Sacrificial Fires (1914)
Dick Mathews is left penniless through the death of his father and his friends shun him. He secures a position as representative of an American mercantile firm and goes to Japan. One day when calling on a Japanese of integrity to purchase some antique article, he meets the man's daughter, Cherryblossom. Dick is impressed by her beauty, and later asks the girl to marry him. She does so. Dick buys and furnishes a pretty little American house and instructs her in American ways. About six months after their marriage Dick receives a letter from his home in San Francisco, informing him an uncle has died, leaving him his entire fortune and that his presence is desired at once. He prepares to leave. He tells Cherryblossom he is called to America on business, but will return in a month or so. She asks to go along, but he refuses. She is dazed and heartbroken by his sudden departure. Months go by and his letters grow less fervent and less frequent and then they cease entirely. In the meantime Dick, back among his old friends, forgets his wife. He meets a beautiful American girl and falls in love with her, but his manhood keeps him from telling her of his love. Yet every time as he starts to write Cherryblossom something prevents him. Cherryblossom determines to go to America to find him. Arriving in San Francisco she discovers him in company with Helen Morrow and realizing the situation, returns to Japan without revealing her presence to Dick. She writes a cablegram the moment of her return to Japan. She takes off her American attire and puts on her Japanese kimono. She takes an American flag and wraps it about her body. Taking up a little jeweled dagger, she goes to the windows which open out on the sea. Dick becomes remorseful and, realizing his duty to Cherryblossom, writes her a letter, in which he tells her he will return to her. Just as he is about to mail it, a messenger delivers a cablegram which informs Dick that Cherrybloom died that morning. Dick slowly burns the letter he had written her, and, clasping the picture of Helen to his breast, buries his head in his arms.
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GenresDrama
Short
IMDbPro
See more details at IMDbPro
| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| E.D. Horkheimer | Producer |
| H.M. Horkheimer | Producer |
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| Henry King | |
| Belle Bennett | |
| Madeline Pardee | |
| Frank Erlanger |
