Conductor 786

“The film is a real novelty and one possessing much comedy of a very clean sort. Riley Chamberlin as the old conductor gives a particularly pleasing characterization of a part that has been adorned with many opportunities for fun making on an intelligent plane. Mr. Chamberlin is funny to look at, anyway, and added to this in the present instance he has brought out all there is in the part without descending to cheap tricks of the stage. The story itself is an amusing one, concerning the son of the old conductor, who is picked up by a big league team as a pitcher, leaving the old man alone in the home. Jack, the son, a year later marries the ‘swell’ girl and tells his father that he must move to the hotel where the young couple live, as he does not want his wife to know that his father is a streetcar conductor. But the old man, proud of his distinction of being the oldest conductor in the line, secretly keeps his job and steals out of the hotel in the early morning to report for duty. That afternoon Jack and his wife board the car in which the old man is working and becomes very angry with him. But their request that he leave his job are unavailing, so finally the son writes to the superintendent of the road, explains the case to him and asks him to discharge the father. This is done, but the other conductors threaten to strike if the popular old man is not taken back, and the superintendent accedes to their demands. And when later Jack and his wife try to board his car, Conductor 786 tells them to take the next one. The cast is well balanced and the settings good.”

“In Conductor 786 a strong comedy vein develops. The old conductor has a son who is a big league ball player and wins a woman with some money and no sense. The groom fears to have the bride learn his father’s occupation. Unable to persuade his father to give up the job he loves, the son persuaded the superintendent of the road to do him the favor of discharging his own parent. ‘If you love me,’ said the son to the superintendent, ‘Fire father!’ But the superintendent has a hard job doing it. He really tells the old man that his services are no longer needed, but all father’s old friends on the line get together and see the superintendent about it. The scene [accompanying the article] shows the indignation meeting in the railroad man’s office. While it was going on, the old conductor stood meekly by, with tears in his eyes. This latter circumstance settled the superintendent. He ordered the veteran to take out his car as usual. You couldn’t blame the official. He was between so many fires that he just didn’t know how to move!”

“William B. Wheeler, superintendent of the Westchester Electric Railway Company, will take a day off tomorrow, something unusual for him. They had war maneuvers in Connecticut last week, but Wheeler and his trolleymen are to take Glen Island by storm. He posed for superintendent in Thanhouser’s 900 foot reel, Conductor No. 786, which will be run off at the island. The story is thus told: “The old conductor has a son who is a big league ball player and wins a woman with some money and no sense. The groom fears to have the bride learn the father’s occupation. Unable to persuade his father to give up the job he loves, the son persuaded the superintendent of the road to do him the favor of discharging his own parent. If you love me, said the son to the superintendent, fire father. But the superintendent has a hard job doing it. He really tells the old man that his services are no longer needed, but all of father’s old friends on the line get together and see the superintendent about it. While the indignation meeting is going on in the railroad men’s office, the old conductor stands meekly by with tears in his eyes. This latter circumstance settles the superintendent. He orders the veteran to take out his car as usual. He was between so many fires that he just didn’t know how to move.

“’Just like Wheeler.’ all the boys will say when they see it. The Westchester Railway Superintendent and 20 of the road’s employees posed for the reel at the Westchester car barn, Pelham Dale Avenue and Wilkes Lane....”

“Here is a picturesque character and a true one—the conductor who gets gray, and the road’s serviceman gets so accustomed to his job he just can’t quit it. 786’s son tries to force him to quit, since said son has won money and social standing. Father can’t be forced or persuaded, and his stubbornness holds your close attention.”