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The Embodied Thought
(1916) United States of America
B&W : Three reels
Directed by Edward Sloman
Cast: Edward Sloman [David Goodman], [?] Hazel Neece or Hazel Neason? [Ruth Goodman], Adelaide Bronti [Mrs. Goodman], Melvin Mayo [Max Rosenthal], Leon C. Shumway (Lee Shumway) [Jimmy Rolfe], George Routh [Isaac Cohen], Helen Wolcott
Lubin Manufacturing Company production; distributed by The General Film Company, Incorporated. / Produced by Siegmund Lubin. Scenario by Julian La Mothe. / Released 27 January 1916. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / The production was shot at Lubin’s Coronado, California, studio. [?] Neece or Neason’s? final film.
Drama.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? The basis of this story is the following extract from “The Law of Psychic Phenomena” by Thomas Jay Hudson: “A phantom, or ghost, is the embodiment of an idea or thought. The power to create phantasms resides and is inherent in the subjective mind, or personality, of man. The power becomes greater as the body approaches nearer to the condition of death. All phantasms of the dead are of those who have died under circumstances of great mental stress or emotion.” David Goodman and Max Rosenthal are partners in the cloak and suit business. Rosenthal is the typical Jewish merchant; Goodman is more idealistic. He has never married. The partners secure a loan from Jewish banker Cohen and enlarge their business. Goodman meets adventuress Nanon Laval and forgets everything else. Nanon is hired as a model, and Rosenthal often censures Goodman for neglect of business. To save Goodman from himself, Rosenthal discharges Nanon. Goodman raises a scene when he hears of it. He calls upon Nanon, and she shows him a pathetic letter from his mother, pleading that her son be given up. Goodman, blind to everything except Nanon’s wiles, angrily berates his mother for her interference. He learns that Rosenthal intends to restrain his reckless expenditures by withdrawing all their money from the bank. Goodman circumvents this plan by getting the money himself, and invests it in bonds, which he hides in his library. He gleefully tells Nanon how he has tricked the meddlers, and she learns that the method of opening the secret panel is written on a card in his pocket. Rosenthal discovers what Goodman has done and is frantic, as the loss of the money means ruin. Goodman scoffs and tells him that he has merely beaten him to it. Goodman goes to call on Nanon, and is fatally injured when the elevator in her apartment house falls several stories. Nanon has him brought to her apartment to await the arrival of the ambulance. Her lover, Jimmy Rolfe, is present, and after Goodman has seemingly died in her arms, she leaves him on the couch, and tells Rolfe excitedly about the bonds. Goodman awakens to consciousness, and learns the base nature of the creature be loved. His one idea is to right the wrong he has done his loved ones. Nanon must not get possession of the card of instructions. He manages to hide it. When Nanon and Rolfe come to search him, he is dead, and they do not find the card. The last thought of Goodman’s lives, and as a phantasm tries ineffectually to communicate to Rosenthal, Ruth and Mrs. Goodman the hiding place of the bonds, which means so much to them. By accident, Rolfe and Nanon discover the card under the couch, and plan to get the bonds by entering the library that night. Ruth has fallen asleep at her mother’s bedside. The phantasm leads her in her sleep to the library. Nanon is at the panel, removing the bonds. Ruth awakens and a struggle ensues, in which she is finally victorious.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 28 October 2022.
References: Slide-Aspects p. 58 : Website-IMDb.
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