The Weaker Brother (1914)
Colonel Jackson's son Harry has a weakness for drink and cards; he also has a sister, Dorothy. Denton has Harry in his toils through a great card debt, so Harry is compelled to submit to Denton's efforts to win Dorothy. War is declared and Jackson is ordered to his regiment. Harry enlists and Denton is ordered to report to the same regiment on the commissary end. The war progresses and they find themselves driven to bay near the old home. Denton tells Jackson that unless provisions arrive that night, they must send word to Lee for help. Denton suggests sending Harry to bear the dispatches to Lee; Denton is already in the service of the North as a secret agent. The next morning Denton finds Harry on his way, and by promising to cancel the debt he gets Harry to agree to meet Phillips, a Yankee officer, at an old shack and surrender the papers. Dorothy bids Harry good-bye and gives him her photo. Harry meets Phillips, who gets the dispatches and discovers Dorothy's photo. He sneers at Harry for being a traitor when he has such a beautiful sister. Harry remorseful, attacks Phillips to get the papers back, but Phillips gets the best of him and leaves him tied hand and foot, carrying away both papers and photo. Denton in the meantime insults Dorothy. Phillips saves her from Denton. Denton sneaks off and Phillips agrees to take Dorothy back inside her own lines. Phillips is disguised as a Confederate and has the password. Harry's horse has returned, and his father is leaving to search for him when Denton gets back. He accuses Harry and offers to lead Col. Jackson to the man who has the papers and who is also trying to steal his daughter. Phillips' horse goes lame and he sees the Confederate bearing down upon him. He quickly gives the papers and photo to Dorothy and tells her of her brother's predicament. He is captured and Dorothy gets away with the papers. Phillips is taken as a spy in Confederate uniform. Dorothy releases Harry and gives him back his papers. He leaves for Lee and she leaves for home, but stops when she hears shots. Harry has run into a Union party and retires to the shack, where he barricades himself. Dorothy rides home for help while Harry holds the shack against the Yanks. Jackson and Denton at the head of their men go to the rescue. The Yankees beat them back, when Denton sneaks away. Harry, wounded but game, now rushes out and grabbing the fallen flag, saves the day and the Tanks retreat. The dispatches are forwarded by another man. Denton runs into the retreating Yankees and is killed. Dorothy and Harry try to save Phillips from being shot, but Phillips in the guardhouse refuses to allow them to disclose the true affair, for it would only disgrace Harry and his father and he still would have to suffer the penalty of being a spy. The girls round about there decide to give a dance at the Jacksons that night to cheer up the soldiers and Dorothy gets her father to agree. At the dance they discover they are short of men and Dorothy conceives the daring idea of getting the Union soldiers, who are prisoners, to attend the dance on parole. The officers and Jackson agree and Phillips and two others are brought in and asked their disposition in the matter. They agree under Dorothy's persuasion and swear not to try to escape. Dorothy and Phillips learn of each other's love, and she pleads with him to try and escape, but he refuses. The messenger from Lee is brought in badly wounded and dies. Dorothy decides to save Phillips against his will. She has wine brought to all, and his is drugged. When he begins to lose consciousness her negroes support him into the adjoining room. There he is stripped and the clothes of the dead man and Phillips changed. (They had taken his Confederate uniform away and made him get into a Union uniform at his imprisonment). The negro comes out and tells Dorothy. She gets permission from her father to take the dead Confederate out, and he barely notices anything, by the uniform. Dorothy gets him outside the lines with Harry's help, gives him back her photograph and a lover's kiss.
All Releases
Domestic
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International
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Worldwide
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GenresDrama
Short
IMDbPro
See more details at IMDbPro
| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| Edgar Jones | Director |
| George Terwilliger | Writer |
| Siegmund Lubin | Producer |
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| Edgar Jones | |
| Louise Huff | |
| Brinsley Shaw | |
| Jack Halloway |
