The Double (1910)
At the breaking out of the war with Spain, Colonel Robert King is ordered, with his regiment, to Cuba, and donning his uniform he hastens to the home of his sweetheart, Maud Wentworth, to whom he says farewell and at the same time persuades her to accept his engagement ring. At the railroad station from which the troops depart Maud meets the Colonel again and again bids him a tender farewell. As King steps through the gate leading to the train, Joseph Dansby, King's exact counterpart, stops through from the other direction, having just arrived from one of the incoming trains, and, unperceived by Maud, passes out of the station. Dansby goes at once to a club to which he has been given a card of admission, and making some acquaintances, imbibes a little too freely and leaves the place slightly under the influence of liquor. Outside he meets a home-staying member of the lately departed regiment, who gazes at him in surprise and gives him a military salute. He next meets Maud Wentworth, who is riding in her automobile. She stops the machine in astonishment and asks him to get in with her, and explain himself. As he knows nothing whatsoever about his likeness to Colonel King, he is completely mystified by her familiarity and the questions she asks him. However, his blundering replies are regarded by her as the result of his drinking and she takes him to King's home and turns him over to the butler, who escorts him into the house and waits upon him in due form. Dansby, being in a half-maudlin condition, has decided to allow affairs to shape themselves as they will and accepts with that spirit everything that comes to him. Next morning, after Dansby arises, the butler hands him a note addressed to King. On his refusing to open it, the butler, believing him to be still under the influence of liquor, laughingly opens it for him and hands it to him. The note proves to be from Maud, requesting him to call and explain his actions of the day before. Dansby, having been deeply impressed by Maud's beauty, decides to accept the invitation and clear up the mystery at once. But when he arrives, she refuses to accept his explanations and is greatly piqued by his attempts to deny his seeming identity. Her father enters, and believing him to be still affected by his libations of the day before, laughingly advises Maud to pay no attention to his denials for the present. Dansby has, by this time, fallen deeply in love with Maud and after examining the engagement ring on her finger, he points to the photo of King on the table and declares that he wishes he were the lucky man. She insists that he is and kisses him and he, unable to resist her charms any longer, returns her kiss with interest. Matters drift along in this manner for some time, for, Dansby being unable to break away from the alluring spell which Maud has cast about his heart, makes no further attempts to reveal himself. In the meantime, Colonel King and his regiment have arrived in Cuba and fighting has begun. One day while riding among the outposts, King is ambushed and fatally wounded and, falling from his horse, is carried to his quarters and dies in the arms of one of his friends, a surgeon. At home, Maud receives a newspaper clipping announcing his death, and after reading it she faints away. Dansby enters and noticing her condition, picks up the clipping and reads it, then quietly leaves the house, after summoning her maid to her assistance. Returning home, he writes Maud a note, stating that as she at last knows the truth, he is going away forever. Maud, upon reading his note, realizes that she loves Dansby as well as she ever loved King, and hastily going to Dansby, she begs him to remain for her sake, and he, of course, remains.
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Domestic
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International
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Worldwide
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GenresDrama
Romance
Short
IMDbPro
See more details at IMDbPro
| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| Katharine Boland Clemens | Writer |
| Carl Laemmle | Producer |
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| King Baggot |
