Volume II: Filmography

OLD JACKSON'S GIRL

October 20, 1914 (Tuesday)

Length: 2 reels (1,797 feet)

Character: Drama

Director: James Durkin

Scenario: Philip Lonergan

Cameraman: Lawrence Williams

Cast: Morris Foster (Bob Davis), Mayre Hall (Beth Jackson), Dave Thompson (Jim Jackson), Justus D. Barnes, Claire Kroell, Everett Sherwood, C. John ("Jack") Sullivan, Billy Sullivan, Charles Mead, Gordon Hollingshead, Jock Gironda, Phil Brady

Location: Staten Island, New York

ARTICLE by David H. Thompson, The New Rochelle Pioneer, September 19, 1914:

"Last Saturday morning genial 'Jim' Durkin issued orders to mobilize at the New Haven Railroad station at 6 o'clock to proceed to South Beach, Staten Island, to take Old Jackson's Girl, a Western drama with Morris Foster playing the lead, Mayre Hall, Miss Claire Kroell, George Barnes as 'Candy' and myself as 'Old Jackson,' in the support. The troop, thirty strong, are enjoying good health and working hard. Sunday evening 'Jockey' Gironda, of Mamaroneck, one of the riders, was brought to trial, charged with 'keeping the boys awake the night before.' It seems that while 'Jock' was being initiated into the 'Doby Hut' gang, he hollered, thereby awakening Lawrence Williams, the cameraman, who therefore preferred charges.

"After supper the parlor of Rigaldi's Hotel was pressed into a courtroom and 'Billy' Sullivan was sworn in a judge while 'Jock' was tried for violating Article 47. A jury was selected and C.J. Sullivan acted as district attorney. I was counsel for 'Jock' and in selecting the jury I made it plain that any one favorable to the defendant would not be allowed to serve. The jury returned a true verdict of 'Guilty' as charged and the judge ordered that the prisoner be thrown into the fountain in front of the hotel. Gordon Hollingshead, who acted as sheriff, started to carry out the orders of the judge but in doing so, fell into the 'drink' with 'Jock.' Miss Kroell, while riding a horse, had a fall and after arising remarked: 'That makes me pretty sore.' Phil Brady asked her if she did the Lame Duck. Everett Sherwood started to show the girls of Staten Island some fancy riding, but the horse bucked and Ev dived over the horse's head. That night he was heard to sing while limping around, 'The next horse I ride on I'm going to be tied on.' Charles Mead says he is enjoying the Italian dishes at the hotel. He says he had 'guinea hen,' 'guinea pig' and at the breakfast table he suspected that the eggs were from the former."

SYNOPSIS, Reel Life, October 10, 1914:

"Jim Jackson is suspected by the ranchers of the surrounding country of being a horse thief, but they are unable to secure evidence against him. His very pretty daughter, Beth, is much attracted to Bob Davis, a young 'nester,' but when he shows that he is interested in Ruth Camby, the daughter of a wealthy ranchman, her admiration cools. Camby tries to discourage the newcomer, and Davis finds when he opposes her father, refusing to dispose of his property to him, that Camby's daughter has no longer any use for him. He is reluctant, however, to renew his attentions to Beth, as she is crude, with very little education. Jackson is caught on Camby's land, and in the fight which ensues, Camby is killed. Jackson, vindictive toward Davis, manages to saddle him with the appearance of having committed the crime, and Camby's cowboys take the law into their hands. Beth overhears the plot and rides to Davis' cabin in time to warn him. When their ammunition is nearly exhausted, she, unknown to him, disguises herself in a suit of his clothes, and, running from the house, leaps on his horse and rides off down the trail, the posse in hot pursuit. She is wounded. But, meanwhile, her father has been captured by the sheriff. Fatally hurt, he clears Davis of the crime. And the young man then realizes that Beth is worth a dozen Ruth Cambys."

REVIEW, The Bioscope, February 18, 1915:

"An artificial and rather unconvincing Western story, which contains plenty of fast action and effective situations, and which is admirably acted. The film introduces some exceptionally fine riding and is notable for its breezy and exhilarating pictures of hard open-air life. So far as the plot is concerned, it is rather difficult to understand why an innocent man should defend himself vigorously against the representatives of the law at the risk of committing wholesale murder. In a play of this kind, however, it is unnecessary to analyze the details of the story too closely. Among the clever people appearing in the film are Mr. David Thompson and Miss Claire Krall [Kroell], the latter of whom gives a particularly delightful performance."

REVIEW, The Morning Telegraph, October 18, 1914:

"The daughter of a horse thief saves the man she loves from the lynchers when he is suspected of having committed the crime of which her father is guilty. The latter confesses and the young fellow learns that Beth is worth a hundred Ruths."

REVIEW by Elizabeth Lonergan, The New York Star, October 28, 1914:

"Wild West pictures are not unusual these days, but Old Jackson's Girl presents many features that make it an out of the ordinary offering. The locations are of exceptional beauty (all taken within greater New York!), there are some unusual photographic effects, and the story is interesting throughout. It tells of the experiences of a young 'nestor' in the midst of a ranch country. His presence is resented, as ranches are considered better than mere farms, and he is ordered by the richest rancher in the neighborhood to sell out or move on. The rancher's daughter is in love with the young farmer, and it seems as if he will consider the offer. But another man has an attractive daughter, Old Jackson, a suspected horse thief, whose presence in the community is not desired at all. There is no tangible evidence to run him out of town, so the ranchers lay low waiting for the opportunity. It comes when the young nestor quarrels with the rich ranchman and is ordered off the place. On his ride homeward, he drops his pistol, which Jackson finds, later uses to kill the ranchman, who is also his enemy, and leaves beside the dead man. The body is found and the young man sought as murderer.

"As the posse starts off in search of him, one friend starts by a shorter route to warn the nestor. On the way he meets Betty, the daughter of the horse thief, and tells her the news. She rides ahead, and aids the man in his fight against the crowd which surrounds his house dramatically. She loads his pistol and gun for him and soon sees that ammunition is almost gone and capture very close. She decides to trick the posse, dresses in an old suit of his, creeps out the window and races off on horseback. The crowd follows and an exciting chase is seen. Over hills, down steep paths they race until capture seems certain. Then the boy takes a hand. Discovering Betty's disappearance, he quickly guesses what she has done and joins the pursuit. Then by a clever use of the 'cutback' we are introduced to another angle of the story. The real murderer tells his friend of the crime, describing his attempt to implicate the nestor. His friend is disgusted, then seized with a desire to save his own skin should there be trouble, and goes to the sheriff. He betrays Jackson's confession, and the sheriff decides to take action at once.

"There are some very clever bits of sky-line work, and long distance effects that add much to the beauty of the photographs. The pursuing figures appear at times as specks upon the horizon, then grow larger and right into the foreground, but at no time are they enlarged. This adds to the picturesqueness. The story concludes with the capture of Betty and the discovery of her identity, the change of pursuit to Jackson, and the exciting fight between the men and himself, seen at long distance. His death is dramatically shown. His hand has been seen firing at the others, suddenly his arm jerks down and disappears, and no more shots are fired from the pit. The girl and her lover are shown at the last riding out together on horseback, and the title 'After the Wedding' tells of the happy ending to the Wild West play. The two-reel scenario is by Philip Lonergan, directed by James Durkin, and the players include Morris Foster, Mayre Hall, Claire Kroell, and David Thompson."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, October 31, 1914:

"A two-reel number written by Philip Lonergan, with David Thompson and Mayre Hall in the cast. The story is an ordinary Western one, the strongest features being the excellent photography, pleasing scenery and a good general atmosphere of the plains country. The hero is falsely accused of a crime committed by the girl's father. He and the girl take refuge in the cabin, which they defend from pursuing cowboys. The girl dresses in male attire and leads the cowboys on a false chase. Later the hero is captured and she contrives to save him."

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