The Convict | |
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![]() A surviving film still | |
Produced by | Thanhouser Company |
Distributed by | Motion Picture Distributing and Sales Company |
Release date |
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Country | United States |
Languages | Silent film English inter-titles |
The Convict is a 1910 American silent short comedy produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film begins with a convict walking down the road, he is spotted and it begins a wild chase with more people becoming involved in the pursuit as it continues. The convict gets in a carriage and leaps away, successfully eluding all the pursuers except for a little girl. The convict then runs to the water and takes a boat from another accomplice and the chase continues in water and on land. The convict gets ashore and escapes, taking a car and flees to town. The police are notified and set a trap, but the convict avoids the growing crowd of pursuers until he arrives at the theater. There "the convict" takes a pose under an advertisement and the pursuers understand it was all an advertising ploy, they purchase tickets and go to see the film. The film was released on September 23, 1910, it was the first part of a split-reel production that included A Husband's Jealous Wife . The film was met with positive reviews though the film is presumed lost.
Though the film is presumed lost, a synopsis survives in The Moving Picture World from September 24, 1910. It states: "The convict is discovered stealing along a country road, glancing about for signs of danger. His stripes are discernible on that portion of his breast and on that portion of his trousers' leg not covered by the long coat he wears - which cannot conceal the stripes that tell all; hence his keen watch for passersby. Still, he does not spy a nearby farmer until too late; the cry 'prisoner loose' is raised, and a dozen rustics make after the unfortunate. Convict meets accomplice who is waiting with carriage; jumps in the carriage and the pair drives off. Baffled pursuers come up, sight a wagon, all pile within and resume pursuit. Convict jumps from carriage and drops behind boulder, accomplice driving straight on with the wagon hot after him; when the wagon has passed him by, convict comes from behind boulder, crosses road and disappears on other side - but has been seen crossing the road by a small girl who kept out of sight until the convict had disappeared, but who now rushes off to tell of her discovery. Put back on the trail by the little girl, pursuers follow their quarry to the waterside, where a second accomplice awaits the convict with a rowboat, and into which he jumps and pulls for the other side. Another rowboat sets out in pursuit. One of the pursuers telephones constables on the other side of the water to catch convict when he tries to land." [1]
"Race of the rowboats. Nearing shore the convict finds himself hemmed in - pursuers on water and constables on land. Luckily for him, pursuers in their efforts to grab his boat overturn their own; he gets to shore, where [the] accomplice is caught though [the convict] escapes. Constable and pursuer chase him to town road, where third accomplice awaits with auto; they speed off. An automobile too happens along, allows pursuers to use his auto to chase convict's, and all enter except constable who rushes off to 'phone town police of convict's coming. Receiving the message, chief of police leaves with coppers for town end of road, across which they stretch rope and await convict's auto. As the convict dashes down Main Street new pursuers spring up at every step. Yet when he reaches the opera house he calmly walks into the entrance and, facing his pursuers, takes a dignified stand beside the billboard on which is printed: 'Latest Moving Picture - Today's Feature - STUNG! or The Convict's Escape - A Roaring Comedy Now Showing.'" [1]
The writer of the scenario is unknown, but it was most likely Lloyd Lonergan. He was an experienced newspaperman employed by The New York Evening World while writing scripts for the Thanhouser productions. [2] The plot is a clever advertising scheme employed by a theatre manager to draw patrons and using an elaborate series of events in order to accomplish that effect. Once "the convict" is identified and the chase begins, he receives assistance in prolonging the chase until arriving at the theatre where the crowd purchases tickets for the show. [1] The film director is unknown, but it may have been Barry O'Neil. Film historian Q. David Bowers does not attribute a cameraman for this production, but at least two possible candidates exist. Blair Smith was the first cameraman of the Thanhouser company, but he was soon joined by Carl Louis Gregory who had years of experience as a still and motion picture photographer. The role of the cameraman was uncredited in 1910 productions. [3] The only role in the cast which is known is for Marie Eline as the little girl. [1] The other cast credits are unknown, but many 1910 Thanhouser productions are fragmentary. [4] A surviving film still gives the possibility of identifying two actors. [5]
The split-reel comedy, approximately 1000 feet long with A Husband's Jealous Wife included, was released on September 23, 1910. [1] Advertising for the film was a bit mixed as to whether or not it was a comedy or a drama, stating, "You have no idea as to how marvelously a Thanhouser can twist a story until you see this gripping dra - well, perhaps, it isn't a drama at that - or a comedy even. We hate to tip you off as to WHAT it is. When you see the picture, with its totally unlooked-for climax, you'll know why!" [1] Bowers would later term this as more of the slapstick comedy that Edwin Thanhouser said the company would not produce. [6] The film likely had a wide national release, known advertising theatres include Indiana, [7] and Kansas. [8] The film was also shown in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. [9] One theater advertisement may have confused this film with another because it lists this film as a western film. [10]
Reviews for the film were positive and focused on the novel methods used to attract the audience to the theater. The Moving Picture World stated, "A burlesque picture which becomes more thrilling as it proceeds. The convict is supposed to have escaped and the way he is chased and surrounded bodes no good for him. But somehow he manages to elude the steadily increasing army of pursuers until they are gathered around him, when he calmly shows a motion picture announcement, and the reason for all this melee, in which the whole countryside took part, becomes apparent." [1] The requirement that the fleeing "convict" be continually assisted as a part of the plot may have been lost on The New York Dramatic Mirror reviewer. The reviewer writes, "Perhaps, in real life, things might not happen so luckily for the convict unless the carriage, the boat and the automobile were previously arranged for him. Even then, Fate might conceivably have some disagreeable card up her sleeve. In the film, at any rate, everybody bit nicely. They pursued the escaped convict in increasing crowds until he led them to the theatre he was advertising. There they all obligingly bought tickets to the show and, no doubt, enjoyed it hugely. They did if it was as good as the film is. The least interesting sections of the film are the telephone messages exchanged by agitated police officials; but they set off the livelier adventures of the convict with agreeable contrast." [1] Walton of The Moving Picture News identified the set up and assistance to "the convict" and states,"In spite of the Thanhouser folk joining in the racket and the peculiar readiness of carriage and automobile and boat to help the gentleman in a costume, not used in this state for some two years, the audience did not 'catch on.' When the revelation came, at the door of the New Rochelle picture show, the theatre rang with laughter. We were all 'stung' and we enjoyed it." [1]
The Pasha's Daughter is a 1911 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film based on a true story. The film focuses on an American named Jack who is traveling in Turkey. He befriends an aged Turk and is arrested as a conspirator against the government. His first attempt to flee the jail failed, but the second succeeds. Jack flees into the courtyard of the Pasha and is hidden from the guards by the Pasha's daughter. Disguised as a woman, Jack makes his escape with her aid, but she refuses his offer to flee with him. A year later, the Pasha's daughter is ushered in and announces that she wants to be his bride.
The Thanhouser Company was one of the first motion picture studios, founded in 1909 by Edwin Thanhouser. It operated until 1920. It produced over 1,000 films, but several dozen of the films were of small filler subjects, educational or documentaries. Many of these smaller subjects were listed as a quarter or half a reel in length and received very little critical review or analysis by film critics and the media.
The Writing on the Wall is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. Directed by Barry O'Neil from a script by Lloyd Lonergan, this presumed lost film focuses on a young girl named Grace who becomes attracted to a wealthy man named Jack. Two men, named Turner and Hank plot to rob Jack after he withdraws a large sum of money from a bank, but Grace warns him of a plot to drug him. Jack escapes and marries Grace. The film has no known trade publication reviews, but reviews may exist for this film. Theaters were advertising this film as late as 1913.
The Governor's Daughter is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The story details a convict who is being sent to prison when the train is wrecked and the sheriff escorting him is killed. The convict frees himself, but halts his escape to save the life of a little girl. As he returns the girl to her nurse, a policeman identifies and recaptures him. Later the little girl accompanies her father, the governor, on a tour of the prison and the father pardons the hero-convict. The film included scenes of a real train wreck and the scenario was written around the filming of the disaster. The film received praise for the before and after scenes which were described as shocking to The Moving Picture World's reviewer. The film was released on June 24, 1910, and was shown as far away as Australia. The film is presumed lost.
Tempest and Sunshine is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film is an adaptation of Mary Jane Holmes's 1854 novel Tempest and Sunshine, and features the deceptive Tempest and the benevolent Sunshine being wooed by a Dr. Lacey. Tempest and Bill Jeffreys conspire against Sunshine. By intercepting the lovers' letters the doctor instead decides to marry Tempest, but Jeffreys interrupts the ceremony to reveal the conspiracy. The doctor and Sunshine are reunited. The novel was a popular subject of plays and vaudeville, but the Thanhouser adaptation appears to be the first film version for it predates the adaptations in The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Released on June 28, 1910, the production received a favorable review in The Moving Picture News. The film is presumed lost.
Gone to Coney Island and Booming Business are two 1910 American silent short comedy productions by the Thanhouser Company. Both were released together on a single film reel on July 5, 1910. Gone to Coney Island is a comedy that features Coney Island, which the mere subject would make for a successful film. Booming Business may have been the very type of slapstick comedy that Edwin Thanhouser specifically said the Thanhouser Company would not produce. The productions of both films have no credits for the cast or crew, but possible candidates for these roles exist. Reviews of the films favored Gone to Coney Island, but some reviewers specifically refused to explain the plot because Coney Island subjects were deemed self-explanatory. Booming Business received one detailed review in The New York Dramatic Mirror which was negative. The films are presumed lost.
Jenks' Day Off is a 1910 American silent short comedy produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film follows Mr. Jenks who drafts a telegram to himself as an excuse to get a reprieve from boredom and his wife's requests. He walks along the beach and finds a secluded spot to go swimming. A convict in women's clothing swaps his clothes with Jenks and Jenks has no choice to but to wear the discarded clothes. On his way back, he answers a call for help and is mistaken for the robber. He is captured and has to explain the circumstances which lead to an awkward situation. Production and casting credits for the film are unknown, but likely Thanhouser staff offer possible identities of the writer and actors. The film was released on August 2, 1910 and was met with approval by the trade publication. The film is presumed lost.
The Restoration is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on Hugh Logan, a single father who leaves his little girl, May, at home when he goes on a business trip. On the way to the city he is attacked by robbers and left in the road. He is found and taken in, but he suffers from amnesia. He falls in love with Maud Neals and proposes to her. Due to the prolonged absence of her father, May is taken to an orphan asylum, but she escapes. May goes to the city and ends up stopping to sleep on the doorstep of the Neals' home. Maud finds her and takes her in, where Logan recognizes his daughter and his memory comes back. Little is known of the production credits, but the film does feature Marie Eline as the little girl. It was released on August 5, 1910 and was met with mixed reviews. The film is presumed lost.
The Mad Hermit is a 1910 American silent short drama film produced by the Thanhouser Company. The story focuses on Harry Willard, who becomes a hermit after his wife and daughter leave him. He spends a quarter of a century in isolation, but he stumbles across a runaway carriage and the woman tosses her baby to him. He runs into the wilderness and prepares to kill it, but he stays his hand when he sees the baby's locket. The parents survive the carriage crash and seek out the hermit, and it is revealed that the baby's mother is the daughter of Harry Willard. Created by a staff of twenty, it was the first film to be produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film was released on August 9, 1910, after the success of the company was ensured, and met with positive reception by critics. The film is presumed lost.
The Latchkey is a 1910 American silent short comedy produced by the Thanhouser Company. The premise of the plot focuses on two businessmen who are friends Will and John. Will gives John the key to his apartment so he had stay there while Will goes on vacation. The landlady of the house leases the apartment to two ladies. John decides to go to Will's apartment and lets himself in with the key and finds the two girls asleep. They awake and take him for a burglar and threaten to kill him and John pleads for mercy instead of addressing the misunderstanding. John is later revealed to be her employer after he is caught opening a safe in the office the next morning. The film was released on August 26, 1910 and was met with positive reviews by the trade publications. The film is presumed lost.
An Assisted Elopement is a 1910 American silent short comedy produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on Gladys and Charlie who meet each other on the train home and they become romantically interested in each other. It turns out their parents are friends and wish for them to get married, souring the relationship between them. In a ploy to get their children to elope, the fathers become bitter enemies in public and the couple elopes much to their enjoyment and intention. A surviving film still shows several of members of the cast, including Frank H. Crane, Violet Heming, and Alphonse Ethier. The film was released on August 30, 1910, and saw a wide national release. The film is presumed lost.
The Doctor's Carriage is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The plot is a melodrama that features Marie Eline in the starring role. The film begins with Max, an old musician who has two daughters, one of whom is blind. Max becomes ill and dies and without a mother to raise them, the younger daughter cares for her older sister, but they are homeless and poor. The little girl begs a doctor to restore her sister's vision and he proposes to her. The film was released on September 9, 1910, and was met with praise from reviewers. The film saw a wide national release and was also shown in Canada, Britain and Australia. The film is presumed lost.
Not Guilty is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on Harry Martin who bids goodbye to his blind mother before he leaves the house and soon encounters a fleeing thief. The thief deposits a stolen purse into Harry's pocket and the police promptly discover and arrest Harry. They take him back to his home where he bids goodbye and is jailed. His blind mother becomes ill, under the false belief that her son is away on a journey. After he learns of this, he breaks out and returns home. The police surround and search the house and Harry flees to another building on a clothesline. Successfully having eluded the police, Harry buys a paper the following morning and discovers that the real thief has turned himself in. The film is known for its early use of a close-up shot to portray the complex action of the thief depositing the purse into Harry's pocket. The film was released on September 20, 1910 and met with mixed reviews. The film survives in the Library of Congress archives.
Home Made Mince Pie is a 1910 American silent short comedy produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film is a comedy of circumstances, in which the Gale family is going to host a dinner. The focus of the humor is in a mince pie that brandy is added to in an attempt to make it more appreciable, but three people each add brandy to the pie. Everyone becomes tipsy upon eating the pie, including the family cat, and the film concludes. No cast or staff credits for this film are known. The film was released on September 27, 1910, to mixed reviews in trade publications. Reviewers mentioned that the film was too long and it was unbelievable that one pie split eight ways would be able to impact everyone. The film is presumed lost.
Dots and Dashes is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. May Wilson is a telegraph operator and Jack Wilson is the head bookkeeper of the brokerage office. May teaches Jack how to use Morse Code. At the end of the day is called to into the office and learns that something is wrong with the books and he quickly finds the guilty party and confronts him. While he leans into the safe, Bill pushes him inside and locks the safe before fleeing. May, who is waiting for Jack, goes to the office and searches for him. Hearing groans from the safe, she knows he is in danger and uses Morse code to learn the combination and free him. Later, Bill returns to the scene to see if Jack is dead. As he opens the door, the police pop out of the safe and arrest him. The film was released on September 30, 1910 and was met with mixed reviews for the improbable plot and the inaccurate Morse code being tapped out on screen. The film is presumed lost.
Avenged is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film is a melodrama focusing on John Warren, a young clerk, who is struck by a taxi cab while crossing the street. The chauffeur who struck him, Allen, decides to flee as a crowd gathers around John. Allen ditches his taxi on a country road and takes a train, successfully escaping. Six years later, the poor, ill and crippled John has become a timekeeper in a mining town. John's wife, who has taken care of him, sickens and dies. Allen, unaware of John's identity, attempts to comfort him and listens to John's story. After learning Allen wrecked his life, John attempts to shoot him, but the specter of his wife stays his hand. John goes to her grave, forgives Allen, and dies. No cast or production credits are known for this film. Released on October 7, 1910, the film was a distinct departure from other Thanhouser releases and was sharply criticized by reviewers. The film is presumed lost.
Delightful Dolly is a 1910 American silent short comedy produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film follows Marie Allen, an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather, who sees a large doll in the window of the shop. At night, she sneaks out to visit the shop with the doll, but finds it gone. She sneaks into the shop and ends up hiding in the box, to prevent from being discovered by the store clerk. She is taken to the home of the rich little girl, Daisy. After taking the doll's clothes, Marie hides in the box as Daisy approaches. When Daisy opens the box, Marie acts like a doll. When Daisy takes a break for food, Marie secretly takes the food and drink much to Daisy's bewilderment. Marie's grandfather arrives at the home and explains the situation and Marie receives the doll from the family. Little is known about the production or cast of the film, but Marie Eline played the role of Marie. The film was released on October 14, 1910 and was met with some praise in trade publications. The film is presumed lost.
The Girls He Left Behind Him and The Iron Clad Lover are two 1910 American silent short comedies produced by the Thanhouser Company. Both films were originally released together on a single reel and are two distinct and separate subjects. The Girls He Left Behind Him focuses on a young man, Jack Redfern, who receives a letter from an old sweetheart of his. This prompts him to reminiscence about all the girls he has had affections for on the eve of his wedding. All the old sweethearts of his life then appear at his wedding to wish him well. The Iron Clad Lover concerns two suitors who are vying for the affections of Bessie. Tom, who plays a game of chess with her father, ends up quarreling with him and he is thrown out of the house. The next day, Tom attempts to bring flowers and candy for Bessie's birthday, but is dismissed by the angry father. Tom decides to dress up in a suit of armor and ends up breaking a vase when trying to announce himself. The suit of armor is thrown out and Bessie and the other suitor chase down the junk dealer to free Tom from the suit of armor. Both films were released on December 9, 1910 and were met with positive reviews by The Moving Picture World and the New York Dramatic Mirror. Both films are presumed lost.
John Halifax, Gentleman is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film is the first film adaptation of Dinah Maria Mulock Craik's popular novel John Halifax, Gentleman and stars Martin Faust as John Halifax. The film focuses on John Halifax, an orphan who is taken in by a rich Quaker, Abel Fletcher. After a period of five years, John has becomes a foreman and he and Fletcher's invalid son, Phineas, have become good friends. Despite Fletcher's objections, John takes Phineas to the theatre. The trip is too much for Phineas and John carries him home, Fletcher becomes irate and drives John out of the house. Fletcher is soon confronts a mob of workers after closing the mill and throws the bags of grain into the river. John saves the life of Fletcher and his son and marries Ursula, the daughter of the richest man in town. The production credits are unknown, but the film was not directed by Theodore Marston. The film was released on December 2, 1910 and was met with mixed reviews. The film is presumed lost.
Everybody Saves Father and The Only Girl in Camp are two 1910 American silent short films produced by the Thanhouser Company. Both films were released together on a single reel on January 10, 1911. Everybody Saves Father is a comedy focusing on a father whose life is planned to be saved by a succession of his daughter's suitors. The plan of each of the three men work, foiling the attempts of the other, but a four suitor has wed the daughter whilst the scheming was done by the others. The Only Girl in Camp is a drama film focusing on the only girl in a mining town who foils an armed robbery with the use of bear traps. In 2009, The Only Girl in Camp was identified and deposited into the Library of Congress for preservation. The only known credits for the production come from film stills from the film. The reviews for Everybody Saves Father were positive, but The Only Girl in Camp was met with more or less neutral reception.