Volume II: Filmography

CON, THE CAR CONDUCTOR

(Falstaff)

September 23, 1915 (Thursday)

Length: 1 reel (1,032 feet)

Character: Comedy

Scenario: Lloyd F. Lonergan

Cast: Riley Chamberlin (Con, the conductor), Barnett Parker (son of stockholder), George Barnes (stockholder)

Note: The length of 1,032 feet was exceptional for a single reel.

SYNOPSIS, Reel Life, September 25, 1915:

"Con, the car conductor, won the enmity of the son of one of the company's stockholders by refusing to charge the young fop's fare and by being further guilty of 'intolerable rudeness' by ousting the monocled son from the car, because he refused to pay. Naturally, Con found himself fired. But the superintendent told him to report to duty as usual, only that he advised the conductor to disguise himself, so that he would not be recognized by the stockholder or his son. A few days later, Con had a chance to get even. The son entered his car, but he did not recognize the conductor in his disguise. Seeing that the young man was really nearsighted, Con put a car sign right over the head of an old maid seated opposite the fellow. The old maid thought the son was ogling her, when he was in reality reading the sign. Con dropped a hint into the woman's ear to the effect that there was a policeman at the next corner. She decided to have the 'masher' arrested. At the same time, Con told the young man that he would help him escape, thus creating an opportunity to get 'in right' with the son. At the next corner he saw to it that the young man escaped in a car going in the opposite direction, and was promoted for his pains. But he had to keep on wearing his disguise so that the stockholder and his son would not know he was the man who had been fired."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, October 2, 1915:

"Riley Chamberlin plays the role of the conductor who had trouble with the son of one of the directors of the company over the paying of a fare. He disguises himself at the instigation of the superintendent and plays a trick on the young 'insolent,' which brings him a substantial raise in his salary. The comedy is very amusing."

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