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The New Magdalen
(1914) United States of America
B&W : Two reels
Directed by Travers Vale
Cast: Louise Vale [Mercy Merrick], Charles H. Mailes (Charles Hill Mailes) [the man], Vivian Prescott [Grace Roseberry], George Morgan [Reverend Julian Grey], Franklin Ritchie [Horace Holmcroft], Louise Ducey [Lady Janet]
Biograph Company production; distributed by The General Film Company, Incorporated. / From the novel The New Magdalen by Wilkie Collins. / Released 10 November 1914. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / The novel was previously filmed as The New Magdalen (1910).
Drama: Historical.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Left alone in the world, Mercy Merrick toils for a living. Faint with hunger, she falls one evening at the door of a restaurant and is revived by a glass of wine, given her by one of the diners, who has seen her fall. Her bodily weakness makes her an easy prey to the man, and she takes the first reluctant step on the downward path. Some time later, again forced by circumstances to earn her living, she is arrested for shoplifting and, although innocent, sentenced to prison. From the prison she is taken to the House of Refuge, and later, with the help of the matron, she obtains a position in the household of a wealthy woman. But her story quickly becomes known to the other servants, and she is forced to leave. Again at the refuge she becomes a nurse, and in the course of time one of the visiting doctors falls in love with her. But she will not marry him until he knows her record, and when he learns the truth he shrinks from her. To the church goes Mercy for consolation, and falls under the spell of the powerful sermons preached by the Rev. Julian Grey. After much suffering, she determines to leave England and goes out as a Red Cross nurse. It is while thus engaged that she yields to temptation and impersonates a woman whom she thinks dead, so that she may have a new chance in life.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 28 November 1914, page ?] Adapted from the novel by Wilkie Collins, in two parts. This book was dramatized and produced about forty years ago on the regular stage and was an unprecedented success. The visualized version has been very ably produced, with the exception of the costuming, in some instances. Much vividness is shown in the battle scenes. Louise Vale, in the exacting part of Mercy Merrick, brings out all the salient points of the character cameo like. In fact all the members of the cast are deserving of mention. A superior release.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 21 November 2022.
References: Spehr-American p. 3 : Website-IMDb.
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