Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1914)

II42 THE MOMNG PICTURE WORLD LICENSED FILM STORIES '•m VITAGRAPH. BTJTFALO jfM (March 2). — In XasUby's saloon, crowded with cowboys aud ranchmen. Buffalo Jim, with Tim, his friend, is seated at a table playing cards, when Steve Moffat. gun-.fighter and bully o( the town, comes noisily in. firing his revolver. The crowd promptly scatters, some diving under tables, and others making for the door. Steve laughs boisterously, Jim, while not frightened, keeps qniet. Jim invites his sweetheart, Grace Hawes, to a big dance at Xashby's. In the midst of the dancing everybody suddenly stops as Steve, the terror of the camp, comes in. Grace, however, looks admiringly at big Steve, and starts a flirtation. Steves goes up to her and demands that she dance with him. Jim interferes, but the girl coolly turns with a smile to Steve, who orders the musician to resume, emphasizing it with a shot over their heads. Steve escorts the girl home, much to poor Jim's chagrin. She flirts with Steve and he tries to kiss her. Buffalo Jim. being sincerely in love with the girl, follows them, raging with jealousy. His friend restrains him. Jim challenges Steve to a pistol duel in Xashby's back room, which is accepted. Grace is highly elated at the idea of two men fighting over her, and Jim then realizes her shallow nature. She excitedly follows the two men. By a clever ruse Jim is victorious and Steve is made to look ridiculous. He is jeered by the crowd and scorned by Grace, whose affections have again switched to Jim. He, however, is disgusted and ignores her. The next day Jim and his friend start back to the ranch. Grace begs his forgiveness, which he refuses. Her pride hurt, she becomes angry, but her expression changes to grief and longing as Jim turns and waves a scornful farewell and she realizes he has gone forever. THE SACRIFICE OF KATHLEEN (Special— 2 parts— March 3). — The first friend that poor Xora, a slavey, ever has is Arthur Jordan, a struggling young playwright. From him she hears the first kind words ever spoken to her, and she is glad that such a kind, new boarder, has taken a room at the boarding house where she works. Contrary to the landlady's expressed wishes. Arthur lends Xora a book to read and tells her that he will defend her against her irate mistress if sbe scolds her. Xora is filled with gratitude toward him. When he finishes writing his play and takes it to the theatrical manager, only to be told that it cannot be produced, she tries to cheer him up. One day. not long afterward, Xora receives a message to the effect that her brother has died and has left her five thousand dollars. Without letting Arthur know, she goes to the manager and makes an arrangement with him whereby he will take her five thousand dolla rs and produce Jordan's play. The play is put on and is an immediate success. Waldron, now prosperous, leaves the cheap boarding bouse for better lodgings in a more fashionable part of town. He does not realize that the heart of a poor little slavey is almost broken over his going away; nor that it is due to her that he is so prosperous. Five years later, Arthur, now famous, hears Brandon, the theatrical manager, telling a friend the story of how "The Toilers." Arthur's first play, was produced. Deeply moved. Arthur returns to the old boarding house to seek out bis benefactress. He finds the little slavey very ill. In her arms is the book which he gave her to read five years ago. When she recognizes him. a wave of joy envelops her. In a fatherly manner, Arthur fervently clasps the happy girl in his arms and whispers sweet and comforting words of love. A PAUt OF FRAITDS (March 4).— Tonng and pretty. Margery Dean, companion to Mrs. Sawyer, a wealthy lady, fhiinres to meet Jack Drislane. a young clerk. It is raining hard: she has not an umbrella; he secures one and escorts her home. He is duly impressed when she enters a large brownstone mansion, particularly as the girl does not enlighten him as to ber real social position, I*ater. they see each other again in passing autos and then Jack, who has been unable to forget Margery, asks permission to call, neglecting to mention, however, that he is a working man and not a wealthy idler. Margery is interested in Jack and does not wish to confess her fraud. They arrange to meet at a fashionable tea room, she pleading as her excuse for not permitting him tn call, a very strict mother. Jack has to pretend he has a bad toothache, to get away from work. They meet as arranged and spend a delightful time in each other's company. She pretends to Jack that her mother wants her to marry a titled foreigner and must say farewell to him. He is heartbroken, hut makes a brave pretense to her that he is sailing on the morrow aboard the "Thuric" for Paris. On the following day, she goes to see him off. She bids him goodbye and the two are so absorbed in each other that they fail to heed the warning bells and cry, "All ashore." Margery barely has time to get off the boat. Poor Jack, however, not wishing Margery to see him leave the tfoat, is left on the steamer without money or ticket. Fortunately by chance he is offered a position as valet, which he accepts. Two weeks later. Mrs. Sawyer sails for Paris with Margery. While in Paris Margery chances to meet Jack, They accidentally discover each other's deceptions, confess and forgive. Jack asks her to marry him and they spend their honeymoon on a steamer bound for America. It is plain to be seen that there is no deception in their happiness. SILENT TRAILS (March 5).— While riding quietly along the silent trails of the wild, open range, Jim Faulkner, a cowboy, is reminded constantly of his former sweetheart and lost love. He takes her picture from his pocket and looking longingly at it. the words of a poem he once heard come to him : "I miss the silvery jingle of your spur, I heard when you were riding by my side. And when I think of you, a sudden blur gets in my eyes and blinds me as I ride." The lonely man is nearly overcome with emotion and tries hard to keep back the tears. He sees a vision of himself riding with the girl along those very trails, sometimes by his side and again dashing ahead of him. He sees the Manzanita berries and remembers bow he compared them to the roses in her cheeks. He imagines be hears her voice. At night he pictures, in a vision, her face in the starlit heavens, smiling at him. Again, she is pointing out to him the wonderful panorama of the range, the beauties of which he bad never realized before, and sees a crowd of cowboys joking and "joshing" him about being in love. The vision of sweet memories occur and recur. As they fade, he sadly realizes he must follow the Silent Trails alone. THE SPEEDER'S REVENGE (March 6) .—A party of autoniobilists are held up by a couple of village constables for exceeding the speed limit through their town. They are taken to the local Justice of the Peace and fined $50. The party is very angry and sore at their treatment and after leaving the judge's office determine upon revenge. Passing a cornfield in their machine. Fred James, one of the party, sees a scarecrow. He gets an idea, tells the others. They take the scarecrow, stuff it with cornstalks, secure a bottle of red ink and a long-bladed knife, and prepare to convince the town that a terrible murder has been committed, and the remains of the victim disposed of. Hiding their auto in an isolated barn, they dip the knife in the ink, drag the "body" along the road, spilling ink along the way, finally throwing it down an old well. One of the residents sees the tell-tale signs and alarms the village. An excited crowd gathers and, with the constables and Justice of the Peace in the lead, aided by "bloodhounds." they follow the trail. They arrest a tramp and take him along as a suspect. Meanwhile the automobile party have secreted themselves near the old well, and when the constables finally fish up the stuffed scarecrow from the well, burst into laughter. The speeders then quickly take their departure, and the villagers, seeing them, follow in hot pursuit. They are soon outdistanced, however, and the autoists doubly enjoy the joke on the discomfited townspeople as they wave them a parting farewell. AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN (Special— 2 parts—March 7). — The Colonel's wife, Mrs. Cavendish, has an extravagant interest in Billy Brinkley, an army lieutenant, the hero of the army and navy game. When he is assigned to the Colonel's command, her attentions to him are noted and reproved by her husband, who fears gossip. Billy is in love with her sister, Joy Grayson, whom Captain Sutherland also wishes to marry, although be is carrying on a clandestine affair with the Sergeant's wife, Jane Smedley. His presents to Jane are discovered by the Sergeant and she defiantly acknowledges them, Billy and Joy's engagement arouses the jealousy of both Mrs. Cavendish and Sutherland. At a card party. .Sutherland's bad feeling toward Billy crops out and they are only prevented from conflict by the other men present. Billy returns to his quarters to find Mrs. Cavendish awaiting him there. She pleads that she can't give him up to her sister. Billy quiets her and insists upon showing her home. Smedley goes to Sutherland and the same night to beg him to cease his dishonorable attentions to Jane. Sutherland replies insultinffly. They quarrel, Sutherland springs upon Smedley. In the struggle between Sutherland and Smedley, Smedley stabs Sutherland, killing him. The murder is discovered at once. Billy suspected and found absent from his quarters. Confronted upon his return, be realizes that he cannot prove an alibi without compromising the Colonel's wife. He is arrested by the civil authorities and at the Central Criminal Court the evidence is strongly against him. Mrs. Cavendish finally breaks down and confesses to her husband that she was the woman with Billy. He demands a public confession from her, in court, to clear Billy. As she is about to' confess to the court, Smedley. conscience-stricken, rushes in ahead of her and admits that he killed Sutherland. Billy is accordingly exonerated, and he and Joy are united. Mrs. Cavendish's good name is preserved and Smedley receives his just punishment. BIOGRAPH. CHOCOLATE DYNAMITE (Feb. 28).— The nigbt May's mother is indisposed tramps break into the store. May settles them with dynamite — no explosion, but quite as effective. BECAUSE OF A HAT (Feb. 28).— Skelley buys a seat in the orchestra and determines to get his money's worth. Xo use. Mrs, Van Snoozeheim refused to remove her big hat. But it came off. Skelley did it. That started something with Mrs. Van Snoozebeim's escort. Over the stage they fought, and into the Rathbone cafe, and into Iliggin's saloon. He took them over to his arena. There were two rounds to the finish. HER FATHER'S SILENT PARTNER (Feb. 23).— After his daughtiT"s return the jeweler attempted to breffk the partnership he had with the crook. His partner, however, won the girl's love, and threatened to expose the father if he attempted to break off the match. By a clever ruse the father set the gangsters against their leader. His plan did not prove altogether successful. _ KALEM. THE CHEST OF FORTTTNE (Special— 2 partsMarch 2). — Hard pressed by the Federal troops, Morgan and his men flee across the bridge. Just before the pursuers come in sight one of Morgan's telegraphers taps the telegraph wires suspended underneath the bridge and learns that a quantity of supplies is being sent to Captain Wellington, of the Union forces. The Confederate leader places powder along the length of the bridge. The Federals come iTito view. Just as they are about to cross, the structure is blown skyward. Baffled, the Union soldiers are compelled to withdraw. Wellington receives the supplies and orders them stored in the cellar of his home. He and his wife are in the drawing room admiring a daguerreotype showing them seated with their four-year-old son. Jack, when a servant announces the approach of the raiders. The Captain hastily gathers together his silverware, which he places in a chest. Obeying an impulse, he throws the daguerreotype into the chest. Tumins to two faithful old negro servants, he orders them to conduct Mrs. Wellington. Jack and the chest to safety. Shortly afterward the Captain is slain. A bullet strikes his wife aud she shares his fate. Lugging the chest, the two servants hurry down to the river, with Jack tagging behind. The three tumble into a rowboat and head for midstream. Their flight is discovered by the raiders. A bullet kills the old mammy. To lighten the craft, the other servant throws the chest o ?erboard. The next moment he is struck by a bullet and topples into the water. The rowboat drifts down stream, finally grounding near the landing of Stokes, a fisherman. Ward, a banker, is talking to Stokes at the time. They discover the boat and in it Jack, weeping bitterly over the body of his old mammy, Kate, the threeyear-old daughter of the banker, places her little arms about the sobbing boy. Years pass. Jack, grown to manhood, becomes a civil engineer and is in charge of the dredging operations on the very river dowTi which he drifted to safety. Although adopted by Stokes and his wife, Jack and Kate have practically grown up together. Their childhood affection has turned Into love. Harry Memling, in Ward's employ, is also in love with Kate, but the girl turns a deaf ear to his avowals. Later. Jack asks Ward for his daughter's hand, but the banker gravely tells him that the marriage cannot take place because he fears that the mulatto woman found dead in the rowboat may have been Jack's mother. The following day the dredge brings up an old chest from the river bottom. An examination of its contents brings to light the old daguerreotype. In the picture of the ohild Jack recognizes himself. Hastening to Ward, he tells of his find. Faced by the prospect of losing Kate, Memling is filled with murderous rage. That same afternoon he knocks Jack unconscious while aboard the dredge and places him in the bucket, which he then lowers into the river. The dastardly act is witnessed, however, and Jack is rescued. Kate and her father learn of the terrible deed and hasten to the vessel. While Jack is revived by his sweetheart Memling is led away under arrest. THE INTRIGTTE (Special — 2 parts— March 4). — The Austins mourn the loss of their only .-hild who has just died. At the same time. Brant, a young widower, comes to the city in which the Austins live. He brings with him his four-year-old son. Bob, The child wanders away from his father and later climbs into Mrs. Austin's automobile. He is discovered by the grief-stricken woman. In an insane moment, she determines to keep Bob. The protests of her husband are of no avail, Mrs.