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The Mistake
(1913) United States of America
B&W : One reel
Directed by D.W. Griffith

Cast: Blanche Sweet [the wife], Charles Hill Mailes [Tod Lawson, the husband, a prospector], Henry B. Walthall [Warren Smyth, the friend, a prospector], Charles Gorman [an Indian], Harry Hyde [an Indian], J. Jiquel Lanoe [an Indian], Hector V. Sarno [an Indian]

Biograph Company production; distributed by The General Film Company, Incorporated. / Scenario by [?] Anita Loos, from a short story by Lillian Conlon? Cinematography by [?] G.W. Bitzer? / Released 12 July 1913. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.

Drama: Western.

Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? There in the lonely gold hills the friendship between the two men was staunch and true. A letter came announcing the coming of the wife on the next stage. “It will make no difference,” declared the husband. “You will like the wife.” But the friend in thinking it over began to fear the woman and the restraint her presence might bring. He concluded to go away and left a note behind surrendering his share of the claim to the other. Once in the mountain he realized his fears were foolish and returned to the home where he was fast being forgotten. Then the wife’s attention to the friend for her husband’s sake aroused jealousy, and one day when the husband started out to dispose of their diggings over the mountains, Indians attacked the shack. With the wife the friend sought safer quarters. The jealous husband returned to find his home empty. Then came the fearful mistake. He pursued what he thought was the eloping pair and in his jealous rage shot at his friend. However great his repentance might have been he could not bring back the life of his friend.

Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 26 July 1913, page ?] A western offering, in which the husband thinks his former partner is in love with his wife. He shoots the partner as he is attempting to rescue the wife from drunken Indians. It was not clearly shown where the settlers came from, and their appearance on the scene was not very well accounted for. This story does not vary greatly from former offerings of the kind and is somewhat unpleasant, but is quite strongly handled.

Survival status: (unknown)

Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].

Listing updated: 18 April 2024.

References: Barry-Griffith p. 43; Drew-Speaking p. 286; Spehr-American p. 3 : Website-IMDb.

 
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