The Castle Ranch (1915)
Lord Hickey, desirous of securing a country place for his second son, and not wanting to make the trip to America, buys the "Castle Ranch," which, from a photograph submitted by Jefferson Todd, a Montana land shark, represents a beautiful castle located in the midst of mountain grandeur. Algy arrives with his portly man servant, Simpson, to take possession of his estate and at the depot buys as a curio (to send his mother) an Indian food bowl, offered for sale by Big Chief Bill of a nearby tribe. Directing Simpson to carry the purchase along with the other luggage, the poor servant, with trembling hands, complies, but thinks that his last days have come if he is compelled to stay in this savage country. When Todd drives the new owner out to the property, Algy becomes aware that his father has been swindled. Castle Ranch is but a one room shack with a high board front, painted to represent an imposing castle. Waiting to welcome their prospective neighbors are Sally Dunn, the object of Todd's affections, and her father. The polished manners of the handsome young Englishman make an impression on Sally at once and she is indignant at fraud imposed upon him, while Algy, attracted by the refreshing beauty of the western girl, decides that he will make the best of a poor bargain, for a while at least. The castle having only two frail bunks, one on top of the other, Algy insists that the portly Simpson sleep outside. The trembling valet, his mind full of thoughts of savage Indians, rolls his night-robed body between a blanket on the ground, but being unable to sleep is startled by the form of Big Chief Bill, who, under sentence of death by the other members of his tribe, has come to search for the food bowl which he had stolen and sold to the Englishman. Simpson, sure that his last hour has come, covers his head with the blanket and scarcely breathes. As Big Chief Bill stealthily enters the castle he secures the object of his search. The Indian having departed, Simpson steals into the upper bunk. In his sleep he dreams that he has been captured by savages and in his efforts to escape breaks through the frail bunk, falling on his sleeping master. In the morning Algy goes to the Dunn ranch for breakfast, where word is brought that oil has been discovered nearby. The news causes considerable excitement among the party, one of whom is Todd, who regrets that he did not purchase the property when offered a few days before. After Algy returns to his own property he sends Simpson for water, who, seeing a black deposit on the surface of the spring, hurries to tell his master that the Indians have poisoned the supply. Todd and his secretary driving by offer to investigate and the land shark, realizing that the poison is oil, offers to buy back the property at the original purchase price, which is finally accepted by Algy. Meanwhile Sally hears of the prospective purchase from Todd's secretary and hastens to the castle to warn Algy not to sell, only to find that the two men had gone to make the deal legal. When the men return, Sally asks Algy if he was not aware that Simpson's discovery was oil and is both surprised and pleased when answered: "Why shouldn't I know? I put it there myself." At this statement Todd realizes that he has not only been beaten at his own game, but has lost all chance of winning Sally. Algy had gone him one better in the game of love also.
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Domestic
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Worldwide
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GenresShort
Western
IMDbPro
See more details at IMDbPro
| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| Henry Otto | Director |
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| G.E. Rainey | |
| Josephine Ditt | |
| Edward Coxen | |
| John Steppling |
