Volume II: Filmography

THE FUGITIVE

Working title: THE PRETTY FUGITIVE

(Pathé Exchange)

August 13, 1916 (Sunday)

Length: 5 reels

Character: Drama; "Thanhouser Classic"; Pathé Gold Rooster Play

Director: Frederick Sullivan

Scenario: Philip Lonergan

Cameraman: Charles W. Hoffman

Cast: Florence LaBadie (Margery Carew), Hector Dion (William Cleves, a villain), Ethyle Cooke (Anna Prentice), Robert Vaughn, George Marlo (James Gray), Joseph H. Phillips, Dorothy Benham, Samuel M. Niblack

Notes: 1. In initial advertising and publicity during the first part of 1916, this film was intended to be the first in a series of releases to be known as "Thanhouser Classics." It was scheduled for release on March 16, 1916, but it was rescheduled on the Mutual Program to June 15, 1916 (c.f. an article in The Moving Picture World June 3, 1916). However, it was postponed, and then postponed again, until it was announced (c.f. The Moving Picture World, August 5, 1916) that The Fugitive would be the first Thanhouser release, as a Gold Rooster Play, on the Pathé Exchange, Inc. program. By that time, the designation "Thanhouser Classic" had been dropped. In early August it was stated that the second Gold Rooster Play by Thanhouser would be Hidden Valley, but this did not come to pass. 2. The rooster was the trademark of Pathé. The Gold Rooster Plays were features produced by various companies, Thanhouser included, for release through the Pathé Exchange, Inc. 3. Various premature and erroneous release dates for this film appeared in schedules. Such dates included June 15, 1916, July 1916, and August 14, 1916.

ARTICLE, The Moving Picture World, April 29, 1916:

"The Fugitive is called a thrilling story, departing from the conventional standards of dramatic construction. The eternal triangle is omitted, there is no outraged innocence, in fact, all of the old standbys of the thrill-maker are avoided. Instead, there is a novel plot treatment, revealing the ingenuity of Mr. Lonergan and his skilled director Frederick Sullivan in achieving surprising results. With Hector Dion as the villain and Ethyle Cooke as the second lead, Miss LaBadie is promised the best of support."

ARTICLE, The Moving Picture World, August 5, 1916:

"The Fugitive, a drama starring Florence LaBadie, and Hidden Valley, a tale of South African adventure, featuring Valkyrien, are the first five-reel features that Thanhouser will release under the new arrangement with Pathé. Miss LaBadie's latest vehicle is by Philip Lonergan, directed by Frederick Sullivan, and is the story of a girl who takes the blame for a murder she did not commit and who is apprehended after the death of the only witness who could prove her innocence. The heroine is freed by a circumstance novel and unexpected. Miss LaBadie is supported by Ethyle Cooke and George Marlo. An exciting factory fire is one of the big scenes in the production. The Fugitive will be released on August 13."

SYNOPSIS, The Moving Picture World, September 2, 1916:

"Margery Carew and her widowed sister, Anna Prentice, find themselves penniless through the dishonesty of their guardian. Both young women obtain employment in the same office. James Gray, the junior partner in the firm, falls in love with Margery, and William Cleves, the senior partner, casts lustful eyes at the elder sister. Anna agrees to go to Cleves' home to take dictation from him. While there Cleves attacks her, and, in defending herself, Anna kills him. Worried at her sister's absence, Margery arrives at the Cleves' home just as Anna is fleeing. The younger sister forces the elder to permit her to take on herself the blame for Cleves' death, explaining that Anna owes it to her little child to live. Margery goes to the West and marries.

"Years later Margery's husband goes to New York, where his watch is stolen by a pickpocket. The thief is arrested and Margery's picture is found in the watch. The police recognize the photograph as that of the young woman they had been seeking for the murder of Cleves. A fake telegram asserting that her husband is ill lures Margery to New York, where she is arrested. Previous to this Margery's elder sister and the latter's child had been killed by an automobile. Margery, though, is so loyal to the memory of her sister that she refuses to tell the true circumstances of Cleves' death even under the merciless questioning of the police. The policeman who had seen her leaving Cleves' home on the night of the tragedy is enmeshing Margery in a net of circumstantial evidence when a veiled woman, dressed just as Margery was the night of the murder, enters the room. The policeman recognizes the clothing. Suddenly the newcomer looks at the veil and is revealed as Gray, the junior partner. He confesses that it was he who killed Cleves. Margery attempts to expostulate with Gray and refuses to accept his sacrifice, but he tells her that he is doing little. He is the victim of a deadly malady, he says, and his physicians have given him only a month to live. Learning this, Margery accepts Gray's offer and returns to her husband to live the perfect happiness they had been enjoying."

REVIEW, Exhibitors Herald, August 12, 1916:

"As a whole: excellent; story: clever; star: her best; cast: good; settings: good.

"If Thanhouser continues to produce such good pictures as this for the Pathé program the addition of this producing company to the Pathé roster will be an innovation to be thought of with joy by all picture fans. It is quite up to Gold Rooster standard, which is bestowing the highest praise to it, as those who are familiar with Gold Roosters will know. The story is a remarkably ingenious one. It deals with a murder, a subject which is a favorite for films, but which is usually handled rather poorly. The ingenuity of the plot here and the clever working out of the situations redeems it from being merely a murder story. It is a story of unusual sort.

"The murder is committed by one of two sisters. The other, the younger sister, takes the blame for the crime, and becomes a fugitive from justice to save her sister. Later the real guilty one dies. The fugitive is left without any means of proving her innocence. Surely a situation presenting considerable possibilities for dramatic development. The ending is a bit unsatisfactory and isn't at all in keeping with the rest of the story. The girl escapes punishment by turning the guilt over to a man who is about to die anyway, so that his conviction makes no difference. Which is remarkably weak. This does not interfere with one's enjoyment of the whole play, however. One is a little disappointed, to be sure, but no one would demand his money back. Florence LaBadie does her best work in the role of the fugitive. It is a difficult role, calling for exceptional abilities, and Miss LaBadie shows for the first time, so far as we remember, that she has those abilities. The cast, settings, lighting and other contributing elements are all of the highest sort."

REVIEW by Agnes Smith, The Morning Telegraph, July 30, 1916: This review is reprinted in the narrative section of the present work.

REVIEW by Frederick W. Rath, Motion Picture Mail, July 29, 1916:

"Murder stories, ingeniously handled and capably acted, are measurably certain to satisfy the average spectator. The reason isn't hard to find. Stories of that type have a fascination possessed by no other kind. This is a murder story - not, however, a mystery story, in the strictest sense, for we are told at the start who committed the murder. But the producers of The Fugitive have given something of a new twist to the basic theme. And for the most part - 4,950 feet or thereabouts - it has been ingeniously handled. As for the remainder - but we'll come to that later. Two sisters, having lost their wealth through bad speculation on the part of their guardian, are forced to work as stenographers. The junior partner is seriously in love with the younger sister, but she tells him that she does not care for him enough to marry him. The widowed elder sister, eager for a wealthy marriage, 'plays' the senior partner, who, on the pretext of dictating letters, inveigles her to his home. In self-defense she kills him. The younger sister, because she feels that her sister's child needs her care, assumes the blame and becomes a fugitive from justice. She marries the superintendent in the place where she works. Her sister is killed and she now has no way to prove her innocence. Detectives send her a decoy letter and she is arrested as the murderer. Her husband learns that she is an escaped criminal. In the end the former employer (the junior partner) assumes the blame himself, taking this action because the doctor has told him that he has only a month to live. Which is a very foolish and unsatisfactory ending. The spectator hopes that the innocent girl will be acquitted, but not at the expense of another innocent person. The girl might easily have been cleared of all guilt, the employer himself being in a position to testify as to her innocence. This ending might have been handled in a different way from all angles. It is to be regretted that the conclusion, as it stands, disappoints. Florence LaBadie does exceptionally good work. The support is quite satisfactory. The direction is excellent. The cutting has been poorly done at times. Just when the most interesting part of certain scenes should be shown the film is cut, and when the continuation of those scenes is again shown it seems too abrupt and one feels a bit 'cheated.'"

REVIEW, The New York Dramatic Mirror, August 12, 1916:

"In The Fugitive, Pathé has one of the best mystery stories yet released on its programme - and Pathé has released some excellent pictures of this type. It is a picture which absolutely proves what a good story will do. The story in fact is so strong that any minor discrepancies which may have occurred are mighty hard to ascertain. One's whole attention is so riveted on the development of the plot that it is next to impossible to turn the eyes away from the screen. It has plenty of action, some melodrama and yet a scientific and logical development. Interest is aroused at the very beginning by a crime having been committed, and from that point on it is maintained at the highest pitch. The suspense concerning the real murderer and the sister who assumes the guilt is well maintained, and it is not until the very end that the mystery is cleared up. As compared with the body of the story, the ending is somewhat weak. If the innocence of the sister were proven rather than having still another innocent person assume the guilt, the ending would be much stronger. As it is, the ending is merely a shifting of the blame in order to bring about the successful culmination of the love interest.

"The true story is that of two young sisters who are accepting the attentions of their employers. One of the men is dishonorable in his courting and the sister kills him. The other girl assumes the burden for the sake of her sister's child. Although entirely innocent, everything points to the guilt of the younger girl. She leaves the city. Years later, when she is happily married, her husband visits New York and has his watch stolen. The police recognize the picture as that of the girl who was indicted for the murder. She is enticed to the city, and only the shouldering of the blame by her former lover prevents her from being put in prison, as the sister, the only person able to prove the woman's innocence, has died. The director, Frederick Sullivan, deserves credit for his effective and logical picturization. Florence LaBadie and Ethyle Cooke are pleasing in the roles of the two sisters and in the emotional scenes their work is particularly effective. The settings and photography are good and the detailing, especially in regard to the finding of the picture in the watch, shows the marks of care."

REVIEW by Margaret I. MacDonald, The Moving Picture World, August 12, 1916:

"The story of this five-part melodrama was written by Philip Lonergan; and it may be added, the story is a good one. The characterization is excellent and has been well interpreted, but the production as a whole is lacking in action and the small but important details that give to a picture an air of spontaneity convincing. Florence LaBadie in the role of the young woman who, recognizing the guilt of her sister in the murder of one of their employers, diverts suspicion to herself and flees, giving no clues to her whereabouts, does a fair piece of work, and addresses the part becomingly - often artistically. As the first of the Thanhouser productions to be released on the Gold Rooster Program, The Fugitive is of special interest. And although we could wish that the staging of the production had been handled in a more forceful manner, it holds promise of future developments. The supporting cast in this picture are players of experience and play well the roles allotted them. The picture is well photographed and illumined effectively. There is considerable originality in the theme that pictures two sisters, one of them a widow with a child, suddenly at the mercy of circumstances, an inherited fortune having been unwisely invested by the executor of their father's estate. The luring of the widow to the home of the employer whom she afterwards stabs in self-defense, and the scenes dealing with the career of her self-sacrificing sister who is later hunted out and lured back to New York through a telegram stating that her husband who has preceded her is seriously ill, are well handled."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, August 19, 1916:

"The initial release of the Thanhouser Film Corporation on the Gold Rooster Program features Florence LaBadie. The story of the production was written by Philip Lonergan, and takes the form of an interesting melodrama. At times there is felt a lack of action that could easily have been avoided. A full review will be found on another page of the magazine."

Note: The "full review" appeared the week before, not in the same issue.

REVIEW, Wid's Film and Film Folk, August 24, 1916:

"While there are one or two minor slips in the plot construction here, it can certainly be said that this is a mystery suspense melo which will prove of decided interest and will please generally. The producer has kept his characters close to the camera and has registered many close-ups at the proper moments, and through the very intimacy thus gained, he has made the characterizations more forceful.

"The story tells of two sisters, one good and one flirtatious, who were wooed by partners for whom they worked after they had suddenly lost their fortune. The villainous partner asked the flirtatious sister to his home to take dictation and attempted to take liberties with her. Her long absence made the other sister anxious, and she reached the house just in time to see the violent struggle which ended with the employer being killed by her sister. Coming in through the window, she hurried her sister away from the house but was caught there herself by a night patrolman, who shot at her. Through a trick she locked the officer in a closet and made her escape in her sister's coat after having hidden her own coat in some bushes near the house.

"She left for parts unknown, and the next day the authorities began a world-wide search for her, never suspecting that the sister remaining at home, who refused to talk, was the guilty one. Finally Miss LaBadie secured work in a Western city, and through stopping a panic during a factory fire, she attracted the attention of the superintendent, with the result that they were married and lived happily for five years. It became necessary then for the husband to go East. At about the same time, the guilty sister and her child were killed in an automobile accident. A pickpocket stole the husband's watch when he arrived in New York, and the watch bore the photograph of the long-sought fugitive. The police lured the wife to New York by a telegram announcing her husband's illness, and there she was confronted with the evidence which seemed to prove her guilt. The watchman identified her.

"Early in the film the dead man's partner had loved Miss LaBadie. After the crime he had discovered her coat in the bushes. Now when she was confronted by the watchman in an effort to secure a confession, this partner staggered through the doorway wearing her old coat and hat and the watchman turning to him said, 'No, there is the woman.' The partner insisted that he had committed the crime and so Miss LaBadie was freed, the partner showing her a letter from his doctor announcing that he only had a few months to live because of heart trouble. This was decidedly convenient. It was also rather convenient that the police did not search the grounds and find the coat and hat before the partner did. Another bad spot was the situation where the husband in the West was reading a newspaper about the death of Miss LaBadie's sister and said, 'You remember that millionaire who was murdered in New York?' Since the murder was five years old, there was no reason why she should 'remember.' This title surely did not belong. It is quite possible that several millionaires might have been murdered in the ensuing five years and the husband had no thought of his wife's connection with the crime.

"Another scene that jarred with me was the bit at the office where the villainous partner came out into the main office to dictate and make love to his stenographer. Since he had a private office, which would have been more convenient for his purpose, why did he dictate in the main office? We found a telegram printed which should have been typewritten. This always jars. The minor slips in this, however, will not keep this production from registering as 'very good.' The intelligent use of close-ups and the sincerity of all the players helped decidedly in making it impressive.

"Miss LaBadie was decidedly pleasing throughout, and Ethyle Cooke, as her sister, did particularly well with her few scenes. Hector Dion was a splendid villainous partner, keeping this character within bounds at all times. George Marlo, as the junior partner, failed in some of his moments to register the proper emotion, it being particularly noticeable that he did not seem greatly surprised when informed that his partner had been murdered. Others in the cast were J.H. Gilmour, Samuel M. Niblack, Robert Vaughn, who was a pleasing hubby-hero, and little Dorothy Benham, who registered some very good little bits of business such as we generally call 'kid stuff.'

"The Box Office Angle: I would say that this is a rather safe bet for any audience that likes suspense-mystery stuff, and surely it has been well enough done to please an average audience. It has a few weak spots in the construction of the story but surely it is interesting. Miss LaBadie has quite a following, and I believe that by emphasizing her name you can safely pull considerable business. The name of the film is a good one and I would do some advertising in advance on this with Miss LaBadie's picture, asking, 'Have you ever seen this fugitive?' I would use a number of different pictures of Miss LaBadie with this caption, before I in any way connected it with the theatre. If possible use the photograph used in the film, as seen by the watchman. After getting the campaign well under way you can announce this production for your theatre on a certain date. You can safely guarantee that this is an interesting offering, well produced, depicting the danger of trusting entirely to circumstantial evidence. You might also use a line something like this: 'If you found your wife to be a fugitive from justice accused of murder, would you stick by her? See The Fugitive.'"

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