Volume II: Filmography Volume II: Filmography
Advertisements from The Moving Picture World, May 4, 11, 18 and 25, 1912. (F-400, F410, F420, and F-430))
May 21, 1912 (Tuesday)
Length: 1 reel (see also Jess - Parts 2 and 3)
Character: Drama
Director: George O. Nichols
Assistant directors: David H. Thompson, Carl LeViness
Scenario: From H. Rider Haggard's novel of the same name
Cameraman: A.H. Moses, Jr.
Cast: Marguerite Snow (Jess), Florence LaBadie (Jess' sister, Bess), James Cruze (Captain John Neil), William Russell (Frank Muller, the treacherous Boer), Harry Marks, Harry Spear - (this cast listing is for the entire film; parts 1, 2, and 3)
Location: New Rochelle, New York; New Jersey; in and around the old Spanish fort at St. Augustine, Florida
Notes: 1. It was first announced that Jess would be released in two reels, and on Tuesday, May 28, 1912. Later, the film was expanded to three reels, with Reel 1 released on May 21, 1912 and Reels 2 and 3 on May 28, 1912. Each reel was given a separate title. 2. The May 18, 1912 issue of The Moving Picture World, which advertised this film, carried the last Thanhouser advertisement in that publication to bear the seal of the Motion Picture Distributing and Sales Company. Beginning with the issue of June 22, 1912, advertisements in that magazine bore the seal of the Film Supply Company of America, a new distributing company with the following schedule of releases: Monday (American, All Star, Comet), Tuesday (Thanhouser, Majestic, Gaumont), Wednesday (Reliance, Solax, Gaumont Weekly, American), Thursday (American, Gaumont, All Star), Friday (Thanhouser, Solax, Lux), Saturday (Great Northern, Reliance, Comet), Sunday (Thanhouser, Majestic). The first break with the Sales Company occurred in April, when Majestic departed. The Film Supply Company began distributing to exhibitors on May 27, 1912; Parts 2 and 3 of Jess, released on May 28, 1912, were the first Thanhouser films to be distributed by the Film Supply Company. 3. As was the case with The Cry of the Children, the film Jess was advertised extensively by Thanhouser for many weeks prior to its release. 4. Harry Spear was specifically identified as the studio manager for this film. 5. For biographical information on H. Rider Haggard, refer the filmography entry under She.
ADVERTISEMENT, The Moving Picture World, May 18, 1912:
"Each reel is a complete story in itself. Reel Two - Through the Boer Lines - and Reel Three - Jess, the Avenger - are released Tuesday, May 28. This, the first Tuesday's release, is the love portion of the story. The second Tuesday's releases are the war-and-adventure portion. Each portion may be booked separately, or they may be booked together."
ARTICLE by Gordon Trent, The Morning Telegraph, April 28, 1912:
"Concerning Jess, the next adaptation by the Thanhouser Company (released Tuesday, May 28), that concern has this to say: 'Jess as filmed by us, is in two reels. It was written by H. Rider Haggard, who wrote She, the 1911 Thanhouser star effort. The strength of She in mystery effects is paralleled by the strength of Jess in sensational effects. The burning of Silas Croft's home alone is worth going many miles to see. The special paper and booklets that are issued for all Thanhouser features will certainly be issued for this. The advertising exhibitor will make good easily with Jess since it is a big production, founded on a big, well-known story by a big, well-known author.'"
ARTICLE by Gordon Trent, The Morning Telegraph, May 5, 1912:
"Thanhouser burned down a house in New Rochelle last May for the film Flames and Fortune and Tuesday of last week they repeated the stunt, this time in New Jersey for Jess. Of course, the destruction of the home of Silas Croft, Jess' uncle, is the item for which the house was fired Tuesday. The conflagration was a huge success and should give a lot of thrill to the story. Thanhouser Company say they are filming Jess the way H. Rider Haggard wrote it and that it will prove even more popular than their She by the same author. They release Jess in two reels Tuesday, May 28."
ARTICLE, The Moving Picture World, May 11, 1912:
"They've gone and burned down another! Yes, another house; the one they sacrificed for the film Flames and Fortune last May didn't halt the Thanhouser house-burning activities at all. This time, Tuesday afternoon, to be exact, they fed a Jersey structure to the flames for Jess, their two-reel H. Rider Haggard release of Tuesday, May 28. The scene depicts the destruction of Silas Croft's home. Croft, you will remember, was the uncle of Jess. The blaze proved a thriller and will be the feature of the subject."
Note: This announcement was made before Jess was rescheduled for release in three reels - one of which was on May 21st and two of which were on May 28th.
SYNOPSIS (Part I), The Moving Picture World, May 25, 1912:
"Silas Croft was a kindly old Englishman who had a farm in South Africa. With him resided his two nieces, whom he had taken from their drunken, worthless father at a tender age. Jess, the elder, was brilliant and educated; Bess, the younger, was beautiful, but frankly admitted she did not possess the mental attainments of Jess. The two were great friends, and Jess, although the senior by only three years, had almost a motherly affection for her pretty little sister. Croft, finding old age stealing upon him, advertised for a partner, stipulating that he must be a gentleman. Probably it was the secret idea that the right man might come along and fall in love with his favorite, beautiful Bessie. Captain John Neil, an English army officer, who had found his income insufficient to support him in his profession, heard of the business opportunity and accepted it. Jess, the unimpressionable, speedily fell in love with him, and her womanly intuition told her that she could win him, for he was fascinated by her. The girl was happy for awhile, but suddenly learned that her little sister was also in love with the handsome gentleman. The elder sister realized that happiness for her meant sorrow, probably lifelong sorrow, for Bess. Accustomed to making sacrifices for the girl she so tenderly loved, Jess made another. On a pretext of a visit to an old school friend, she absented herself from home, knowing that Neil would be bound to fall in love with Bess, who is beautiful and amiable."
REVIEW, The Bioscope, November 28, 1912:
"The novels of Sir H. Rider Haggard are particularly well adapted to the requirements of the picture play, for, in most of his works the study of psychology is subordinated to the development of action, and its characterization is of that simple and direct kind which is certain of making its appeal without unduly taxing the intellectual faculties, either of the exponents or of their audience. In adapting the story of Jess the Thanhouser Company have been very successful in retaining the point of main interest, and bringing out the plot in a very effective manner. The play opens on the South African farm of Silas Croft, an Englishman, who lives there with his two nieces, Jess and Bess, between whom there is a very strong affection. An English officer, Captain John Neil, joins Croft as his partner, and it is soon evident that he has created a very favourable impression on both sisters. He is, at first, attracted towards Jess, but she, finding that her younger sister is rapidly falling in love with Neil, determines to leave the field open to her, and for this purpose goes for a long visit to a friend in Pretoria.
"It is during her absence that the first disquieting rumours of the Boer rebellion are heard, and Neil is dispatched by old Croft to escort Jess back to her home. A Boer farmer, named Muller, is an unsuccessful rival of Neil for Bess's affections, and, in revenge for his repulse, he accuses Croft of treasonable practices, and contrives to get the old man sentenced to death. Jess arrives at the farm the night before, in spite of desperate attempts on the part of Muller to prevent her, and, overhearing a proposal from his to procure the release of Croft, on condition that Bess consents to marry him, she determines that he himself shall die. Muller is so horror-stricken at her appearance, having believed that he had caused her death by drowning, that he throws himself over a cliff, and Jess succumbs to the exhaustion following her flight from Pretoria, her sister being united to Neil over her body.
"The two sisters both give very attractive performances, and the acting throughout is entirely adequate. The author does not present a flattering picture of the Boer forces, but as the villain is necessarily on their side, treachery and disregard of the recognised rules of war must be allowed to pass as necessary to the exigencies of the plot. The flight of Neil and Jess under the fire of the Boers is exciting in the extreme, and the catastrophe at the ford, where their wagon is overturned and they are carried away by a raging stream, is one of the finest pieces of realism we remember to have seen. This episode alone should attract lovers of real sensation. We are introduced to Oom Paul Kruger at his headquarters, and the camp scenes and the attack on the farm house are carried out with dash and spirit. But surely there are some real Negroes still left in South Africa - or have they all emigrated to America? In either case, it might have been possible to procure some farm hands who might have been more convincing in appearance, though their acting is excellent, and helps to fill in the detail of a very interesting and stimulating story."
REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, May 18, 1912:
"Jess, from the adventure story by H. Rider Haggard, is now a Thanhouser 'classic.' It is in three remarkable reels. The sun-kissed sands of Africa fairly glisten and the desert winds whirl almost out of the picture and around the spectators. Such an exhibition of realism, fit to nature, and stirring character portrayals are rarely seen on the screen. 'Jess' sympathetic, heroic, self-sacrificing, makes an appeal such as is difficult to shake off. She worms her way gradually but irresistibly and stands out in relief, a noble martyr to love and self-sacrifice. The exhibition of pantomime and portraying these varying emotions and characteristics is a revelation. The title role is taken by Marguerite Snow. Flo LaBadie plays the sister, Bess. James Cruze is powerful in the part of Captain John Neil, the Englishman, and William Russell gets real hatred from you as Muller, the treacherous Boer. Miss Snow and Mr. Cruze seem to take their lives in their hands in the scene depicting their escape from Muller through the ford. The wagon in which they cross the stream is overturned by the strong current, and Mr. Cruze pulls Miss Snow out from under the vehicle just in the nick of time and swims with her to safety. It is the deed of daring that is not encountered in the motion pictures every day.
"The subject is so filmed that the love story of Jess and Neil is given in the first reel, which is released May 21st, and the story of their wartime adventures appears in the second and third reels, which issue the Tuesday following, May 28th. The fire scenes in the latter portion of the picture, showing the destruction of Silas Croft's home, are very realistic; they are on a par with the fire scenes in Flames and Fortune, the house-burning Thanhouser sensation of last year. The picture takes on its highest degree of interest when Muller, whom Jess had rejected, is shown plotting the destruction of Jess in the man she loves, Neil. It is here that the overturned wagon figures. Jess and Neil are on their way to Pretoria, under official Boer protection supposedly, when Muller tricks the escort into thinking that Oom Paul Kruger wishes the couple killed. Crossing the stream, the Boer escort fire upon the pair and it is in the attempt to evade the musketry that the incident of the overturned cart occurs. Jess and Neil become separated and the girl reaches the farm of Croft, her uncle, alone. There she finds that the villain Muller has been ahead of her, that her uncle is a prisoner on a charge of treason. Muller, who is military head of the district, tells Bess that Croft will be convicted and hanged unless Bess consents to marry him. The girl, however, refuses; the court-martial is held and, when Jess arrives, her uncle is under sentence to die at dawn, a few hours away. There is no one to whom she can appeal, and Jess, grief stricken, decides to be her own avenger. And vengeance is hers in a way that is highly dramatic and highly moving-picturesque. The whole story is full of life and movement and holds the spectator's interest every minute."
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