|
The Power of the Press
(1909) United States of America
B&W : One reel / 997 feet
Directed by Van Dyke Brooke
Cast: Maurice Costello [the newspaper man], Van Dyke Brooke [the corrupt politician], [?] Ralph Ince or Robert Gaillard? [the bartender]
The Vitagraph Company of America production; distributed by The Vitagraph Company of America. / Released 28 December 1909. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Drama: Western.
Synopsis: [?] [From Billboard]? Bill Mawson, mayor of a small western town, runs things for his own profit. His enemy is a local paper, and he has succeeded in driving the editor out of town. John Marsden, the new editor, arrives, and Mawson attempts to make him his tool. Marsden refuses and denounces and exposes the mayor. He starts a conspiracy to get rid of him. The mayor’s niece overhears the plot and warns Marsden. He refuses to fly. A revolver is placed on his desk and he proceeds with his work. He hears footsteps and looking up is covered with guns by masked men. He is overpowered but succeeds in recognizing Bill Mawson, the mayor. To a tree he is dragged. The rope is put around his neck. He refuses to obey the mayor. Everything is ready when Nettie dashes up with the police. Marsden takes Nettie in his arms and graciously intervenes for the release of Mawson, who extends his hand and promises to mend his ways.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 8 January 1910, page 17] A splendid picture from the Vitagraph studio representing how a clever newspaper man succeeded in breaking up a corrupt political gang, won the love of the ringleader’s daughter, who saved him from lynching, and ending happily in a reunion which demonstrates the oft-repeated fact that true love doesn’t have an especially smooth pathway. The film is well staged and reproduced and the actors perform their various parts with success. Several of the scenes are particularly good, and show touches of art that can only come by long study and practice of the art of picture making. When incidents of daily life can be thus cleverly and profitably portrayed it shows that there is an inexhaustible supply of subjects for the adept producer.
Survival status: Print exists in the George Eastman Museum film archive.
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 23 January 2025.
References: Film viewing : Sloan-Loud pp. 31, 32, 150 : MovPicWorld-19100108 p. 17 : Website-AFI; Website-IMDb.
Home video: VHS.
|
