The Peacock Feather Fan (1914)
Successful musician John Keith sits in his studio smoking. He takes a broken peacock feather from his table drawer and in a vision the scenes of his life pass before him. He and his friend Billy, whose studio is just across the hall from John's, go to tea at the Bartons' studio, where Billy introduces John to his lifelong friend Polly Bainbridge. John falls in love with her and though Martin Courtland has loved her since she was a child, she prefers John, and Courtland makes way for the younger man. Mrs. Willing, a beautiful widow, tries to flirt with, first Courtland, who calmly ignores her; then John, who is frankly absorbed in Polly; then Billy, who responds to her advances. The Bartons give a dance and Polly appears in a black gown carrying a peacock feather fan. John takes her into the conservatory and proposes to her. Polly accepts him and he takes her in his arms. In doing so the fan is crushed between them and the girl, smiling ruefully shows him a broken feather. John detaches the feather and puts the detached part into his pocket. Then one afternoon two weeks later Mrs. Willing calls on Polly and asks her to loan her the peacock feather fan as it matches the gown she intends wearing that evening. Polly complies. Later the same afternoon John calls up, and Polly tells him she won't be able to see him that evening as she has such a dreadful headache. John asks Billy to go to the theater with him, but Billy declines, so John goes alone. Returning at about half past eleven as he passes Billy's door he sees silhouetted against the glass Billy with a woman in his arms. In a spirit of teasing, thinking it some model, he knocks and Billy, answering the knock, seems so desirous of keeping him out that John, in order to give him a bad moment or two, goes in. Billy is uncomfortable. John walks about as if he knew nothing and whenever he approaches a large screen. Billy tries to steer him away. Suddenly he stops, for on a model stand lies a peacock feather fan. He picks it up and finds the tell-tale broken feather. Without a word he leaves the room. That night he packs and leaves for a trip around the world, after writing a note to Polly, breaking off everything. He tries to forget the girl and the friend who has betrayed him, but cannot. At the end of a year he returns. Billy explains that it was not Polly behind the screen, but it is too late, Polly has married Courtland. And now he sits, a famous man, lonely in his studio, staring moodily at a broken peacock feather.
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Domestic
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Worldwide
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GenresDrama
Short
IMDbPro
See more details at IMDbPro
| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| Harry A. Pollard | Director |
| Marie Layet | Writer |
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| Margarita Fischer | |
| Harry A. Pollard | |
| Julius Frankenburg | |
| Joe Harris |
