Volume II: Filmography

THE MISSING HEIR

British release title: THE LOST HEIR

November 7, 1911 (Tuesday)

Length: 885 feet

Character: Drama

Cast: Marie Eline (the little heir), Marguerite Snow (the girl), Harry Benham (the policeman)

Note: The title, The Missing Heir, was also used as an alternate title for Episode 9 of Zudora, the 1914-1915 Thanhouser serial, which had no relation to the present film.

ADVERTISEMENT, The Moving Picture World, November 4, 1911:

"A dumbwaiter is the silent vehicle used by a wide-awake newsgirl, and a good natured janitor, with which to ride the missing heir, a child of the streets, into his fortune and thus frustrate the plans of an avaricious Italian and a calculating relation. The waif is an heir to a fortune, bequeathed to him by a repentant grandfather who at the time of his death is ignorant of his grandchild's whereabouts. The waif is an offspring of a disinherited son."

SYNOPSIS, The Moving Picture World, November 4, 1911:

"A lawyer is given the execution of a will, which bequests to the child of a disinherited son a large fortune. The disinherited son is now dead. The father, on his death bed is penitent. By way of making amends he leaves to his son's offspring his entire fortune. He is ignorant of his grandchild's fate, but provides that a thorough search should be made. The will further provides that should the search for the child prove a failure, the fortune should go to the old man's nephew - a worthless and idle youth of loose morals. The nephew tries his best to make the finding of the child impossible, while the lawyer who had a sentimental interest in the dead son, uses every known means to locate the missing heir.

"The missing boy falls into the hands of an Italian fruit vendor. The Italian reads in the paper that there is a hunt for the boy. He easily establishes the boy's identity by a scar on his cheek. Then he goes to see the lawyer to claim the reward. But he meets the nephew at the lawyer's office and is bribed to keep quiet. It was the nephew's plan to keep the boy out of the way until after the expiration of the time limit set in the will. In the tenement house where the Italian lived, there was a very wide awake, energetic janitor. And he had a sweetheart, a newsgirl, who also took a great deal of interest in what was going on. The girl's suspicions were aroused when the natty nephew called on the shabby Italian.

"The two men held a conference in one of the Italian's two rooms, having sent the boy into the kitchen. The girl listens outside, at the keyhole, and is shocked to hear of a plan to send the boy adrift. She decides to rescue the boy by strategy. The plotters are earnestly conversing in the front room, they do not hear a slight stir in the back kitchen. But the janitor, a former sailor, comes with the dumbwaiter rope, hand over hand, hoists the car, and lowers the boy to safety, before the astonished villains realize that anything out of the way is happening. Seeing that their scheme has failed they try to escape, but are trapped on the roof of the tenement, and ignominiously marched off by the janitor and turned over to the police. And the missing heir is produced in time to secure the fortune."

REVIEW, The Morning Telegraph, November 12, 1911:

"Though there are times when this photoplay might seem to become much involved in its action, so complex is its story compared with the average offering, yet it straightens itself out, and its dramatic intensity in the end lifts it out of the edge of the maze into which it nearly falls. It is staged well and ably played, the tenement house scene when the janitor ascends the dumbwaiter being particularly effective. The story relates how the missing heir of a grandfather who had disowned the heir's father is eventually found through the keenness of a tenement house janitor and his sweetheart, who learn that the boy is living under the care of an Italian street peddler. A nephew of the grandfather all but succeeds in keeping the fortune for himself by bribing this Italian to remain silent about the boy's identity, but he and the Italian are in the end frustrated and made prisoners for their criminal acts and intentions."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, November 18, 1911:

"The nephew was to inherit in case the missing heir, a grandson, was not found before a fixed date. We are shown the missing heir as a homeless waif found by an Italian on the slum streets of New York and taken to his lodgings. This Italian sees the advertisement and, coming to the lawyer's office to tell him of the heir, meets the nephew, who pays him to keep the child hidden. "The little prisoner arouses the sympathy of the news girl who lives on the same landing. She overhears the plot to do away with the child and brings help so that he is not only saved in a sensational way, but the nephew and the Italian are brought to justice. The picture is perhaps a bit too sensational, as presented, to get the most effect out of the pathetic situation. Excitement was desired, and sentiment was sacrificed. It thrills more for the moment, but is less likely to be remembered as a human picture. The Thanhouser Kid plays the little heir and the whole picture is confidently handled. It probably will be applauded and enjoyed."

REVIEW, The New York Dramatic Mirror, November 15, 1911:

"A plot that appears very melodramatic and commonplace has been lifted into a dignified performance by a careful editing and clear deft construction of scenario coupled with natural acting typical of surrounding and situation. After the death of his uncle the will is read to the nephew. It declares that if his dead son's missing son is not found before July 20, the property will go to the nephew. One wonders if such a provision in a will would stand law. This son it appears has a scar upon his forehead that will identify him. As a newsboy in the slums he is found by an Italian and befriended. The Italian reads in the paper of the circumstance of the will, goes to the boy, and discovers the scar. It would have been more natural had he discovered the scar before by accident. He goes to the address of the lawyer given, and there meets the nephew. This young man bribes him into silence.

"At length, when they feel that the boy knows too much, they conclude it is necessary to kill him. He is rescued by a girl of the tenements and her lover. The lover comes up the dumbwaiter and lets the lad down, and awaits the entrance of the two men. Then with miraculous strength for one young man he drives them to the roof, but is later aided by a policeman, and the two with the boy are taken to the lawyer's office where all things are straightened out. The fact that the Italian was not made an unnatural friend was commendable and noteworthy."

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