''Shon the Piper'' is a 1913 American silent short

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

romantic drama film Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...

directed by

Otis Turner Otis Turner (November 29, 1862 – March 28, 1918) was an American director, screenwriter and producer. Between 1908 and 1918, he directed more than 130 films and wrote 40 scenarios. He was born in Fairfield, Indiana, and died in Los Angel ...

, starring

Robert Z. Leonard Robert Zigler Leonard (October 7, 1889 – August 27, 1968) was an American film director, actor, producer, and screenwriter. Biography He was born in Chicago, Illinois. At one time, he was married to Silent film, silent star Mae Murray with t ...

and

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 ...

. The film follows a Scottish

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

who disguises himself as a piper and falls in love with a woman by the name of Madge. The woman's father refuses to let the two marry because he wants his daughter to marry the Laird of the Isla. At the wedding, Shon steals Madge away and a battle ensues between the clans. The film was produced by the 101 Bison Film Company and released on September 30, 1913. The film saw a widespread national release and garnered some positive attention. Some sources have disputed the fact that

appeared in this film, but the Blake book states Chaney played a member of a Scottish clan (uncredited).Blake, Michael F. (1998). "The Films of Lon Chaney". Vestal Press Inc. p. 3. . The film is presumed lost.

Plot

The synopsis of the film was provided in '' Moving Picture News'' as: "The action is laid in the latter part of the eighteenth century while the story revolves about a young Scotch duke who, determined not to marry one seeking his money, searches for adventure in the Highlands, disguised as a piper. He meets, during his wanderings, Madge, the daughter of Donald Maclvor. They fall in

love at first sight Love at first sight is a personal experience and a common theme in creative works: a person or character feels an instant, extreme, and ultimately long-lasting romantic attraction for a stranger upon first seeing that stranger. It has been desc ...

. Unaware of Shon's real identity, the old father refuses to sanction the match. He prefers to give his daughter to the wealthy Laird of the Isla. When the girl carries this news to her lover he tells her to "Be of good cheer, my bonny lass; I'll pipe them a tune of another class." The wedding day is fixed and the Laird leads his melancholy fiancée forth. Shon visits the feast in the garb of a harpist. He amuses the guests for a while and then, throwing off his disguise, escapes with Madge from a window. But previous to this, Shon has called his clan together and when speeding away to his mansion, they cover his retreat. What follows is a remarkably thrilling and fresh piece of business; a battle between two kilted Scotch clans. And then the title of the youth is discovered and all ends well."

Cast

as Shon the Piper *

Margarita Fischer Margarita Fisher (née Fischer, February 12, 1886 – March 11, 1975) was an American actress in silent motion pictures and stage productions. Newspapers sometimes referred to her as "Babe" Fischer. Early life Margarita Fischer was born on Fe ...

as Madge of the Hills *

Joseph Singleton Joseph Edward Victor Fairfield Daveran Singleton (1 March 1879 – 24 October 1946) was an actor of the silent film, silent era. An Australian, he appeared in 74 films between 1913 and 1925. He was born in Melbourne. Selected filmography ...

as The Laird of the Isla * Joseph Fischer * John Burton as Tam MacIvor *

as a member of the Scottish clans (disputed)

Production

The film was produced by the 101 Bison Film Company. On August 23, 1910, the ''

New York Clipper The ''New York Clipper'', also known as ''The Clipper'', was a weekly entertainment newspaper published in New York City from 1853 to 1924. It covered many topics, including circuses, dance, music, the Outdoor recreation, outdoors, sports, and ...

'' announced that J. W. Kerrigan had joined

Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...

and would star in a new series of films 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 ...

. The first film listed was titled "A Restless Spirit" ('' The Restless Spirit'') and the second film would be ''Shon the Piper''. It is unknown if there was some change in ''Shon the Piper''s production or if the ''Clipper'' was mistaken because neither Kerrigan nor Dwan are credited. Instead,

would direct the film and the film would star

and

. Prior to his motion picture debut, Leonard previously had a noted stage career in the California Opera Company in a variety of roles and sung in over a hundred light operas.

played The Laird of the Isla and would be credited through an answer column in ''The Photo-play Journal''. The cast of the film was not billed or credited in the production. Michael Blake credits Lon Chaney in a role in this film in his book, ''The Films of Lon Chaney''. Jon C. Mirsalis states that he cannot confirm or deny an appearance by Lon Chaney, but notes that the only surviving film still does not show Lon Chaney among the cast members. Also, although most sources list the film as a three-reeler, a review exists from "Motion Picture World" that calls it "A remarkably fresh and interesting two-reel subject..."

Release and reception

The three reel film was released on September 30, 1913. '' The Leavenworth Times'' gave a review prior to its release, stating "This is one of those bright sunny pictures that cannot fail to please everybody. The action is laid in the latter part of the eighteenth century and Margaret Fischer as the daughter of the rich Laird of the Isla takes part in some of the most enchanting pictures ever shown on a screen." '' The Huntington Herald'' said the film was a "remarkably fresh and interesting subject" and it described the film as a Scottish ballad. The film had viewings in

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, and

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. Other showings include the "Indian Territory" of

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, and

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. One of the last advertisements for the film was on December 19, 1913 announcing a showing at the Airdome in

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. The film is now considered lost. It is unknown when the film was lost, but if it was in Universal's vaults, it would have been deliberately destroyed along with the remaining copies of Universal's silent era films in 1948.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shon The Piper 1913 films 1910s historical romance films 1913 romantic drama films 1913 short films 1913 lost films American romantic drama films American silent short films American black-and-white films American historical romance films Films directed by Otis Turner Films set in Scotland Films set in the 18th century Lost American romantic drama films Universal Pictures short films 1910s American films English-language romantic drama films Silent American romantic drama films 1910s English-language films Silent historical romance films English-language drama short films English-language historical romance films Lost short films Lost silent American films