The Prince of Evil (1913)
Part One: The leader of a band of smugglers, Prince Dalamere, an unprincipled adventurer, learns that more money is needed to finance his enterprises, and seeks for a rich and beautiful wife. Meeting Josephine Chester, he at once conceives an ardent admiration for her and determines that at any cost and by any means, she shall be his bride. When he proposes to her, Josephine tells him that although she is free, she will not for a moment think of marrying him. She instinctively distrusts the man and dislikes even to have him near her. Georgia Rivers, the sister of Josephine, and wife of James Rivers, a prominent businessman, is obsessed by a passion for gambling, which has so run away with her that she is heavily in debt. She determines to offset her previous losses by a bet on a horse race, and telephones to a friendly bookmaker, who promises to keep her informed of the progress of the race. While she is talking to him over the telephone, the prince calls at her house, and as he is a frequent visitor there, he is not announced by the maid. As he is about to enter the room he overhears the conversation over the 'phone and hides behind the portieres of the room. The horse upon which Mrs. Rivers has placed her bet loses and she is in despair. Being a woman of somewhat weak character, she dare not tell her husband of her losses. As soon as she has hung up the receiver, the prince enters and sees her in tears. She tells him of her difficulty, and he offers to help her out, proffering her a check large enough to pay all her debts. At first she declines to accept the check, but he tells her it is nothing to him and she consents to take it. Josephine is sought by another wooer, Richard Trent, whom she greatly favors over the prince. Seeing this the prince determines to force her hand. He goes to her, and showing her the check, which has by this time been returned to him by the bank, he tells her that unless she becomes engaged to him within a week, he will show the check to her sister's husband. Trent proposes to Josephine the next day, but she tells him that although she loves him, they cannot become engaged. She tells him that there is an obstacle that unless removed, will prevent their marriage, and so puts off the matter until she shall have solved her sister's difficulties. She accepts, however, Trent's invitation for her to attend the Rockwood Ball with him and looks forward to the evening with the greatest anticipation. When she asks her sister about the matter, Josephine learns the whole truth, but Georgia begs her to do all she can to avert discovery of the matter by her husband. Although horrified at her sister's conduct. Josephine promises to do all that she can to help her. Part Two: Delamere does not wait until the end of the week before taking further action, as he sees that Trent is making great headway with the young woman, and fears that the end of the week may see the announcement of Josephine's engagement to his rival instead of to himself. The night of the Rockwood Ball he telephones to the ballroom, telling Josephine that her sister is at his rooms, and that unless she at once consents to the engagement he will call her husband, so ruining Mrs. River's reputation. Thinking to be able to save her sister, Josephine at once leaves the ballroom and rushes to Delamere's apartments, where she finds that the message had simply been a ruse to get her there and that her sister is nowhere to be seen. While she is on her way to his apartment, Delamere causes a telegram to be sent to Trent, telling him that if he wishes to know the character of the woman he proposes to marry he must at once hasten to the rooms of Prince Delamere. On receiving the message, Trent, who has already noticed Josephine's disappearance, rushes for a taxi, and is whirled as quickly as possible towards the prince's apartment. Josephine attempts to leave the room, but is prevented by Delamere, who, hearing a step on the stairs, thinks Trent has arrived. He seizes Josephine in his arms, where she is seen when the door is opened. It is not Trent, however, but Detective Manners, who has come with a warrant for the arrest of the prince, as leader of the smuggling gang. While he is talking to Delamere, Josephine steps behind him and takes his revolver from his side rocket. Stepping in front of the two men she threatens to shoot the first that mentions her presence in the room. Just as Trent enters the room, she steps behind the window curtain and so is not seen by him. After Trent has bowed his apologies and withdrawn, Delamere attempts to take a revolver from his drawer, but is forestalled by the detective, who pins his arms and soon has him securely manacled. When the detective moves the curtains he finds that Josephine has escaped through the window. The woman succeeds in getting back to the ballroom before Trent's return, and when he comes in she begs him to take her home. Going to her sister's room, she tells her the story of the events of the evening and asks how it is all to end. Their conversation is overheard by Rivers, who has silently entered the room, and he bitterly reproaches his wife for her distrust in him. His first act is to write a check to Delamere for the money lent by him to his wife, and then to congratulate Josephine on the high courage she has shown. When Trent calls at the house the next day, Josephine, in answer to his renewed proposal, tells him that there is now no further objection to their engagement, which is promptly announced to the world at large.
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GenresDrama
Short
IMDbPro
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| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| Ralph Ince | Director |
| Marguerite Bertsch | Writer |
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| Anita Stewart | |
| Edith Storey | |
| L. Rogers Lytton | |
| E.K. Lincoln |
