The Unexpected (1914)
Dorothy Madison, a secret service operative, is sent into the West Virginia mountains to locate a still, after male operatives failed. She carries a sketching outfit and a carrier pigeon into the moonshine country, and hides the pigeon in the woods near a mountain cabin, where she hopes to make headquarters. She walks along the road until she sees Dave Parks coming, falls, feigns a sprained ankle, and is taken home by Dave, who is a young, good-looking moonshiner. Dave's mother is a sour-faced, pipe-smoking, suspicious old mountain woman, and only tolerates Dorothy. Nell Oatsey, typical mountain girl of bold beauty, hears of Dorothy's plight and goes to see her. She carries her rifle. Dorothy is in the woods near the road sketching and looking about for signs of a still. Nell sees her and approaches. Dorothy is sitting on a log back of which is a big rattlesnake ready to spring. Nell shoots the snake and saves Dorothy from being bitten, but nearly scares her to death. Dave Parks, who is Nell's sweetheart, is smitten with Dorothy and grows cold toward Nell, which increases his mother's antipathy for Dorothy. By climbing a tree and using a spyglass Dorothy discovers the still and how it is guarded. She sends the information by her carrier pigeon and arranges for a signal to raid. At the appointed time she takes Dave to the woods to sketch him, and he is her unconscious tool in arranging the signal, which is seen from a nearby hill by the secret service men. The moonshine plant is raided and Dave, who is on his way to the place, runs afoul of a secret service guard and both shoot and both are wounded. Dorothy, who has followed Dave, desires to save him from prison and goes to his aid, helping him home. He is not badly hurt and is hidden in a woodshed. After dark Dorothy helps him away and takes him home. Nest day Nell Oatsey on her way to market learns that Dave and Dorothy have disappeared. She believes Dorothy has stolen Dave from her and starts on a mission to kill Dorothy. She reaches Dorothy's home the next day and enters the library, where Dorothy and Dave are talking. She tries to shoot Dorothy, but Dave spoils her aim. She accuses Dorothy, who for the first time is found to be the wife of an operative and the mother of a beautiful three-year-old child. Dorothy's husband appears, the child follows and all is explained. Dorothy making it plain that she saves Dave because Nell had killed the snake that menaced her. She reunites Dave and Nell.
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Domestic
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Worldwide
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GenresDrama
Short
IMDbPro
See more details at IMDbPro
| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| E.D. Horkheimer | Producer |
| H.M. Horkheimer | Producer |
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| Belle Bennett | |
| Henry King | |
| Madeline Pardee | |
| Augusta Bolle |
