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The Deserted Shaft
(1912) United States of America
B&W : One reel
Directed by (unknown)
Cast: [?] ? [Frank Davis], [?] ? [Edgar Perry], [?] ? [Lottie Maxwell]
Independent Moving Pictures Company, Incorporated [IMP] production; distributed by Motion Picture Distributing & Sales Company. / Produced by Carl Laemmle. / Released 15 January 1912. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Drama.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Frank Davis is the favored suitor for the hand of Lottie Maxwell, to the discomfiture of Edgar Perry. Both men are employed by a construction company. There is an opening scene of Perry proposing marriage to the girl and her refusal. She meets Davis, and they plight their troth, going to his mother for her blessing, which is given, and they are happy. Davis is entrusted with the pay-roll, to carry to the camp, and, placing the money inside his shirt, he hastens away. Perry is piqued and bent on revenge. He meets Davis near a deserted mine shaft and the two have a war of words, terminating in a personal encounter, in which Davis is worsted and hurled into the shaft. The men wait at the camp for their regular pay, which is not forthcoming. They visit the offices and the management, in surprise tells them the money was entrusted to the care of Davis. The delegation visits the home of the mother and she informs them her son has not been home. There can be but one solution to the problem; the young man has stolen the money and decamped. There is a reward offered for his arrest and he is regarded as a fugitive from justice. Perry reads the placard and is astonished. He goes to the mother and confesses his crime in the presence of the sweetheart. The women lose no time in running to the abandoned shaft and find Davis, still alive, although almost dead from his long exposure in the water. The assistance of the surveyors is sought, and a quick rescue is made.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 27 January 1912, page ?] This is not necessarily a story of a mine; the deserted shaft might have been a part of any engineering work like an aqueduct. One of the assistant engineers on the work, which seems to be extensive, pushed the paymaster, who was a much slighter man, into it. He was jealous on account of a girl. The paymaster had the week’s pay envelopes with him. He was missed at once and the men searched carefully for him, and a large reward was offered for his arrest and conviction. The engineer, however, was conscience-stricken and confessed to the girl, who got help and saved the paymaster, her sweetheart. The man’s predicament and the stir caused by his disappearance are very skilfully shown and the whole situation is clear and interesting. It is a very good picture for almost any occasion. It is substantial enough to serve as the leading picture in most bills.
Survival status: Print exists.
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 30 October 2022.
References: Tarbox-Lost pp. 80, 279 : Website-IMDb.
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