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Shorty’s Sacrifice
(1914) United States of America
B&W : Two reels
Directed by [?] Francis Ford and/or Scott Sidney?
Cast: Charles Ray [Tom Simms], Enid Markey [Ethel Somners], Jack Hamilton (Shorty Hamilton) [Shorty], Scott Sidney [Ned Dorne, the banker], Herschel Mayall [the tramp ringleader], Fannie Midgley (Fanny Midgley) [Shorty’s mother]
New York Motion Picture Corporation production; distributed by [?] Mutual Film Corporation? [Broncho]? / Produced by [?] Thomas H. Ince? / Released 8 April 1914. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Drama: Western.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Shorty starts for Arizona with the hope of finding work so that he may be able to send for his mother, who is suffering with a cough. He is unable to pay his fare on a freight train, so he sneaks into the caboose and hides in the wood box. A lot of tramps, who are stealing a ride, when told by the brakeman to move on, attack him and throw him out of the moving box car and then attempt to man the train. Shorty helps the train crew and when the tramps are brought before the magistrate at the next town. Shorty is given work by Tom Simms, a ranch owner, while the ringleader of the tramps is given a long sentence by Ned Dorne, justice of the peace. Shorty is soon made foreman. In some unknown way the barns in which Simms has his crops stored take fire, burning up everything. Ned Dorne, who is a rival for Ethel Somners, the new school teacher, holds a note against Simms and sees a good chance to ruin him. Ned Dorne demands immediate payment and they quarrel. The tramp responsible for the attack on the train serves his time and is released and ordered out of town. He sees Dorne riding alone and decides that this is his chance to get even. He attacks him, kills him and is wounded in the struggle. Simms is accused of the crime, but Shorty writes a note to the sheriff, telling him that he did it. Shorty finds the tramp dying, obtains a confession from him, just as the sheriff and posse arrive to arrest him. Simms is exonerated and Shorty’s mother arrives just as he returns to the ranch, a free man.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 28 March 2020.
References: Spehr-American p. 254 : ClasIm-224 p. 42 : Website-IMDb.
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