A 13-minute silent film where a kid saves dad's job AND busts counterfeiters? 1913 was WILD.
"He was a regular boy and his father a switchman. The boy determined to be like his dad and spent his play hours around the switch-tower. Thus at the crucial moment he was able to save his father's honor as a switchman, when the struggle between love and duty came and later to come to the aid of his parents in the hands of the desperate counterfeiters, eventually causing their capture." —Moving Picture World synopsis.
Acting
Henry B. Walthall's dramatic silent-era gestures
Direction
Anthony O'Sullivan crams two plots into 13 minutes
Director
Anthony O'Sullivan
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was shot at Biograph Studios where D.W. Griffith was dominating; O'Sullivan was his frequent assistant director trying to break out.
The 'child saves adult workplace through play' became a silent film staple, reflecting anxieties about industrialization and the 'usefulness' of working-class kids.
US
