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The Minute Man
Also known as {The Minute Men}
(1911) United States of America
B&W : Short film
Directed by Oscar C. Apfel
Cast: Charles Ogle [the minute man], Miriam Nesbitt [the minute man’s wife], William West [the minute man’s father], Edwin Clarke [the minute man’s son], Edna May Weick [the minute man’s daughter], Guy Coombs [a British officer], James Gordon
Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated, production; distributed by The General Film Company, Incorporated. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Drama: Historical: War.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? We see the British Colonel receive his orders to march on to Concord and destroy the stores gathered there by the Continentals. On his staff is a young captain, whose reluctance to take arms against the “rebels” brings upon himself the ridicule of his comrades. The morning of April nineteenth dawns and we see the Minute Man and his family, consisting of his father, wife and two children, at breakfast. The Minute Man and his son leave for their work in the field, while the others attend to their various household duties. While engaged in plowing, a horseman dashes up and informs them that the British regulars are on their way to Concord. Father and son mount their plow horses and hurry to the house, where they tell the news. Hastily donning their uniforms, they are about to leave, when grandfather insists upon joining them, and, seizing his old battered drum, departs for the front. At Lexington, where the Minute Men are gathering on the village green, to check the British advance, they arrive just in time to take part in the first fight for freedom. But, owing to the superior numbers of the British they are forced to retreat. The conflict then moves to Concord Bridge. Here the Minute Men take the initiative, and led by our three heroes, bravely charge across the bridge and defeat the regulars. The retreat continues along the roads to Boston, the Minute Men picking them off from behind stone walls and trees until the regulars become panic-stricken and the retreat becomes a rout. The Minute Man’s little girl, hearing the firing, wanders into the road and gazes after the fleeing soldiers, and, finding herself between the fires of the opposing forces, becomes confused and frightened. Seeing her danger, the young captain of the retreating British rushes forward and snatches her out of harm’s way, but receives a bullet in his arm in doing so. He manages to carry the child to her doorstep, where he falls fainting. Here the child’s mother finds him and revives him, and in gratitude for saving her child, takes him into her house, where she bandages his wound and puts him to bed. The Minute Man, having been wounded in the fight, is persuaded to drop out of the pursuit of the British, and as he reaches his doorstep he finds the officer’s hat and finds the blood stains. He questions his wife upon entering, but fearing further bloodshed, she tries to conceal the presence of the officer, and denies all knowledge of him. Her husband is describing the battle to her when he hears a sound in the next room. He insists upon searching the room, and, seizing his musket, goes toward the door. His wife tries to prevent his entering, which only confirms his suspicions, and he puts her aside. As he is about to enter the room the door opens and he is confronted by the officer. He raises his gun to fire, but his wife springing before him, tells him how the officer risked his own life to save their child. He slowly lowers his gun, hangs his head in shame, and asks the officer’s forgiveness, which is freely given. The gallant young British aristocrat and the Minute Man warmly clasp each other's hand.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: War: American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
Listing updated: 7 December 2024.
References: Pitts-Hollywood p. 4 : Website-IMDb.
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