The Understudy; or, Behind the Scenes (1915)
During rehearsals of "The Masked Mystery," a new play, understudy Jack Boyle falls in love with the heroine, Lolita. She is in love with James Stewart, the hero of the play, and he returns her affections. Devereaux, who plays the villain, is also in love with her, but just as in the play, she loathes him. The climax of the third act is where Devereaux enters the darkened stage to rob the safe. The heroine discovers him. He draws a revolver and during a desperate struggle, the gun goes off, killing the heroine. After rehearsal, Devereaux meets Lolita and tries to kiss her, but Jack interferes. Stewart comes up, takes the trembling Lolita in his arms and announces they are to be married after the opening performance. Devereaux, very bitter, goes to his club and there inflames his anger and jealousy by drinking. Seeing a newspaper item of an unfortunate accident wherein the actress is accidentally shot on the stage, a fiendish idea occurs to him. On the night of the performance he exchanges the blanks in his stage pistol for ball cartridges, placing the rest of the bullets in his overcoat pocket. At the final rehearsal he lays his coat down and later takes Stewart's coat by mistake, while Stewart gets his. Jack and Devereaux have a fight in the latter's dressing room and Devereaux is rendered unconscious. Jack sees his longed-for chance to play a leading part, makes up as Devereaux and steps out on the stage. In the darkness no one recognizes him and not knowing, of course, that the revolver is loaded with bullets, Jack is about to shoot the heroine when Stewart, who has grasped the deadly plan in Devereaux's mind, through finding the bullets in the latter's overcoat, grabs Jack's arm. The revolver goes off, mortally wounding Jack. Before he dies, he tells the whole story and Devereaux meets his just punishment, while Jack passes away in Lolita's arms with a smile on his lips.
All Releases
Domestic
–
–
International
–
–
Worldwide
–
–
GenresDrama
Short
IMDbPro
See more details at IMDbPro
| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| Maurice Costello | Director |
| Robert Gaillard | Director |
| Frank Mitchell Dazey | Writer |
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| Maurice Costello | |
| Estelle Mardo | |
| Robert Gaillard | |
| Gladden James |
