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United in Danger
(1914) United States of America
B&W : One reel
Directed by Ashley Miller
Cast: Augustus Phillips [Gerald Stuyvesant], Gertrude McCoy [Maud Varian], William West [the lawyer], Edna Hammel [Maud’s little sister], Mathilde Baring [Gerald’s mother]
Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated, production; distributed by The General Film Company, Incorporated. / Scenario by Gertrude McCoy. / Released 24 January 1914. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Drama.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? When young Gerald Stuyvesant went down to his club and saw several of his friends laughing over a newspaper, he naturally asked them what it was all about. When they showed him the paper he was sorry he had asked. Two photographs were placed side by side at the head of the page. One was his own; the other was that of Miss Maud Varian, a musical comedy star who had just risen to her first success. Gerald was very indignant. Even if he had just come into more millions than many people had dollars there was no reason why he should be held up to the ridicule of his friends side by side with a common actress. Some time later, Gerald met Miss Varian at a musicale whither she had come to sing. Still smarting from the newspaper episode, he treated her with a frozen impassiveness that wounded her. Maud Varian was a thoroughly nice girl. After many years of uncomplaining hardships she had jumped in a night to the pinnacle of fame. She had seen the pictures in the newspaper with a thrill of satisfaction. What had been unpleasant notoriety for Stuyvesant was the hallmark of success for her. His coolness hurt her more than he could have suspected. Stuyvesant left the musicale in a sullen mood. The girl’s face, with its surprised look of disappointment, haunted him and troubled him with a vague feeling of remorse. That night he decided to go and see her play. In the middle of the second act, a tiny spiral of smoke arose from the middle of the stage. It rapidly thickened and the awful truth soon spread behind the scenes that the room below the stage was on fire. Maud’s little sister was in the dressing-room near the danger, but Maud never paused in the performance of her duty. Ordering the spotlight man to throw on a red spotlight, she stepped upon the stage and began to dance. The audience taking the smoke for a necessary attribute of a fire dance, remained seated while the ushers went quietly about the task of emptying the house. Maud almost overcome by the smoke, danced on. At last she staggered and fell. Gerald leaped from the staged box, caught her up and carried her outside. Sometime later their pictures appeared together in the newspapers again.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 25 June 2020.
References: Website-IMDb.
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