The Shattered Tree (1914)
As frequently happens in the best-regulated families, one of the Norwood boys was a success; the other, not so much. By strict attention to business, Harry had won his father's respect and esteem; Jack was a spendthrift, a cheerfully-idle vagabond who was hail-fellow-well-met with half the men in town and perfectly willing to let his brother keep up the family reputation for hard work. Unknown to his father, Harry was deeply involved in speculation. A sudden market crash threatened to completely wipe out his margins and put him in desperate need of money. Returning home late one evening, he opened the little wall safe in the drawing-room and took out a large sum of his father's money. Just as he had put it into his pocket, he heard a noise. Mr. Norwood had roused and was coming down the stairs. Just at that moment, Jack entered, intoxicated. Harry thrust the money upon his dazed brother, and waited. Mr. Norwood came upon them, saw the empty safe, noted Jack's condition and the damning evidence of guilt in his hands. Without a word, he took the money from Jack, and pointed to the door. In order not to break the old man's heart, Jack shouldered the guilt, and went west. Shortly afterward Harry was taken into the firm. His financial affairs went from bad to worse. At last, he used $50,000 of the firm's money to cover his shortage. The market plunged again, the money was wiped out. and Harry wrote a note to his father and shot himself. The note explained his own guilt and Jack's innocence. Meanwhile Jack had gone west, and done several other things. He had made a rich strike in a gold mine, and had fallen in love with Marjorie Boone, the daughter of his partner. When he learned of his brother's death, and the desperate condition into which the firm had been thrown by Harry's speculations, he immediately set out for the East. When Marjorie playfully accused him of attempting to desert her. Jack told her that his love would last as long as the tree beneath which they were standing. When Jack went east, an envious rival attempted to poison the girl's heart against him. When the great tree was shattered by lightning in a terrible storm, Marjorie was convinced that her lover would never return. When Jack, after setting his father's firm on its feet, came West again Marjorie, crazed with anguish, had wandered away from home. Jack came upon her as she stood on the edge of a great cliff. Then it happened that Marjorie forgot her fears and sorrows and turned back to home and happiness with the man she loved.
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Worldwide
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GenresDrama
Short
IMDbPro
See more details at IMDbPro
| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| Ben F. Wilson | Director |
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| Robert Brower | |
| Ben F. Wilson | |
| Harry Beaumont | |
| Bliss Milford |
