|
Joe Morgan (William Farnum) is a good-natured miller with a sick
daughter, Mary (Peggy Lou Lind), who just came to Simon Slade's (Tom
Santschi) bar to see the new doctor, Romaine (Robert Frazer), about the
girl. But Slade is only interested in business, and before long, he has
invited Morgan to a drink, then another one, and before you know it,
Morgan is a gaving alcoholic - while the doctor looks after his girl by
the way.
Morgan now spends every day at the bar drinking and gambling, and
before long he has lost his mill in a fixed up game of poker. Still, his
little girl believes in him and every day, she comes to pick her dad up
from the bar and drag him home.
Morgan's condition soon worsens and he becomes a regular addict to
alcohol, suffering from cravings next to none, but since he has got no
more money, he has become a nuisance to Slade, who just won't have him
served no more. Eventually, Morgan is hit by delirium tremens, and now
it's only thanks to Doc Romaine that he gets a drink (in this condition
one really needs one), gets home, sobers up and learns to control his
cravings ...
Only days later, the craving gets too strong again, and once again he
visits Slade's bar ... but Slade doesn't want to get dragged into the
affair, so he bluntly refuses him a drink - and not only that, he even
throws a glass after him. But Morgan ducks, and the glass hits his little
daughter, who has just come to pick him up.
After Morgan has carried the kid home and called the Doctor for help,
he returns to the bar, finds Slade alone, and the two fight it out, with
Morgan ultimately knocking Slade out but also - accidently - setting the
bar on fire. But at least he's decent enough to drag Slade out of the
burning bar ...
And this, Doctor Romaine, who has told the story in retrospect as a
framing device, is why the prohibition was good for the village ...
Early talkie drama about the dangers of the devil alcohol. Not really
subtle in story of course, and many of the actors' performances as well as
teh direction as such are clearly reminiscent of silent cinema, but taken
as a cheesy, exaggerating (and often unintentionally funny) moral play,
this is quite watchable. And William Farnum's transformation from decent
guy to drunkard to alcoholic including delirium tremens is quite good.
|
amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
amazon.de
eThaiCD.com
find Ten Nights in a Barroom at adultvideouniverse.com
