David Harum (1915)
Director:
Allan Dwan
Writers:
Allan Dwan, Edward Noyes Wescott (story)
Stars:
William H. Crane, Harold Lockwood, May Allison, Kate Meeks, Hal Clarendon, Guy Nichols
David Harum, country banker, horse trader, and philosopher, lives comfortably, if not extravagantly, with his sister Polly, familiarly known as "Aunt Polly'" to her host of admirers, in a little rural village of central New York. On account of his oddities and gruffness, he enjoys the reputation of a grouchy miser, but is in reality a philanthropist, who will not have his charities known. He is being systematically robbed, cheated and insulted by his bookkeeper, Chet Timson, so David writes his friend, General Wolsey, in the city, to send him an honest young man, who can stand his odd ways, to clerk for him, and keep books in Chief Timson's place. The general replies that he is sending him a young man who has recently lost his father and fortune, John Lennox, who should come up to David's demands, and David gives Chet notice to leave. Chet is furious, and when John arrives, posts him before hand, as to David's rough and unbearable nature, his "sharp" practices in horse trading, and his stinginess in money matters. But John takes the railings of the surly ex-clerk with a grain of salt, and he and the eccentric David become great friends. John eventually being persuaded to come from the dilapidated hotel to David's home, where Aunt Polly hovers over him and mothers him to her heart's content. Some weeks before coming to the little village, John had met, and fallen in love with a pretty young heiress, Mary Blake, but feeling that he is not her equal in wealth. John does not dare follow up his little romance. Mary determines to win independence and make her own living, and asks the General to help her get a position. The General speaks to David Harum with the result that Mary becomes the new "school-marm" in his home town, and John and Mary meet again, to David's delight, when he finds they are old friends. Their romance ripens into an engagement, when the envious Chief Timson, who has been meddling with counterfeit bills, plots to ruin John, and nearly does so. The crime of counterfeiting is thrown upon John, to whom all circumstantial evidence points as the criminal, when David happens to overhear the real crooks plotting, and steps in to take a hand in the affair. Just as a vengeful crowd of citizens are surrounding the jail in which John is imprisoned, David comes up with Chet, from whom he compels a confession, and John is freed, regaining at once his liberty and love. David celebrates his success as detective and match-maker by giving a poor widow back her mortgage on the home she supposes forfeited, and treating his favorite horse to an extra currying and a fine dinner of oats.
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