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When Spirits Walk
Also known as [The Spirits Walk]
(1913) United States of America
B&W : One reel
Directed by (unknown)
Cast: Lloyd V. Hamilton (Lloyd Hamilton) [Willie], Eva Thatcher [Mrs. Murphy], Joseph J. Franz (Joseph Franz), Buck Connors
St. Louis Motion Picture Company production; distributed by The Universal Film Manufacturing Company, Incorporated [Frontier Comedy]. / Released 30 October 1913. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / Thatcher’s film debut.
Comedy.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Eloise Brandon rides over the hills to her chum’s home, Margaret Dale, to inform her that brother Jack is coming home from college, that he will arrive that day and is bringing with him two college chums. As Margaret was very much in love with Eloise’s brother, she readily consented to ride back with her to meet the boys. One of the boys falls in love with Jack’s sister, much to the disgust of Eloise, as Willie was somewhat of a scrimp. The following day they start out for the picnic grove and pass by a haunted house. Eloise explains to the boys that the house is haunted, and she notices that Willie is very nervous. The next time he proposes, which happens every two or three hours, she tells him that if he will spend the night in the haunted house she will consider his proposal. This almost stumps Willie, but he promises to do so, and in the early evening he bids Eloise a farewell and hikes for the haunted house. The girls and boys are watching him, and decide to follow with the intention of playing a few ghostly tricks. Mrs. Murphy, the cook, is a somnambulist, and during her semi-conscious state she has been in the habit of visiting the haunted house. The peculiar happenings in the haunted house on this fateful occasion was such that it stirred up the village to a state of frenzy, the constable and his posse reaping some of the benefits after sharing in the fright. The two girls and the three boys land in jail and a hurried call is sent for father. He rushes to the sheriff’s office, fines are paid and they then hike for the automobile, leaving Willie and Mrs. Murphy to walk home together.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 1 November 1913, page ?] A haunted house film story which starts out in the conventional way, the girl agreeing to marry her lover if he will remain overnight in the place. The cook is a sleepwalker and the young people who impersonate ghosts are much alarmed when they run across her. The scene in the house works up very humorously and there are a number of laughs in this.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 5 November 2023.
References: Website-IMDb.
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