Across the Way
| Across the Way | |
|---|---|
 Film still from Reel Life showing Boyd Marshall (left) and Rene Farrington (right) | |
| Produced by | Princess (Thanhouser Company) |
| Distributed by | Motion Picture Distributing and Sales Co. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 1 reel |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | Silent English intertitles |
Across the Way is a 1915 American silent short film produced by the Thanhouser Company.
Plot
The published synopsis of the film was listed in Reel Life states: "Sparks learns, upon visiting his fiancee, Bianca, an art student, that his friend, Tom Brown, a writer, is living across the court. He soon sees that Bianca and Brown are mutually attracted and plans to play a joke upon his friend, which shall make the latter doubt his own sanity. He persuades Bianca to enact a scene with him before the drawn window curtain in which she is attacked by a man with a pistol and drawing a dagger from her bosom, defends herself, killing her assailant. Brown, seeing all this in silhouette on the shade, rushes to Bianca's assistance. He finds her reading peacefully, and is told that the incident must have been an hallucination of his own brain. A few evenings after this Bianca actually is attacked by a burglar. Brown, who now is "on" to the fact that in the former instance his friend Sparks had designs upon him, at first thinks this also is another of Sparks' "jokes". However, he goes stealthily to investigate and is just in time to save the girl, who breaks her engagement to Sparks and marries Brown."[1]: 710
Cast
- Boyd Marshall as Tom Brown[1]: 710
- John Reinhard as Sparks[1]: 710
- Rene Farrington as Bianca[1]: 710
- Kenneth Clarendon as the Caretaker[1]: 710
- Mr. Yorke (Jay C. Yorke[2]) as the Burglar[1]: 710
Production
The Princess production department of the Thanhouser Company started in 1913 with a release on every Friday. Early Princess productions were mostly comedies that performed well, but the company's drama were often unfavorable. The early Princess productions were marked by their poor scenarios that were illogically written or consisted of uninteresting material.[3] Princess produced films out of a studio in New Rochelle from 1913 until 1915, when the production brand was changed and renamed Falstaff Films.[4] The production and release of Across the Way occurred before Edwin Thanhouser returned and took personal interest in improving the quality of the New Rochelle studio.[5] The quality of the Princess films towards the end of the production were not pleasing the audiences, but the last Princess film, Just Kids would be released on April 9.[6]
Release and reception
The film was released on February 12, 1915 by the Princess, a film production department of the Thanhouser Company.[1]: 710 The film was later released in Britain on July 5, 1915.[7]
A review in the The Moving Picture World said the comedy-drama as being pleasing to watch and full of action.[2] The film was released nationwide with advertisements appearing in Chicago, Illinois[8] Kansas,[9] and Ohio.[10] The film is presumed to be lost.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Reel Life (Sep 1914-Mar 1915) (Sep 1914-Mar 1915)". Mutual Film Corp. 1915. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ a b Q. David Bowers (1995). "Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History - Across the Way". Thanhouser Company Film Preservation, Inc. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ Q. David Bowers (1995). "Volume 1 - Narrative History - Chapter 6: 1913 Princess". Thanhouser.org. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ Q. David Bowers (1995). "Volume 1: Narrative History - Chapter 8: 1915 Falstaff Films". Thanhouser.org. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ Q. David Bowers. (1995). "Volume 1: Narrative History - Chapter 8: 1915 Corporate Changes". Thanhouser.org. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ Q. David Bowers (1995). "Volume 1: Narrative History - Chapter 8: 1915 Films From the Backlog". Thanhouser.org. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ Q. David Bowers (1995). "Thanhouser Films - British Releases Thanhouser-Princess-Falstaff". Thanhouser.org. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ "E. A. R. Theater". Suburbanite Economist (Chicago, Illinois). 19 Feb 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ "Majestic". The Wellington Daily News (Wellington, Kansas). 18 Mar 1915. p. 1. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ "(Majestic Advertisement)". Lancaster Eagle-Gazette (Lancaster, Ohio). 18 Mar 1915. p. 6. Retrieved 12 January 2015.