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A Race for a Bride
(1910) United States of America
B&W : Split-reel / 725 feet
Directed by [?] William F. Haddock?
Cast: [?] Edith Storey?, [?] Francis Ford?
Méliès Star-Film [American] production; distributed by [?] Méliès Star-Film [American]? / Produced by Gaston Méliès. Cinematography by [?] William Paley? / Released 19 May 1910; in a split-reel with A Rough Night on the Bridge (1910). / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Comedy.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Three swells stopping at the same hotel, one a bicyclist, the other a horseman and the third a motorist, are ardently in love with the same widow, living in a villa some distance in the country. Each one, eager to woo her, makes an equally strong plea with apparently the same impression, although she seems slightly to favor the horseman. After listening to their declarations of love, she dismisses them with an evasive answer. With no decided preference she is in a quandary. She does not want to lose an opportunity, but how to make a choice is a difficult problem. She has an idea. She writes them a letter and sends it to the hotel: “The first one reaching my home and me can claim me as his bride.” They all get on the job, one on his bicycle, the other on horseback and the third in “auto.” They’re off and the race begins, the bicyclist in the lead followed by the horseman who is closely pressed by the motorist down hill, through wood and across country. The motorist has had the forethought to take a clergyman with him so as to lose no time in clinching her promise to marry him when he triumphantly reaches her first. Alas, on the way, something goes wrong with the works and the chauffeur and owner make every effort to locate the fault, and while inspecting the mechanism underneath the machine they are overtaken by the cyclist, who, seeing the parson, persuades him to get on the wheel, and is off before the motorist realizes his loss in time to prevent the deed. The bicycle with its double burden gathers speed as it comes down the hilly road and you would say for sure that the cyclist will win her. One must not count one’s chickens before they are hatched. The wheel strikes a rut in the road and over they go sprawling in the dust and dirt, and while the cyclist is endeavoring to straighten his bent wheel the horseman coming up seizes the parson, and getting him on his horse, gallops away to win his bride. The horse with its double burden has been jogging along and they are nearing the widow’s home. The motorist and cyclist have repaired their machines and are putting on extra speed to make up for lost time and the pace becomes fast and furious. The cyclist is overtaken after making a splendid effort to keep ahead. It is now a question as to whether the motorist can catch up with the horse. The rider, hearing the approaching motor car, urges on his horse, and the gallant animal responding, takes its owner to victory. The parson binds the bargain by making the two one. The belated bicyclist and motorist arrives upon the scene only to learn that they have lost the prize. Disappointedly but gracefully they accept their defeat and congratulate their victorious rival and his bride.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 28 October 2022.
References: Thompson-Star pp. 87-88, 228 : ClasIm-226 p. 54 : Website-AFI; Website-IMDb.
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