The One Good Turn (1913) [NR]
Gallery Unavailable
Featuring:
Florence Turner, Leo Delaney, Mae Costello
Directed by:
William V. Ranous
Release Date:
March 13, 1913
Original Title:
The One Good Turn
Alternate Titles:
The Anarchist's Wife
Genres:
Drama
Production Companies:
Vitagraph Company of America
Production Countries:
United States of America
Ratings / Certifications:
US: NR
Runtime: 16
A political crime film in which a militant, anarchist father allows his political ideals to prevail over human dignity. The father uses his young daughter to carry out an attack on Princess Louise. After his wife foils the attack and he is arrested by the police, he steps back from his fanaticism and repents.
Florence Turner lets her be distracted for one moment, and her daughter, Helene Costello, slips into traffic. SHe would have been hit by a car, but Mae Costello, a visiting princess, saves the child and treats her well. When Florence goes back home, her husband. Leo Delany, is plotting with some other ill-kempt men to kill the Princess, using her own daughter as a patsy!It struck me as similar in set-up to Griffith's THE INNER CIRCLE (1912), which I looked at a few months ago, and doubtless I could figure out which assortment of Mack Sennett comedies used the plot. That's the rapid pace at which movie production took place. Still, the differences in plot indicate that Vitagraph wished to appeal to the more genteel and feminine audience, while Griffith liked to leave the heavy lifting up to the men; if there is a Kalem example of this story, doubtless it's the women throwing bombs instead of the men.
