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The Stolen Claim
(1913) United States of America
B&W : Split-reel
Directed by [?] Bertram Bracken and/or Gaston Méliès?
Cast: Claire Nightingale [Hilda]
Méliès Star Films [American] production; distributed by [?] The Vitagraph Company of America through The General Film Company, Incorporated? / Produced by Gaston Méliès. / Released 12 June 1913; in a split-reel with Views of the Samarang (1913). / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / The production was shot on-location in 1912 in Australia.
Drama: Western.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Rhodda, an old prospector, has been nursed through an attack of fever by Harry Murray, a young miner. In gratitude, he shows him a bag of rich specimens and marks on a map directions to find the reef from which they came. While Harry is absent getting food for the old man, the specimen bag, with the paper in it is stolen, also Rhodda’s watch. The thief is a working miner named Hurley. When Harry returns to the cottage, Rhodda is overcome by the shock of the robbery and dies. He bequeaths the claim to Harry. A few days later, Jack Murray, the young miner’s brother, arrives by train on the gold fields. By the same train comes a capitalist named Cuthbert, with his wife and their daughter, Hilda. Jack Murray has become friends with them on their way up. Also on the train is Colonel Baylor, a gentleman miner, who proves to be an associate of the working miner, Hurley. Hurley tells the colonel of a rich discovery he has made, really the dead prospector’s claim. The colonel takes in Cuthbert as an associate to provide money for operations. Meanwhile, young Harry has told his brother Jack of the rich find, and of the robbery, and declares he remembers Rhodda’s directions well enough to locate the claim. The two parties start almost at the same time for the same goal, nobody but Hurley knowing the fact. They camp near each other on the night before the place will be reached, and in the evening the Murrays visit the other camp, during which time Hurley steals off to their camp and drugs their coffee in the billy can. The two brothers do not awake until midday, to find the others gone ahead. They follow, only to find the colonel and Hurley in possession of the claim. Jack Murray, however, tackles them in a fight, and Rhodda’s stolen watch is found in Hurley’s belt pouch. The colonel disclaims all knowledge of the theft and voluntarily renounces his rights to the claim, and Hurley is allowed to go free by similarly surrendering the property. The Murrays are congratulated by Cuthbert and his daughter.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: Australia
Listing updated: 7 October 2023.
References: Shirley-Australian p. 27; Thompson-Star p. 234 : Website-IMDb.
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