The Power That Rules (1913)
With an overpowering passion for money to satisfy her love of display and pretension, Rhoda Canfield marries Tom Winters, hoping that he might satisfy her ambition and meet her requirement. He is a man of some means, but he's not wealthy. The first outburst comes when she reads in the Society columns, immediately after her marriage, that Tom Winters has married Rhoda Canfield, a poor girl, when he was expected to marry her wealthy stepsister Cecilia. She urges her husband to make himself a greater power in the world of wealth. Mr. Mellville, a broker who is anxious to get Winters to invest his money in a certain stock, notices this ambition and with his wife's assistance he prompts her to insist that her husband invest in Mr. Mellville's offer. They accomplish their purpose and Winters puts everything into the stocks. Mrs. Winters immediately purchases all sorts of finery and prepares to live in accordance with her expected means. Cecilia sympathizes with Mr. Winters, and tries to reason with her stepsister and tells her that her husband is doing the best he can and she is foolish to try to make him sacrifice his judgment to her ambitions. Rhoda is in the seventh heaven of delight when her husband receives the news that his stock has slumped and he is a ruined man. Upon her return home, she finds her husband in despair. She berates him for being such a miserable failure in business. In the parlor, she meets Cecilia, gives vent to her feelings, and repeats what she told her husband. Cecilia tells her she ought to be ashamed of herself to denounce her husband. She points out her error in such powerful words that Rhoda's conscience is awakened, and she falls at Cecilia's feet.
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GenresDrama
Short
IMDbPro
See more details at IMDbPro
| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| Rollin S. Sturgeon | Director |
| William E. Wing | Writer |
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| George Stanley | |
| Anne Schaefer | |
| Laura Oakley | |
| Charles Bennett |
