1915Thanhouser CompanyOne reelWestern

The Twins of the G.l. Ranch

A frame from The Twins of the G.l. Ranch

11:44 running time · Score: Nathan Avakian · theatre organ · Vimeo uses cookies · Privacy

Why watch it

12 minutes, and what to watch for

Their father sells some horses and when the thieves come, the "Thanhouser Twins" (Marion and Madeline Fairbanks) save the day.

The story

“The aged owner of G.L. Ranch lived with his only surviving relatives, his twin granddaughters. The ranchman was crippled by a severe case of rheumatism on the day that an agent of an Eastern concern called. This man was authorized to purchase a considerable number of horses, providing that the prices and stock were satisfactory. Accompanied by one of the twins, he visited the corral, picked out the animals he wanted, and returned to the ranch house ready to pay in cash. The old man accepted the offer, and the money, a considerable sum, was paid over to him in large bills.

“One of the girls went to the door with the buyer when he departed, and just as he rode away, she noticed two rough looking men approaching the house. This aroused her suspicions, and later when she saw one of them peering in the window, while her grandfather counted his money, she became convinced that some crime was contemplated. Her sister was in the other room at the time, and the girl quickly thought up a plan to save the money. She picked up her big doll and told her grandfather that the money would be more safely hidden in the dress of her doll and that she would hide it in her closet. She then left the room with the doll, going into the kitchen where her sister was. At the same instant the men outside leaped into the front room through the window. The girl locked the door behind her, took the money from the doll, hid it in her dress, handed the doll to her twin, telling her to let no one take it, and then escaped through the rear door while the outlaws were busily engaged in beating down the door from the sitting room. The men did not know there were two little girls, and when they saw the child cowering in the corner, the doll in her arms, they thought their hunt was over, but the girl suddenly jumped to her feet, and rushed out of the house, followed by the men. It was a short chase, ending at the edge of a cliff, where the girl despairing of escape, threw the doll over the brink. One man held her, while the other went for the toy, which he recovered with difficulty. He returned to his companion in an extremely angry mood, explaining that they had been tricked, and that the money was not on the doll. Then they roughly questioned the girl. A moment later, a posse rode on, headed by the other twin, and the crooks were easily captured.”

Summary from The Moving Picture World · 25 September 1915

What the papers said

1 review

“This features the Fairbanks twins. Their father sells some horses, and when thieves come one of the twins places the bills inside her doll. The other goes for help. The plot is not very new, but is well acted and the story gets up considerable suspense.”

The Moving Picture World · 25 September 1915

Cast and crew

Marion Fairbanks as the twins of G.L. Ranch

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More about this film

Bowers’ notes

In a few listings, the second “the” in the title was omitted.

Posters and media
Still for The Twins of the G.l. Ranch. A frame from The Twins of the G.l. Ranch (1915), from the Thanhouser restoration on Vimeo.Still for The Twins of the G.l. Ranch. A frame from The Twins of the G.l. Ranch (1915), from the Thanhouser restoration on Vimeo.Still for The Twins of the G.l. Ranch. A frame from The Twins of the G.l. Ranch (1915), from the Thanhouser restoration on Vimeo.Still for The Twins of the G.l. Ranch. A frame from The Twins of the G.l. Ranch (1915), from the Thanhouser restoration on Vimeo.7 items for this film in the gallery

From Volume II: Filmography of Q. David Bowers’ Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History, reproduced with permission and unchanged. Read the history of 1915 →

Cite as: Bowers, Q. David. Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History, “The Twins of the G.l. Ranch”. thanhouser.org/films/the-twins-of-the-g-l-ranch/

Where copies are held

Completeness
Unknown
Restored by
2015
Scored by
Nathan Avakian · theatre organ