THE RESCUE

Released 7/23/17 by Universal/Bluebird Photoplays; Director: Ida May Park; Screenplay: Ida May Park, from a story by Hugh Kahler; 5 reels

CAST: Dorothy Phillips (Anne Wetherall), Gretchen Lederer (Nell Jerrold), Molly Malone (Betty Jerrold), Claire Du Brey (Henriette), William Stowell (Kent Wetherall), Lon Chaney (Thomas Holland), Gertrude Astor (Mrs. Hendricks)

SYNOPSIS: After divorcing Kent Wetherall, Anne Wetherall returns to the stage. The last performance of the season is over, and Anne is to have dinner with Thomas Holland, her ex- husband's best friend when she receives a telegram from her close friend Nell Jerrold, urging her to return home immediately. Holland has also received and accepted an invitation from Kent to visit him. On her arrival, Anne learns that Nell's younger sister Betty is to marry Kent. Trying to convince Betty of her ex-husband's faults is useless, even when she tells how she found him drinking with another woman on a houseboat. When Anne learns that Kent will be one of the dinner guests, she decides to use her charms to win him away from Betty for her own good. She is somewhat successful as both Kent and Holland are quite attracted by her loveliness. The next day, Holland proposes marriage while they are out riding, but Anne is not yet ready to remarry. Later, Kent tells Anne that he still loves her, and that he had tried to kill himself when Anne left, only Betty jerked the gun from his hand. Anne convinces Kent that they should remarry, and the next day they obtain a license and are remarried. Having completed her mission, in that Kent is no longer available to ruin women's lives, she leaves for the station. At the station, Holland arrives and introduces her to Mrs. Hendricks, owner of a floating sanitarium, and the woman Anne saw with her husband. They tell her that Kent had inherited a drinking problem and was taking treatments to overcome his problem. The entire story about Betty was fabricated to lure Anne back to her husband. Anne, realizing her terrible misunderstanding, happily returns to her husband.

"Bluebird has fashioned a photoplay drama which rises to the heights of dramatic excellence and presents Dorothy Phillips in one of the best parts of her screen career. The problem of divorce is taken up, stirring scenes are depicted, and you will see five of the prettiest girls on the screen." ---Motion Picture News

"The atmosphere of artificiality that hangs over the story has also enveloped the acting of Dorothy Phillips, a fault seldom noticed in her work...William Stowell, Lon Chaney, Gretchen Lederer and Molly Malone are competent members of the cast." ---Moving Picture World

"William Stowell and Lon Chaney, who always lead Miss Phillips' support, perform their usual excellent service in presenting their details of the story in forceful directness. For once, Mr. Chaney is not a 'villain,' being here cast as a perfectly human being who directs his good offices to the happy outcome of the plot." ---Variety

NOTES: The recommended theme music for the film was "Dreams of Love" (6/4 Poco Allegro) by Liszt.


© 1996,2008 Jon C. Mirsalis


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