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Liberty Belles
(1914) United States of America
B&W : Three reels
Directed by Del Henderson (Dell Henderson)
Cast: Dorothy Gish [Dorothy Ketcham], Jack Pickford [Jack Everleigh], Gertrude Bambrick [Margery Pennyfeather], Reggie Morris [Phil Fuller], Davie Morris (Dave Morris) [Captain Ketchum], Spottiswoode Aitken [Jasper Pennyfeather], Charles Hill Mailes [the justice of the peace], Kate Toncray [Mrs. Sproutt], Vola Smith (Vola Vale) [a girl in the boarding school], Marion Sunshine [a girl in the boarding school]
[?] Biograph Company production for Klaw & Erlanger?; distributed by The General Film Company, Incorporated. / Produced by Marc Klaw and Abraham L. Erlanger. Production supervision by [?] D.W. Griffith? / © 14 May 1914 by Klaw & Erlanger [LP3031]. Released [?] 14? May 1914. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / The film was reedited to four reels and rereleased in the USA by [?] Biograph Company and/or Klaw & Erlanger through The General Film Company, Incorporated? in 1916.
Comedy.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Margery Pennyfeather and Jack Everleigh, Dorothy Ketcham and Phil Fuller, are sweethearts and chums. Margery’s father, Jasper Pennyfeather, is trying to build a hydroaeroplane. Captain Hiram Ketcham, Dorothy’s father, is preparing to sail to a desert island in search of a treasure. The Pennyfeathers and Ketchams are neighbors and the fathers object to the boys, Jack and Phil. Jack and Phil are preparing to leave for college, but before going they plot to get the girls into a boarding school in the neighborhood of the college. The boys write letters to Mrs. Sproutts, the principal of the school, for prices and particulars, to which they sign the names of Jasper Pennyfeather and Captain Ketcham. Upon receiving the information the fathers decide to send their daughters to Mrs. Sproutts’ school. The boys, upon learning that the girls have reached the school, make an effort to see them. They are discovered under the window calling the girls and are chased away. The fathers of the girls have both fallen in love with Mrs. Sproutts and are striving hard to win her affections. The girls of the school are taken by the swimming teacher to the beach, but Margery and Dorothy are left behind. The boys secure bathing suits and with the two girls go to another part of the beach. Mrs. Sproutts discovers the happy quartet and proceeds to drag the girls from the water. They are taken back to school and punished by being deprived of their dinner. The girls throw a note out of the window to the boys telling them they are hungry. The boys are quick to respond and soon return with refreshments which they hoist up to the window. That night the belles of the dormitory plan a secret feast. The boys scheme to play a joke on the girls and, disguised as burglars in order to gain admittance to the feast, they climb the side of the house and crawl in through the window. Seeing the two supposed burglars, the girls are thrown into a panic. The boys are recognized, however, and given a hearty welcome. They are teaching the girls how to dance and Mrs. Sproutts, disturbed by the loud laughter and shuffle of the feet, suspects something is wrong and arouses the janitor, who in turn gets the town constable and all three go to the dormitory. The boys resume the role of burglars to avoid compromising the girls and are arrested and taken to the town lock-up. The girls now feel sorry for their escapade and plan to get the boys out of jail. By fondling the jailer they manage to steal the keys. They free the boys and the four young people decide to avoid further trouble, so proceed to get married. Not having any means of support, they start a cooking school. Captain Ketcham finds the supposed treasure and also finds a shipwrecked sailor, who later turns out to be the husband of Mrs. Sproutts. The Captain sails for home, taking with him the shipwrecked sailor. Jasper Pennyfeather has built his large flying machine and has it nearly finished on the water’s edge. Mrs. Sproutts has discovered that the girls have eloped and are married. She immediately sends a note to Mr. Pennyfeather telling him his daughter has eloped and is married. He hurries to the school and meets Captain Ketcham calling on Mrs. Sproutts. In order to decide who shall exhibit his wealth first, they toss a coin. Jasper Pennyfeather wins and invites the party to see his flying machine. The flying boat is a failure and all on board are ducked. They all return to the school and the Captain gives Jasper Pennyfeather the laugh. The Captain exhibits his treasure chest which, upon being opened, is found to have been a hoax and contains nothing. Mrs. Sproutts recognizes her husband and takes him hack. The young people are very prosperous by this time and take their fathers in and put them to work.
Survival status: Print exists in the Library of Congress film archive (paper print collection) [35mm paper positive].
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: Maps (Treasure)
Listing updated: 28 April 2023.
References: Niver-Early p. 182; Spehr-American p. 2; Weaver-Twenty pp. 28, 144 : Website-AFI; Website-IMDb.
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