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1916Than-O-PlayThree reelsDrama

The Carriage of Death

No copy you can watch online. No print is known to survive. What follows is what does: the release, the cast, the story, and what the trade press said at the time.

The story

“Lives of the Italian peasants who till the fields in the vales of the Alps have always formed excellent material for writers of romance. Dramatists also have shown the fiery loves of these simple peasant folk in drama and opera. It is fitting, then, that the silent drama should also touch upon the famous vendetta. Such a theme has been ably adapted in the Thanhouser-Mutual three-part romantic drama, The Carriage of Death, featuring Marion Swayne in the role of an Italian peasant girl. Rose, according to the story, lost her parents when a mere child. She sought refuge with her uncle, who forced her to work in the fields rather than hire a man. One day she was seen by Signora Bella, the daughter of the wealthiest landowner in the valley, who befriends Rose and forces her uncle to take her out of the fields. The uncle seeks revenge and, with an accomplice, he plans to capture her and hold her for ransom. Rose overhears the plot and runs to warn the Signora. She is too late, and both girls fall into the bandit’s hands. Rose’s uncle demands a ransom. The girls are placed in a carriage and taken to a mountain fastness. After a series of thrilling adventures they are rescued through the assistance of Pedro, Rose’s youthful sweetheart. The bandits are given their just punishment, and the Signora sees to it that Rose will never have to till the fields again. Marion Swayne makes a charming Rose, and her work is sure to win the admiration of all who see this picture. She is ably supported by Bert Delaney, Morgan Jones and Gladys Dore.”

Summary from Reel Life · 22 April 1916

What the papers said

1 review

“A three-reel subject, by Clinton H. Stagg. The story concerns a Mexican girl, beloved by a young farmer, who helps her in the fields when her lazy father is drinking at the inn. The settings and costuming are good, but the characterizations, while pleasing enough, are hardly of the Mexican type. The plot is well worthwhile as it comes up …

Read in full · 1 min

“A three-reel subject, by Clinton H. Stagg. The story concerns a Mexican girl, beloved by a young farmer, who helps her in the fields when her lazy father is drinking at the inn. The settings and costuming are good, but the characterizations, while pleasing enough, are hardly of the Mexican type. The plot is well worthwhile as it comes up to a strong climax. The father has given orders to shoot the daughter and senorita if they try to escape in the carriage. Later he himself becomes the victims of his own assassins. The plot is stronger than the average offerings, in spite of some faults of presentation.”

Note: This reviewer thought Thanhouser was trying to portray Mexicans and missed the mark.

The Moving Picture World · 6 May 1916

Have you seen this film, or a print of it?

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Cast and crew

Cast
Bert Delaney as Pedro, her lover
Gladys Dore as Signora Bella, Signor’s daughter
Marion Swayne as Rose, a peasant girl
Morgan Jones as her uncle
Virginia Lee
William Burt as Signor
William P. Burt
Writer
Clinton H. Stagg

Every name opens that person's page, with each film they appear in and which of them you can watch.

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More about this film

Filmed in
Jacksonville, Florida

From Volume II: Filmography of Q. David Bowers’ Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History, reproduced with permission and unchanged. Read the history of 1916 →

Cite as: Bowers, Q. David. Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History, “The Carriage of Death”. thanhouser.org/films/the-carriage-of-death/

Where a print is held

Held by
No print known