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The Counterfeiter
(1913) United States of America
B&W : Two reels
Directed by William J. Baumann
Cast: Francis Ford, Grace Cunard, J. Barney Sherry, Anna Little (Ann Little)
New York Motion Picture Company production; distributed by Mutual Film Corporation [Kay-Bee]. / Produced by Thomas H. Ince. / Released [?] 19 or 21? February 1913. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Drama: Western.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? The counterfeiter, Golden, lives in luxury with his daughter. His partner is captured by the police and put through the “third degree,” and confesses. A raid is made on Golden’s plant and his men are made prisoners, but by a clever trick Golden knocks down the detective who is watching him and escapes, taking his daughter west with him. Dick Farron, of the secret service, is detailed to catch the fugitive. Golden buys a cattle ranch, and a long drought threatens his stock. Mary falls in love with Lieut. Graves and promises to marry him. Detective Farron is injured in a stagecoach accident and is rescued by Golden and his men. He accepts the hospitality of the Goldens, unaware that he is in the house of the man he is searching for. The drought has worked havoc with the Indians, and they come to the fort and demand rations, but the colonel is unable to assist them. Golden loses his cattle, and is unable to pay his men. The money for the fort payroll is sent from Washington, and the colonel is advised by wire. In desperate financial straits, Golden secures access to the money chests and substitutes counterfeits for the genuine greenbacks. The soldiers get their pay and when they try to pass the money in the town it is refused, and a big fight is started. An investigation is started, and Detective Farron discovers that Golden’s men have been paid off with new ten dollar bills. Golden endeavors to destroy his plates, but is watched by Farron, who arrests Golden on the night of his daughter’s wedding. Golden pleads with Farron to let him remain free until after the wedding, and the detective remains at the side of his man, watching him closely. The ceremony takes place, but before the detective can get Golden away the fort is attacked by the Indians, and a fierce struggle takes place. Golden, to save his daughter from disgrace, fights like a mad man, exposing himself again and again, and is finally struck down by an Indian bullet. The redskins are repulsed, and the detective goes away without having revealed his secret. // [Contemporary description (as reproduced in Tarbox-Lost page ?)] In a series of thrilling scenes the counterfeiter escapes to the west. The government detective trails him, and on the eve of his daughter’s wedding arrests him. To save his child from disgrace, during an Indian attack, the counterfeiter fights like a fiend, and is finally killed by the redskins, and the detective does not divulge the secret of his identity.
Survival status: Print exists.
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: Native Americans - Law: Enforcement: Police: Detectives
Listing updated: 5 April 2020.
References: ClasIm-224 p. 42; Tarbox-Lost pp. 82, 106, 279 : Website-IMDb.
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