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''The Old Cobbler'' is a 1914 American silent
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
directed by
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 features Murdock MacQuarrie, Richard Rosson, Agnes Vernon 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 Old Cobbler'' was MacQuarrie's debut film as a director. The film is now considered to be lost.


Plot

Nathan, an old cobbler, catches his son, Dick, stealing money from his wallet. He throws the boy out, hoping that tough love will shape the boy up. His alcoholic wife is all he has left, but when he goes upstairs, he finds her dead. Nathan heads West and settles down in a mining camp where he develops a reputation for being kind and charitable. One day, Wild Bill, a gunslinger, comes to Nathan to have a boot repaired and treats him rudely. Nathan throws the man out of his shop, and Wild Bill comes to respect the old man's courage. The two men develop a friendship. Bill's sweetheart, Jess, is a dance hall girl and when she has a slipper repaired by Nathan, he returns it to her with a note inside. The note touches her so deeply that she gives up her dance hall life. One day Bill captures a highwayman who robbed a stage and recognizes the boy as Nathan's son Dick from a photograph Nathan had shown him. He leaves the boy in Nathan's custody and returns the stolen money, reporting that the robbers got away.


Cast

*
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 ...
as The Cobbler * Richard Rosson as The Cobbler's Son * May Benson as The Cobbler's Wife *
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 ...
as "Wild Bill" * Agnes Vernon as Jess, The Dance Hall Girl


Reception

Moving Picture World wrote: "Mr. MacQuarrie shines greatest in a character role, and here is one that could not have been improved upon if it had been written especially for him. The supporting cast, with Lon Chaney and Mr. Rosson at the head, gives a telling account of itself. The settings, for the most part, are Western, picturesque and beautifully photographed."


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Old Cobbler, The 1914 films 1914 directorial debut films 1914 drama films 1914 lost films 1914 short films 1910s American films 1910s English-language films American black-and-white films English-language drama short films Films directed by Murdock MacQuarrie Lost American drama films Lost drama short films Lost silent American films Silent American drama short films Universal Pictures short films