Volume II: Filmography

A NIAGRARA HONEYMOON

January 19, 1912 (Friday)

Length: 1 reel

Character: Comedy-drama

Cast: Marguerite Snow (the bride)

Location: Delaware River near Port Jervis; enroute to Niagara Falls and at Niagara Falls

ADVERTISEMENT, The Moving Picture World, January 13, 1912:

"In this unusual comedy-drama you leave New York for Niagara Falls with a pair of newlyweds and marvel with them at the pretty sights on the way. Finally you reach 'America's greatest cataract' and see some lively situations worked out in the localities that citizens of every nation pay large money to see. From far and wide they come to look at Niagara Falls, and far and wide they will welcome heartily the best moving picture ever taken there."

ARTICLE, The Moving Picture News, January 6, 1912:

"The Thanhouser offices announce that they have received the first negative produced by their special Niagara Falls company, and will put the reel on the market with a regular release Friday, January 19, under the title of A Niagara Honeymoon. This is the company that was sent to the Falls with the best plots on hand at the Thanhouser, to play them with the 'world's greatest cataract' as a backdrop. The first release is a comedy drama. Its locale is all the way from New York to Niagara. Beginning in the railroad depot in the Metropolis the story takes you to every point of the famous falls. The situations are worked out in the spots that have been snapped by a million 'still' cameras. And these spots are 'caught' as only a motion camera could catch them. One happy scene has the Horseshoe Falls as a background; another, the American Falls; another, Prospect Point; another, Whirlpool Rapids; another, Goat Island; another, the Suspension Bridge. The reel will cause a sensation in houses numbering lovers of nature amongst its patrons."

SYNOPSIS, The Moving Picture News, January 6, 1912:

"A well-to-do family, living in a suburban town, was annoyed on receiving word that the wife's sister-in-law intended to pay them a visit. For she was a widow, far from being well off, and, as the haughty daughter said, 'Auntie is absolutely of no use to us.' When she arrived she was greeted coldly, compelled to perform menial services, and treated more like a servant than a relation. Naturally she was unhappy. About this time the family was thrown into excitement by the news that the father's old chum in college, who had gone to Australia to make a fortune, had returned with $1,000,000, and intended to marry and settle down. The parents figured that this was an excellent chance for their only child and planned to marry her to the rich millionaire.

"The rich man came to be their guest, but strange to say, the fascinations of 'daughter' had no effect upon him. Although the aunt tried to efface herself, she attracted his attention, and he soon fell in love with her, but the family did not suspect it. The aunt went away, taking with her no regrets, leaving behind her no sorrow. The rich man, pleading an unexpected business engagement, hastily departed, too, and they met on the same train. The man from Australia decided to waste no time. He wired ahead to the city clerk of a town along the line to meet the train with a marriage license, promising a big fee. He also directed him to bring a minister along.

"The aunt was bewildered by this chain lightning courtship. Before she realized what was going on, she had signed the application, and the minister was performing the ceremony on the observation platform of the rapidly moving train. When she left the town, she was a widow; two mile posts beyond she was the bride of a wealthy man who loved her for herself alone. And the train was headed for Niagara Falls, where their honeymoon was spent. Many couples have gone to Niagara Falls on honeymoon tours, but none of them ever took the minister and the marriage service along with them. So there was some eclat to this wedding. The happy couple returned to greet the bride's relatives, and give them a chance to show how social training enables persons to conceal rage, envy, and chagrin under the most trying of circumstances."

REVIEW, The Morning Telegraph, January 21, 1912:

"All over America there will be thousands who will greet this film because it will recall, perhaps, honeymoons spent in the same zone of scenic beauty. To all such it will prove a delight and to all who have never seen 'the Falls' it will be of more than passing interest. The story is one of such novelty and unexpected happenings that it makes the whole play one of enjoyable amusement surpassing by many odds the common-clay variety of romance. A maiden aunt is forced to live with relatives in the capacity of housemaid. Most inhospitable does she find her hostess, who is her sister-in-law. Then a millionaire comes to visit them, and the hostess plots to wed her daughter to him, but he will have none of her. The aunt departs in silent disgust, but is surprised to find the millionaire on the same train, he having pursued her. He makes sudden proposal, forces his acceptance and produces the clergyman, has the town clerk of a place on the railroad's route meet them, the papers are drawn up, and as the couple stand on the observation platform the ceremony is performed. The train takes them to Niagara and there they spend their honeymoon. It is all done on an actual train and the Niagara scenes are genuine, and it is splendidly played."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, January 27, 1912:

"A great poet who knew once said, 'Heavy are the feet that climb in other's stairs.' There is a young widow pictured in this film who was forced to live with relatives, and very effectively it is shown how unpleasant rich relatives can make it for poor kin who are dependent upon them. The story ends in a romance. The little widow wins the love and hand of the family's millionaire cousin. The picture is full of very interesting honeymoon scenes, including Niagara Falls, etc., and pretty pictures of the Delaware River near Port Jervis. It is a thoroughly delightful film and will serve well as a feature. The acting is fine. The photographs are excellent. The story runs smoothly and is kept very clear. The players are pleasing."

REVIEW, The New York Dramatic Mirror, January 24, 1912:

"Done with the usual skill that this company manifests in bringing an interesting feature into its films, and at the same time telling a dramatic and interesting story, this picture exhibits some rare good views of these noted falls that contain a number of picturesque scenes taken during a snowstorm. The scenery on the way to the falls is also an interesting feature. The young widow is obliged to seek a home with a relative, where she is made more a servant than a member of the family. In fact, the family really bristled with superiority. A young and wealthy man comes to visit the house and falls in love with the abused one. When she can stand the family's treatment no longer, she leaves and he goes after her. There is a marriage on the train, and a delightful honeymoon at Niagara which the spectator is privileged to witness."

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