The Fate of the Dolphin (1916)

movie

Country: USA
Genres: Drama, Short
Release: 1916-06-26
Director: Tom Ricketts
Writers: N/A
Language: None | English
Stars: Harry von Meter , George Field , Edward Coxen , Lizette Thorne , Perry Banks , Clarence Burton
Runtime: min
Awards: N/A
AKA: The Fate of the Dolphin (United States of America) , The Fate of the Dolphin
Plot: In a seaport John Grimes is known as the most powerful man in the village. The owner of a fleet of fishing vessels, he is the employer of more than half the town folk. Grimes' one weakness is his love for Steven, his dissolute son. Doris Gray, a girl of the village, is engaged to Will Dunbar, a young fisherman. Steven Grimes meets Doris and is attracted by her. Afraid to offend the son of the biggest man in town, Doris tries to keep him at arm's length. Captain Bill is in command of the Dolphin, one of the Grimes' fleet. He returns from a cruise and calls upon Grimes to warn him that the ship is unseaworthy and to ask him to allow him to make certain repairs. Grimes refuses and Captain Bill resigns. Grimes sends for another man who does not know the ship and turns the command over to him. Furthermore, he orders the vessel into dangerous waters and takes out all the insurance he can on her. Captain Bill says nothing but watches events. The new captain, Janson, has a hard time raising a crew. Meanwhile, Steven has persisted in his attentions to Doris and an open break occurs between him and Will. Steven returns home more or less battered up and tells his father a story of assault. Grimes promises Steven that he will be avenged. Grimes, learning of the trouble Janson is having getting a crew, sends for him and intimates that he would not object to his shanghaiing enough men to fill up. He mentions Will Dunbar, whom Janson does not know, as a type of man to man his boat. Janson goes to arrange for the work before him, dropping in at the village tavern to pick up some helpers. Captain Bill is there and overhears enough to realize that Grimes' men are after Will. Captain Bill seeks Doris and tells her to warn Will that he will be attacked that night. Doris says she cannot warn Will as he is away with his boats. Then she has an idea. Doris writes a note to Steven that Will is away and she wants him to meet her at the landing that evening. Captain Bill delivers the letter to Steven. Steven sends back word that he will be there. Evening comes and Doris is at the landing. So are Janson and his men, though they keep concealed and wait for Doris' fellow to show up. Captain Bill, at a distance, waits for developments. Steven arrives and Doris greets him warmly. Sure that this is the man, Janson and his gang carry Steven to the schooner and Captain Bill reports later that the vessel has sailed. Doris meets Will upon his return and tells him the story. Morning comes and Grimes misses his son. Captain Bill meets him in the village when he inquires if Steven has been seen. Captain Bill says only that there was a man shanghaied the evening before and calls upon Will to tell what he knows. As soon as Grimes sees Will the mistake is plain. Under the stress of emotion Grimes breaks down and pleads with the villagers to send out a rescue party; he admits the danger to the ship, confesses that it was but insurance bait, and sees the anger of the women whose men are aboard the Dolphin. They turn on him in fury despite his offer of a large reward for news of Steven. Will, moved by the old man's grief, slips out to sea in his small boat and searches while Grimes retires to his home. Will returns with a note found tied to a floating spar, a note from Steven telling of the accident. Grimes rewards Will, who rushes to Doris with the glad news that at last they are able to marry. Back in Grimes' home he sees a vision of Steven clinging to a lonely bit of wreckage; the sea closes over him.
IMDB:tt0447075