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Music Hath Charms
(1915) United States of America
B&W : Two reels
Directed by Eddie Dillon (Edward Dillon)
Cast: Fay Tincher [Nell], Baldy Belmont (Joseph Belmont) [Jed, the pianist], Tod Browning [Jim, the singer], Augustus Carney [Tony, the laborer], Max Davidson [Nell’s father], Eleanor Washington [the maid]
Komic Company production; distributed by Mutual Film Corporation. / Released 14 February 1915. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Comedy.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Jim and Jed, rivals for the hand of Nell, both ask her father’s consent. She is in love with the latter, who performs brilliantly upon the piano. But her father favors Jim, who aspires to become a great singer. It is decided to let the matter rest six months, and then try out the suitors on the strength of their musical abilities. Jim learns only too soon that never will he become a Caruso. Chancing upon an Italian laborer, however, who has the voice of an opera singer, he arranges for Tony to act as his proxy in the forthcoming tryout. On the evening of the contest, the Italian, concealed behind a curtain, sings while Jim goes through the motions in dumb show, and the pianist is eclipsed. All is well, until Tony is attracted to the kitchen by the maid. There he partakes of punch and is moved to sing on his own account. The sounds penetrate to the parlor. Jim’s ruse is laid bare. And Nell starts in taking lessons on the piano from Jed.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 27 February 1915, page ?] A Fay Tincher farce comedy. There is nothing fresh or new about this picture; it is based on an old theme, but some of the comedy of the production is good enough to carry it through even with the drawback of Augustus Carney, for instance, gets in some good work. The story is of two musician lovers, one of which is the girl’s choice and the other the father’s choice. The singing suitor hires a bootblack Caruso to help him deceive the old man, but the bootblack (Augustus Carney), lured away from behind the portieres by a pretty maid, fails the would-be singer at the crucial moment.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 28 October 2022.
References: Skal-Browning pp. 256-257 : Website-IMDb.
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