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Lost Years
(1911) United States of America
B&W : One reel
Directed by Richard Foster Baker
Cast: Francis X. Bushman [James Brown]
Essanay Film Manufacturing Company production; distributed by The General Film Company, Incorporated. / Produced by Theodore Wharton. / Released [?] 23 or 26? September 1911. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / This film is sometimes identified as Bushman’s film debut; in fact, his first film was His Friend’s Wife (1911).
Drama.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? John Walters, foreman of a construction gang, at work on the river in Chicago, has occasion to reprimand one of his laborers, James Brown, for loitering at his work. A quarrel follows, in which Brown is worsted by Walters and later the laborer is heard to make threats against the life of the foreman. The next day Brown receives his check and is told that he is no longer needed. Brown and Walters are alone and Brown, still determined to carry out his threat, again attacks the foreman, but is again defeated. Walters then pleads with Brown to make up their quarrel, which the latter finally agrees to do. Walters turns to go, but slipping on a wet plank plunges head first into the river. Unable to swim Brown finds it impossible to rescue the man, and a moment later when two policemen arrive on the scene and when it is finally decided that Walters has been drowned, they arrest the laborer, charging him with murder. Wallets, however, is not drowned, and has effected a landing on a rude sort of landing underneath the pier. Here he is captured by two river pirates, who, in fear that the rescued man will disclose their retreat, shanghai him to a strange port, where he is thrown on his own resources. He engages as a farm hand and falling in love with the farmer's daughter marries her, and deciding that farm life has proven more attractive than city life, he decides in spend the rest of his life in the country. In the meantime Brown, accused of murdering the foreman, is found guilty and sentenced to a life term in the penitentiary. Forty long years pass by, when there is a visit to the prison by the board of pardons. Brown pleads for his release, but to no avail; but Walters, reading an account of the denial of the pardon of Brown for his own murder, hastens to the prison and soon obtains the release of his former associate. Brown is then taken to Walter’s home, where he is made a member of the family and given a good home for the rest of his life.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: False imprisonment
Listing updated: 18 December 2024.
References: Maturi-Bushman p. 109 : Website-IMDb.
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