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Photograph: Silent Era image collection.
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Out of the Air
(1914) United States of America
B&W : Two reels
Directed by (unknown)
Cast: Fred A. Turner (F.A. Turner) [the engineer], Captain Hodgson (Ernest Hodgson) [the aviator], Signe Aüen (Seena Owen) [the girl], Charles Gorman [the fireman], Phoebe Bassor (Mary Wynn)
Majestic Motion Picture Company production; distributed by Mutual Film Corporation. / Released 4 October 1914. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / Owen’s film debut.
Drama.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? The fireman is in love with his engineer’s daughter and is accepted by her in his proposal of marriage. While the engineer is absent a tube blows out of the engine and the fireman quits his post and crouches beside the engine while the steam escapes. The engineer, coming up, jumps aboard, shuts off the steam and is painfully burned. For the first time he sees the fireman in his cowardly situation and berates him as a man unworthy a place in the cab. The engineer succeeds in having the fireman discharged for quitting his post. The fireman visits the daughter with his troubles, but on his departure the arriving father explains the circumstances of the fireman’s dismissal and advises the daughter to have nothing to do with a coward. Wandering aimlessly down the tracks the fireman comes to an aviator working on an aeroplane, and, making application, secures a job as mechanic. The engineer’s daughter and her little sister are playing about the railroad tracks chasing a dog when the former’s foot is caught in a frog, and at first unsuspecting of their danger they play at releasing it. Down the line the father is aboard about to start out with a new fireman when the throttle is thrown open, and, jumping off with a spurt, the engine tosses the two into the ditch and races away. Having no success in releasing the foot, the girls have become anxious and discover that a train is soon due. The little one runs to the nearby station and finding no one there makes use of her knowledge of telegraphy to wire for help to the adjoining station. The discharged fireman happens to be passing and catches the message. They tell him the particulars at the station and he races to the aeroplane and flies away toward the rescue. A duel of speed ensues between the aeroplane and the runaway engine bearing down on the girl, who now fully realizes her danger. When the aeroplane finally catches the engine, the ex-fireman slides down a rope and swings into the cab, shuts off the engine and saves the girl. The father arrives later with others and extends his apologies and complete forgiveness of the man he had wrongfully branded a coward.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 17 October 1914, page ?] A two-reel railroad story, which contains plenty of action and proves a winner of its kind. The discharged hero finds his chance to make good when he rides in an aeroplane to catch a runaway train. He crawls down a rope and lands on the freight just in time to stop it and save the girl’s life. The drop is not actually made from the aeroplane, but the machine is used in racing with the train and the illusion is very good. The photography is clear and attractive and the story altogether quite pleasing.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 13 April 2024.
References: ClasIm-226 p. 42 : Website-IMDb.
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