The Stolen Invention | |
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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 Stolen Invention is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on John Deering, an inventor, whose invention interests Mr. Cobleigh. Deering rejects the small sum Cobleigh offers for the invention, so Cobleigh decides to drugs Deering. The effect of the drug makes him temporarily insane and Deering is sent to the asylum, Cobleigh than forges Deering's signature and secure the invention. Deering's daughter breaks her father out of the asylum and nurses him back to health. The girl's sweetheart, Tom, is a lawyer who takes Cobleigh to court and reveals the forgery through a stereopticon and Cobleigh is arrested. The film was released on September 16, 1910, and received neutral to negative reviews. The film is presumed lost.
Though the film is presumed lost, a synopsis survives in The Moving Picture World from September 17, 1910. It states: "John Deering is a poor inventor living modestly with his wife and only daughter. He has approached Mr. Cobleigh, a capitalist, with a proposition to share the profits of a new invention with him, providing that he (Cobleigh) furnish the capital to swing it. Cobleigh comes to see the model of Deering's invention and is greatly impressed with it. Cobleigh offers Deering a small amount of money for the invention, but Deering refuses to accept it. Then Cobleigh, having failed to get his invention by fair means, determines to secure it by foul. He drugs Deering, and the result of the poison is to make the inventor temporarily insane. While in this condition, Cobleigh has Deering transferred to an insane asylum. Then he forges the inventor's name to the bill of sale and thinks that his crime will never be discovered. Deering's daughter, Grace, failing to induce her sweetheart, Tom Reynolds, to aid in rescuing Deering, breaks into the asylum and takes her father out singlehandedly. She conveys him to a camp in the woods where her tender care restores him to health. Then she takes him home again and he demands his rights from Cobleigh. The latter denies that he owes Deering a cent, and the inventor goes to law. Tom, who acts as his counsel, shows by enlarged stereopticon views of the two signatures that Cobleigh had traced the one from the other. Cobleigh, overcome by the revelation of his crime, is arrested, and the Deering family and the faithful Tom are happy." [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 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] Cast credits are unknown, but many 1910 Thanhouser productions are fragmentary. [4] The Celluloid Couch does not include any credits and only a brief summary of the film in its filmography listing. [5] It is also listed in Psychotherapists on Film without further detailing onto the cast or credits. [6] A surviving film still gives the possibility of identifying the actors of Deering and his daughter. [7]
A reviewer for The New York Dramatic Mirror stated, "It is rather difficult to understand by what magic the two signatures are made to appear in the court room without human agency. They come and go in anything but legal fashion. Evidently their appearance is to be taken symbolically - not realistically." [1] The final part of the review is difficult to infer because the film is lost, but the synopsis states that a stereopticon was used. [1] A stereopticon, not to be confused with a stereoscope, is a type of slide projector that projects an image. According to the synopsis, the production employs one, or possibly two, stereopticon's to display the two different signatures to compare and reveal the forgery. The reviewer seems to state that the appearance as unnatural, perhaps referencing a dissolve effect. The ability to project with a dissolve was a known ability of more advanced stereopticons. [8] According to another reviewer the film included shots of Long Island Sound. [1]
The single reel drama, approximately 1,000 feet long, was released on September 16, 1910. [1] The film had a wide national release, with known theater advertisements in Pennsylvania, [9] Kansas, [10] Minnesota, [11] Washington, [12] North Carolina, [13] Arizona, [14] and Indiana. [15] The film was also shown in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada by the Province Theatre. [16] [17]
Reception for this film was mixed, but not praised highly in the three main trade publications. Walton of The Moving Picture News merely commented on how the water scenery and the reviewer for the Moving Picture World stated it was, "[an interesting domestic story, representing the machinations of a capitalist to secure a poor man's invention." [1] The most detailed review was the negative one published in The New York Dramatic Mirror which states, "This film is not so good as the Thanhouser trademark would lead one to expect. The story is long and rambling and the acting is not notable at any point. A drugged potion, a forged receipt, an escape from an insane asylum, and the confounding of the villain are the points around which the threads are woven. The result looks a good deal like crazy work. The sheer impossibility of the plot is not relieved by the details of the mounting or of the action. The wild escape from the lunatic asylum, the row across the river, and hiding in the woods, are all cut upon an absurd pattern. Probably for those who like highly seasoned drama the film will prove entertaining; for others it is too mellow." [1]
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.
Jane Eyre is a 1910 American silent short classic drama produced by the Thanhouser Film Corporation. Adapted from Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel, Jane Eyre, the film mirrors the events and plot of the original book. The writer of the scenario is unknown, but Lloyd Lonergan probably adapted the work. The film's director is often and erroneously claimed to be Theodore Marston, but Barry O'Neil or Lloyd B. Carleton are possible candidates. The cast of the film was credited, an act rare and unusual in the era.
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.
The Mermaid is a 1910 American silent short comedy produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on John Gary, a hotel owner, who wants to revitalize his business. After reading about a reported mermaid sighting, he has his daughter Ethel pose as a mermaid and gets a newspaper reporter to witness and photograph the mermaid. The publicity results in the hotel becoming famous, but Ethel eventually discloses the joke to the guests of the hotel in her mermaid suit. The film was released on July 29, 1910 and was met with mostly positive reviews. The film is presumed lost.
The Girl Reporter is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film follows two sweethearts, May and Will, who are reporters for the Daily Wave newspaper. Will leaves the newspaper to work as a secretary to Blake, the commissioner of public works. Blake takes a bribe and blames Will and fires him. May sets out to clear his name and becomes Blake's new secretary. May investigates and clears Will's name while proving Blake's corruption. The film was released on August 16, 1910 and saw a wide national release. The film received mixed responses from critics who liked the acting, but found issues with the staging and the plausibility of the plot. The film is presumed lost.
She Stoops to Conquer is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film is an adaptation of Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer, possibly adapted by Lloyd Lonergan. The scenario removes a subplot in favor of following Marlow who is sent by his father to court the daughter of an old friend of his. He encounters Tony Lumpkin, who directs him to the Hardcastle mansion, claiming it to be an inn. Hardcastle welcomes Marlow, but Marlow treats his host rudely, unaware of Hardcastle's identity. When the misunderstanding is rectified Marlow refuses to marry Hardcastle's daughter, for he has taken a liking to the maid servant. Caught in the act of making love to the maid by his father, the woman is revealed to be Hardcastle's daughter and all ends well. The film was released on August 19, 1910, but it received mix reviews by critics. 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.
Mother is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film is a melodrama that focuses with Will Allen who runs away from home after being violently abused by his stepfather and his mother keeps a candle lit for him to return home. Twenty years later, Will returns home after having become a successful lawyer, but cannot find his parents. Will later takes the case to defend a lady being prosecuted by a client company. After being successful he recognizes the lady as his mother and they are reunited. The film's cast included Anna Rosemond, Frank H. Crane and Carey L. Hastings, but other credits are uncertain. The film was released on September 6, 1910, and was met with mixed reviews. 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.
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.
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.
Leon of the Table D'hote is a 1910 American silent short comedy produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film follows Leon, a waiter at a table d'hote restaurant who is in love with Rosa, a French cashier at the same restaurant. Leon goes on vacation and poses as a foreign noble, attracts the interest of Violet Hope's mother as a suitable candidate to marry her daughter. While at the beach, Leon is knocked over by a breaking wave and Violet rescues him, earning Leon's gratitude. Rosa arrives after tracking Leon down and forces him to confess and return to the restaurant. Violet's mother then allows her daughter to marry the man of her choice. No cast or staff credits are known for the production. The film was released on October 4, 1910, and was met with praise by the reviewer of The New York Dramatic Mirror. The film is presumed lost.
Pocahontas is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The scenario was written by Lloyd Lonergan based on Lydia Sigourney's 1841 Pocahontas poem. The film is a retelling of the well-known story of Pocahontas, played by Anna Rosemond who saves the life of Captain John Smith, played by George Barnes. She is captured and held hostage by the English, converts to Christianity and marries Rolfe, played by Frank H. Crane. Pocahontas then sickens and dies, spending her last hours wishing to return to her native home. Released on October 11, 1910, the film was met with praise by most reviewers. It is believed that a replica of Hendrik Hudson's ship, Halve Maen, was used for the opening scene to establish the Jamestown landing. Though minor costuming and historical accuracy errors were pointed out, the film was praised as being of the highest quality of any Independent company. 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.
Oh, What a Knight! is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film follows a young woman, named May Brandon, who dreams a medieval fantasy in which she is wooed, rescued and married by a loyal knight. When she awakes, she dismisses her fiancé and tells him of her dream. He decides to become the knight of her dreams and dresses as one, but the experience is unpleasant and ruins her fantasy. There are no known staff or cast credits for the film, but a surviving film still shows three actors. The film was released on October 18, 1910 and was met with praise by The New York Dramatic Mirror. The film had a wide national release and was also shown in Canada, but is now presumed lost.
Their Child is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film begins with Ellen Stokes whose extravagant lifestyle is outside the means of the family. While their only son is hosting a birthday party, the husband informs Ellen that they are financially ruined because of her. Ellen attempts to get money from her uncle, who refuses, and a friend of the family soon comes to her aid with a loan. Ellen is deceptive in telling who provided the money and her jealous husband soon learns the truth. In anger, he takes the child and leaves. The child soon returns to Ellen and she whisks him away to a new home where she fails to obtain gainful employment. The son decides to sell newspapers for some money and in this job is recognized by his father, soon the family is reunited. Marie Eline played the role of "their child" and was likely so well disguised that the reviewer for The Nickelodeon believed her to be a boy. The film was released on October 21, 1910, and was met with positive reviews. The film is presumed lost.
The Fairies' Hallowe'en or The Fairies' Halloween is a 1910 American silent short comedy produced by the Thanhouser Company. The plot focuses on Marie, played by Marie Eline, as a young girl who plays with a jack-o-lantern crafted by her father. When she falls asleep, the girl dreams that she is invited by the Fairy Queen to their Halloween party. Her doll and pumpkin are given life and she enjoys the party. As she awakes, she mourns that it was all a dream, but was content for the experience. The film was advertised as a trick film and received mixed reception by reviewers. It was released on October 28, 1910, but records show that the film was still being shown in 1913. The film is presumed lost.
The Wild Flower and the Rose is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on Frank Wilson, the son of an inventor who has constructed a new airplane model. After failing to secure financing, his father suggests that he marry Rose, the daughter of his wealthy employer, to get the money they need. Jack rejects this idea because he is engaged to another woman, but he soon learns she does not love him. He heads out West to seek a fortune and is quickly successful. He returns to the aviation field and meets Rose again, after a successful flight she confesses to loving him. The cast and staff credits are unknown, but the film may have included scenes from the 1910 International Aviation Meet at Belmont Park One reviewer claimed that a Wright brothers flyer was also shown in full flight. The film was released on November 25, 1910, but is now presumed lost.