''Accusing Evidence'' is a 1916 American silent

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan was ...

and starring

Lon Chaney Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor and makeup artist. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often gr ...

, Pauline Bush and

Murdock MacQuarrie Murdock MacQuarrie (August 25, 1878 – August 20, 1942) was an American silent film actor and director. His name was also seen as Murdock McQuarrie. MacQuarrie was born in San Francisco, California, and attended school there. He was the br ...

. The film was likely produced by early 1914 but only theatrically released in 1916, due to the actors who appear in the cast with Chaney. For one thing, Pauline Bush wasn't even working for Universal in 1916, and Chaney hadn't worked for director Allan Dwan since 1914. The general opinion is that this film was shot in early 1914 when Chaney made '' The Honor of the Mounted'' with Murdock MacQuarrie for Allan Dwan, but the film's release was delayed for some reason for more than two years. Another theory is that this film could actually be ''The Honor of the Mounted'' (or even the 1913 '' Bloodhounds of the North'' perhaps) retitled and repackaged. Since the films are all lost, it is impossible to tell, but no reviews or stills exist in any of the 1916 trade journals for this specific title. The bare bones plot synopsis that exists for ''Accusing Evidence'' in Universal's records doesn't quite match either of those two earlier films, however.

Plot

Lon, a Northwest Mounted police officer, is in love with a young lady who lives in the woods. He is falsely accused of a breach of duty and, rather than sully the reputation of the Mounted Police corps, he just accepts the charges without protest. He is later vindicated and returned to duty at the end of the film.

Cast

* Pauline Bush as the young girl of the woods *

as Lon, a Northwest Mounted police officer

Reception

Film historian Jon Mirsalis opines "The three stars and director Dwan worked on two films that are similar, but not identical: BLOODHOUNDS OF THE NORTH (released in December, 1913) and THE HONOR OF THE MOUNTED (released in February, 1914). It is possible that this was cut together from those two films and released as a "new" picture. Alternatively, this film may have been shot at the same time as those two pictures, but due to some unknown difficulty, was not released for almost three years. With none of the three films surviving, it is a mystery that may never be solved. Chaney biographer Michael F. Blake agrees.Blake, Michael F. (1998). "The Films of Lon Chaney". Vestal Press Inc. Page 67. .

References

External links

* {{Allan Dwan 1916 films 1916 Western (genre) films 1916 short films American black-and-white films Films directed by Allan Dwan Universal Pictures short films Silent American Western (genre) short films 1910s American films 1910s English-language films English-language Western (genre) short films