The Greater Love (1914)

When Esther Desries, a settlement worker and volunteer nurse of strong character and attractive personality, meets Dr. John Strong, she realizes that she has for him the one great love of her life. Strong's wife Marion is a thoughtless butterfly who is planning to elope with Thornton, an artist, without appreciating the gravity of her course. Thorton, emotional and of weak character, is the father of Francis, a small child who has been injured in a street accident; he is attended by Dr. Strong and nursed by Esther. Thornton's redeeming trait is his kindheartedness and love for his son. Esther knows that Strong loves her, and upon learning of the proposed elopement, realizes that she has only to allow matters to take their course in order to eventually become Strong's wife. She finds, however, that she cannot allow her own happiness to be based on the shame of the man she loves and the grief of the child Francis, whom Marion has induced Thornton to abandon, as Marion dislikes children. By appealing to Thornton's father-love, Esther succeeds in preventing the elopement, and by confessing to Marion her love for Strong, she rouses in the wife a jealous determination to deserve, win, and retain her husband's love. At last Esther feels that by assuring the happiness of those she most loves (Strong and Francis), she too will attain happiness.

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Summary Details
GenresDrama Short
FilmmakersRole
Edgar Jones Director
Siegmund Lubin Producer
CastRole
Edgar Jones
Louise Huff
Mabel Greene
Brinsley Shaw