Volume II: Filmography

FLYING TO FORTUNE

Advertisement from the Moving Picture World, March 7, 1912. (F-320)

March 12, 1912 (Tuesday)

Length: 1 reel

Character: Drama

Director: George O. Nichols

Cameraman: A.H. Moses, Jr.

Cast: Florence LaBadie (wealthy old man's daughter), James Cruze (her sweetheart), Marguerite Snow (the scheming aunt), George O. Nichols (lawyer), Joseph Graybill (invalid father), William Russell (the doctor)

Location: Florida

ARTICLE by Gordon Trent, The Morning Telegraph, March 3, 1912:

"Thanhouser Company must like airships! They're announcing another sky craft story; this one by their Florida stock company. A merchant dies, leaving a lot of money, and decrees in his will that his daughter must wed by a certain date his young business partner. In this, the father had his daughter's best interests strictly at heart, and the girl had no objection since the young partner was altogether a model young man. But there was objection, nevertheless, from a scheming aunt. She knows that if the girl can be prevented from marrying the young man before the date set in the will, the fortune reverts to herself, under the terms specified in the document. And to make the marriage impossible, she keeps the girl practically a prisoner on a lonely island. However, the young man learns everything and gets to the island just in time to rescue his lady love. How? Well, that's where the airship came in. He literally flew to fortune! Hence the picture has been called Flying to Fortune, and is found on the Thanhouser release schedule for Tuesday, March 12."

SYNOPSIS, The Moving Picture News, March 2, 1912:

"A wealthy old man, who has been a semi-invalid for years, is informed by his physician that his case is hopeless, and that death is only a matter of a few months. The invalid decides to 'put his house in order,' but is worried as to the future of the business that has won his fortune. Therefore, it is a matter of gratification to him when he sees that his only daughter and the young partner in whom he implicitly relies seem to be mutually attracted. The partner is called to Europe just before the doctor gives his verdict, but the invalid makes 'everything all right' in his will. At least, he believes so. He provides that the bulk of his estate shall go to the girl, if she marries the partner within one year of the hour of her father's death. Should she fail to comply, the property reverts to her father's sister. This unique document pleases the girl, and the partner is willing to carry the provision into effect, for he loves her. In fact, had it not been for the aunt, the entire affair would have been commonplace.

"The elder woman was jealous, however, and aided and advised by a dishonest lawyer who was in love with her, she plotted to win the fortune for herself. The girl's marriage was set for the last day of the year of grace. The afternoon before, she is spirited away by a ruse, and held prisoner on an island, owned by the aunt, the lawyer acting as jailer. The bridegroom-to-be searches for her in vain, but does not get a clue to her whereabouts until the time is nearly up. In fact, he knows it will be impossible to bring her back in time to save the fortune. But what a boat cannot do, an airship can, and a gallant aeronaut sails to the island, and flies back with the bride, and has time to spare. The lawyer follows in an auto, but is easily outdistanced."

REVIEW, The Morning Telegraph, March 17, 1912:

"This picture play is nothing if not modern, because it offers for view an automobile, a motor boat and an aeroplane, all genuine and all in fast action, each important as a part to the telling of the story. An old gentleman who is an invalid wills nine-tenths of his fortune to his child on condition that she marry his partner on a certain date, the fortune to revert to his sister if she fails to do so. The day of the marriage arrives, and the sister plots with her husband to prevent the marriage. She sends the girl to her home on an island for her suitcase, the girl being accompanied by her uncle. The motor boat leaves them stranded, and there are but fifteen minutes in which to return to the mainland and go through the marriage ceremony. The lover discovers the girl's absence, learns where she is, meets an aeroplanist and sends him after the girl. He finds her and brings her swiftly back to land and the fortune is saved. Much minor action helps tell the story. It is well staged, being taken in Florida. Is well acted and proves highly entertaining."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, March 23, 1912: This review is reprinted in the narrative section of the present work.

REVIEW, The New York Dramatic Mirror, March 20, 1912:

"The villains in this film are foiled by an aviator, who takes the heroine off the island away from the ruthless uncle in time to win her husband and thus save her fortune. The clear sea views along the beach and the flight of the aeroplane over the sea all tend to make an attractive and interesting picture, which has received graphic and natural treatment, both in acting and presentation. But in spite of all these artistic and pleasing points, one must confess to feeling that the situation itself is just a bit made to order. Her father's will stipulates that unless she marry his young partner within a year, the bulk of his fortune intended for her shall go to the sister. The partner, who is delayed in New York, returns on exactly the same day that the year is up, and the drama of the film consists in the manner in which the aunt and uncle [sic; should be lawyer] attempt to prevent the marriage. The uncle takes the girl to her home on the island for her suitcase, and bribes the boatswain to go off with the boat. If the young people are not married by 3:00, the girl will lose a fortune, but an aviator, a friend of the partner, whom the girl has also met, is making a trip over the island and he comes to the girl's aid. Thus the young man and his lady appear at the sister's house at quarter of an hour before the allotted time and are promptly married by a minister who happens to be calling on the sister."

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