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King Baggot (left) and Jane Gail.
Photograph: Silent Era image collection.
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The Riddle of
the Silk Stockings
(1915) United States of America
B&W : One reel
Directed by George A. Lessey
Cast: King Baggot [King Cole, the floorwalker], Jane Gail [Jane Clark, the counter girl], Ned Reardon [Jefferson Spangler], Frank Smith [Frank Swartz], [?] ? [Obidiah Spreckles], [?] ? [the deacon], [?] ? [the cop]
The Universal Film Manufacturing Company, Incorporated, production; distributed by The Universal Film Manufacturing Company, Incorporated [Imp Comedies]. / Scenario by [?] Raymond L. Schrock?, from a screen story by Raymond L. Schrock. / Released 14 June 1915. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / Universal release number 0577. The film was marketed in the USA with one-sheet and three-sheet posters. The film was released in Canada on 21 June 1915.
Comedy.
Synopsis: [The Universal Weekly, Volume VI, Number 24, 12 June 1915, page 22] King Cole, formerly a clerk in the dry goods department, later a soda fountain expert and now floor walker in the women”s notion department, wants to take a vacation, because pretty Jane Clark, his sweetheart, now working in his department, has decided that she needs a rest. / King and Jane go to the former’s old home, where to their horror, they find everything locked up tight. / Jane flies into a rage and berates poor King for not notifying his parents of their visit and weeps with anger. / Meanwhile, Jefferson Spangler, a genial traveling salesman, has allowed himself to be unloaded bag and baggage at Elmyraville, and, being absorbed in a magazine, he does not discover his mistake until his train is gone. / Jefferson Spangler is beside himself with rage and sits down to mop his brow and think. Jane appears on the scene. Then King hurries in just in time to catch her limp body as the agent nonchalantly tells them the next train will arrive — maybe. Spangler laughs and King turn upon him in rage which changes to a look of wonder and delight for in Spangler, he recognizes an old schoolmate and pal. The two shake hands and leave poor Jane all by herself. In a rage she steps between them and sternly asks King what he intends doing. King then introduces her to Spangler and the latter suggests that they put up at the village tavern and try and get some fun out of the town till the next day. Accordingly, the three set out for the tavern and they are duly installed. Jane in a narrow, ugly looking room on the second floor and the two men in a room on the floor below. / Down below Spangler has sent for his trunks and taken one of the large bedrooms to make a display of his goods, for he decides he might as well make a few sales as do nothing. King offers to help him. They pull the shades down, leaving about four inches open at the bottom. Spangler’s trunks arrive and they lock the door. Spangler opens the trunks, revealing two or three dozen leg forms, several pairs of fancy pumps and a wide assortment of hosiery, most of which is loud and in wild colors. / Meanwhile, a couple of kids outside look into the window and are much amused at what they see, namely, a lot of legs. Attracted by the children’s curiosity, Obidiah Spreckles peers into the window and judges from what he sees of the legs and silk hose and actions of the two men smoothing out the wrinkles that there is something wild going on in the room. He is shocked completely and sends the boys for the crowd at the general store. / The Deacon declares that such disgraceful proceedings have gone far enough and commands the constable to do his duty. / Inside, Spangler and King hear the knock and the sounds of talking and wonder what it means. Spangler opens the door and is pushed aside by the angry Deacon, who steps in and orders them to leave town at once. Jane also pushes her way in and recoils in amazement at the forms sticking up out of the trunk. She is about to jump onto King, who holds the forms in his hand, when she understands and bursts into laughter. The serious assemblage are startled and then she explains. The Deacon and constable are stunned and know not what to say or do. Spangler takes advantage of their helplessness and brings forth his famous hosiery and they are forced to buy, while King and Jane look on in delight. / After the last one has bartered with Spangler and gone, the genial traveling salesman holds up a roll of bills and says: “We’ll hire a rig and be driven to the nearest railroad.”
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 26 December 2009.
References: UnivWeekly-19150612 pp. 7, 16, 22, 34 : Website-IMDb.
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