The Billionaire (1914)
John Doe, "The Billionaire" who owns a controlling interest in the earth, decides to spend the weekend in Gay Paree and Monte Carlo, and leaves, taking with him Ping Pong, his valet, and a retinue of servants. Mr. and Mrs. Hotspur Peppercorn, newly rich and ambitious to marry their daughter Flora to a nobleman, sail on the same ship with Doe. Doe startles Paris with his lavish spending and is eagerly sought. The Peppercorns go to Nice in hopes of mingling with nobility, and Doe takes a trip to Monte Carlo. Pansy Good, a cabaret singer in Nice, gets in bad and loses her position. At the same time, Signor Baptiste (Count Baptiste Tabasco) the frappé tenor, finds a photo in his wife's possession, and determined to find the original, leaves his wife pleading poverty as an excuse, telling her he cannot see her share his misery. Doe breaks the bank at Monte Carlo and becomes a philanthropist, giving all his winnings to a beautiful and mysterious blonde who has lost heavily and is about to take poison. She in return, gives Doe a card written in French. Curious to know what it means, he asks a waiter to read it. The waiter indignantly refers it to the manager, who orders Doe and Ping thrown out. Determined to know what is on the card, Doe saves a life when he hands it to a stranger who is about to shoot himself. The mysterious card breeds wholesale dueling. The stranger challenges Doe to a duel, and leads him to the field of honor. Doe changes his mind about dueling when he sees the size of the crowd awaiting him. and decides to "beat it." He and Ping make their escape in an airship, and when Ping throws a bomb at his pursuers he loses his balance and falls out. Pansy Good is in trouble, and having a heated argument with the manager of the hotel about her bill, when Doe arrives, and upon learning of her misfortune, he promptly comes to the rescue and pays her bill. Pansy is truly grateful, and Doe loses his heart. The Peppercorns meet Lieutenant Ladislas, a distinguished Hungarian officer, who takes Mrs. Peppercorn and Flora on a sight-seeing tour. Peppercorn plans to entertain the telephone operator that night, and feigns a headache to get away from Mrs. Peppercorn. Doe and Pansy decide to do the town, and in the Café Chantant, Doe is recognized by Baptiste as the base American whose picture he found in his wife's possession. Baptiste vows vengeance, and challenges Doe to a duel. Pansy is introduced by Doe as the great American Song Bird, and her singing makes a decided hit. Baptiste meets his old friend Lieutenant Ladislas who introduces him to Flora and Mrs. Peppercorn. Mrs. Peppercorn is delighted to meet nobility at last, and plans to capture "The Count" for her daughter. Doe sees the mysterious blonde who gave him the card, but she disappears before he is able to reach her. Doe, Pansy and the Peppercorns attend a contest, Feet vs. Fists, between Mons, Achille Petipas, Savatist, (Kicker) and Tim Rafferty, an American pugilist. Doe places a big bet on Rafferty and wins. Baptiste still on vengeance bent, pursues Doe. Doe accepts his challenge and engages Tim Rafferty as his body guard. Rafferty and Ping, arrayed in armor, meet Baptiste in Doe's apartment. Baptiste is bewildered and gets the worst of a bad bargain at the hands of Rafferty. The duel creates a panic in the hotel, and Doe's apartment is demolished. Honor satisfied, Doe decided to get back to Broadway, and Baptiste still revengeful, plans to follow. Doe leaves for home with Pansy and Rafferty. Baptiste pays ardent court to Flora, and Mrs. Peppercorn eager to exhibit the Count, sails for home. Doe announces he will build a theater for his protégé, and cables his architects in New York to start building a theater at once, and have it ready for him when he arrives. All records for theater building are broken by Doe, and when he reaches New York he announces the opening night. Pansy is billed as the main attraction, and Doe assures her of success. Mrs. Peppercorn, Flora and Baptiste occupy a box, but Peppercorn eludes Mrs. Peppercorn and escorts Fluffy Flash, a show girl. The Billionaire Theater is opened with pomp and ceremony, Tim Rafferty as head usher is kept busy straightening out arguments with his fists. Mrs. Peppercorn creates a scene when she sees Peppercorn with Fluffy and pulls him out by the ear. Doe's troubles begin when the company refuses to work with a non-union actor. The audience becomes impatient and threatens Doe if he does not open the show. Doe, flabbergasted, announces to the audience that he will continue the performance, and play the leading part himself. He is wildly applauded and with the aid of volunteers, the performance is continued. Doe introduces his latest discovery, Pansy, but she proves a failure, and when a new moon effect he has invented refuses to work, Doe and Pansy are left singing to an audience of two, Rafferty and Ping. Doe, disgusted with his new venture, concludes the performance by inviting Rafferty and Ping to accompany him to the minister's. Doe again becomes a philanthropist, gives his theater away to a newsboy and marries his "star."
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Domestic
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International
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Worldwide
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GenresComedy
Short
IMDbPro
See more details at IMDbPro
| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| James Kirkwood | Director |
| Frank E. Woods | Writer |
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| Charles Hill Mailes | |
| Gertrude Bambrick | |
| Dave Morris | |
| William Sloan |
