throw him over. The boy worships her. John gets the whole pitiful story from Violet, whom he finds weeping alone one evening. He goes to the woman and oilers to buy her off. She laughs RELEASED JULY 8 EX three-reel society drama, written by >L B. Havey, tells engrossing story of self-sacri'ficing man of affairs who assumes the blame of murder to save a rival. Produced by Ben Wilson. CAt^T. John Trcmaine Ben Vi'ilson Violet Ellin Dorothy Phillips A ^Musician Jos. W. Girard Dirk Trac ers Willutm Courtley, Jr. Kina 1 'ivian Prescott licntes from the vitally powerful Hex three-reel drama, "Souls in Paten." at him at first but he offers such a large figure thpt she finally listens. She is growing tired of the boy anyway. John offers her a check. She sneers. She wants none of his checks to lie tripped up on. JNIoney, that's what she needs, money and only that, lie goes to the bank. Her real lover, a musician, arrives. Dick comes in on them. A quari-el ensues. Dick strikes the other man and he goes down. His head strikes the table and he is killed instantly. As they stand, the boy bending over the figure of the dead man. the woman transfixed in horror, John enters with the money. He takes in the situation at a glance and wonders what he will do. The wonian is hysterical and almost insane. John sh-)ws her the money. She recovers somewhat. Making the boy realize how worthless the woman is by her eager acceptance of the bills, the man says he will shoulder the crime and let the boy go. for Violet's sake. The boy cannot believe. The man sends him off — to freedom. Then he forces the woman to agree to all he says. The police are called. The man is questioned. "I murdered him because I was jealous of him," he tells them. They turn to the woman. She nods. "It is all true." Tremain is arrested and held for trial. He will not say he is innocent and is found guilty. The boy returns to Molet. Always Qe is haunted by a -lision of the man behind prison bars — the man who is facing the gallows. And even when he attempts to respond to the girl's caresses the man comes between them and seems to interfere. Unable to stand life away from the woman, the boy goes to her apartment and begs her to run away with him. She refuses and laughs at him. The nan is still in jail. Time for the trial comes. The boy, seeking only a little rest, goes into the opium joints of hi.* city and becomes addicted to the drug. The last day of the man's trial arrives. The boy is found and carried home, aliijost unconscious. \"iolet is sent for as his condition is alarming. The boy is in delirium and dying. When Violet comes to his bed he confesses to the crime in his delirium. Violet gathers enough to realize the truth, goes to court, and saves John at the last moment. Nina is called and, frightened, tells all the details. .John is vindicated and all go to the boy's home. The detective wants to go in, but they explain he is very ill. Violet stands in the door with John. The boy begs her forgiveness and then dies. The detective is dismissed and Violet falls on her knees at the boy's side and weeps. Silently and unobirusivel.v John steals away. But later, in the spring time, .John comes to her, in the country — ai;d she does not send him away.