The Ruse (1916)

movie

Country: USA
Genres: Drama, Short
Release: 1916-01-29
Director: Eugene Mullin
Writers: Eugene Mullin
Language: None | English
Stars: James Kilgour , Harry T. Morey , Denton Vane , Charles Kent , Naomi Childers , Helen Pillsbury
Runtime: min
Awards: N/A
AKA: The Ruse (United States of America) , The Ruse
Plot: At a lawn party given by Mr. John Cottrell and his young wife Emily, Morgan Dallas, an old college friend of the former, appears to cast the first cloud upon the domestic happiness of the hitherto devoted couple. Through a combination of strange circumstances, in which Emily's scapegrace brother, Edgar, plays a prominent part and the young wife's too great confidence in the unscrupulous Dallas cause her husband to seriously suspect her fidelity. Dallas uses his knowledge that Edgar is a crook to further his friendship with Mrs. Cottrell, and gradually his sinister influence impresses her so that she begins to fear him. John is a man of the world and notes these things, worrying greatly over it. Finally he tells Dr. Carlton, his friend, of a ruse he has determined to adopt to test his wife. With the doctor's aid John is brought home as if from an accident and the doctor tells Emily that her husband's mind is a hopeless blank. The test commences for Emily, and it is a severe one, for Dallas soon shows out in his true colors by seizing her in his arms and forcibly kissing her. She struggles free, but he follows her to her boudoir. John, who, while pretending not to know what is going on, arouses, and knocking at the door, demands admittance. Inside a dark figure has entered through the window, and as Dallas grabs Emily he stops the rascal at the point of a gun. It is Edgar. Then things happen quickly. Dallas, seeing he is trapped, puts up a fight and tries to kill John. Edgar shoots and kills Dallas, then Emily helps her brother to escape, reveals all to John and the happy termination of the affair dispels forever the cloud which threatened to wreck the Cottrell home, bringing happiness to all concerned.
IMDB:tt0496154