Levi's Dilemma (1910)
We are shown first the interior of Uncle Levi's establishment, typical of any East Side or Halsted Street pawnshop. Uncle Levi is much perturbed, first because Mose, his clerk, and Rebecca, his daughter, have permitted themselves to fall in love without his consent, and second, because burglars have been busy in the Ghetto, as the startling headlines of the morning's paper point out. The pleadings of Rebecca and Mose asking for consent to marry, fall on deaf ears, but they are so persistent and Mose has become so neglectful of his business that Uncle Levi has found it more profitable to answer doubtfully, but with some hope, "Maybe, some time." Business immediately picks up. A chap enters to purchase an overcoat, tries on several, but is not pleased until the resort to the old trick. An empty pocketbook is placed in the pocket of a coat, which is slipped on the customer. The latter goes into the pockets and discovers the pocketbook and unhesitatingly purchases the coat, unaware, of course, that he is being swindled. A one-legged chap hobbles in on crutches and tries to purchase a pair of trousers. After he has made his choice he indicated to Mose he would like the left leg of the trousers cut off so as to fit the half leg, but Mose, whose thoughts are of Rebecca, cuts off the wrong leg. Thus they lose the sale of the trousers, which are irreparably damaged. A boy, distributing dodgers which advertise an auction down the street enters. Uncle Levi decides to attend the auction. Then he thinks of his money and of the active burglars. After searching about for some suitable place of concealment, he thrusts the roll of bills in the pocket of a coat at the bottom of a pile of the same merchandise. While he is out Mose sells the coat containing the money, and when Uncle Levi returns boasts of the sale. The old man finds the money gone, and with a howl of rage dashes out of the place in an endeavor to locate the chap wearing the coat. His adventures are highly amusing, as may be imagined. (These scenes were obtained on South Halsted Street, Chicago, in the very heart of the Ghetto.) After a long, heart-breaking search, poor Uncle Levi returns. He is followed by the very man who bought the coat, the latter complaining the coat is too small. Uncle Levi, with a cry of delight, pounces on the frightened customer and tears the garment from his back. To his great delight the customer had failed to find the money. In the end he is so happy to get his money back he readily consents to Mose marrying Rebecca, despite the fact the clerk was the cause of all his troubles.
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GenresComedy
Short
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