The Flames of Johannis (1916)

movie

Country: USA
Genres: Drama
Release: 1916-04-10
Director: Edgar Lewis
Writers: Alfred Hickman , Hermann Sudermann (1857–1928)
Language: None | English
Stars: Nance O’Neil (1874–1965) , Nance O’Neil (1874–1965) , George Clarke , Eleanor Barry , Ethel Tully , Victor Sutherland , Isaac Dillon , Mary Carr , James Cassady , Violet Axzelle , Rosemary Carr
Runtime: min
Awards: N/A
AKA: The Fires of St. John , The Fires of Johannis , The Flames of Johannis (United States of America) , The Flames of Johannis
Plot: The picture opens in Pennsylvania twenty-five years ago, during the winter of terrible drought. Vogel, the most prosperous farmer in the village, is called to the bedside of his only brother to take charge of the brother's child, George, four years of age. On his way home from the suicide's house, Vogel finds an old gypsy woman carrying an infant almost frozen to death. Vogel takes the infant home with him and the next day adopts it together with George. The old gypsy is paid a sum of money to give up all claim of the child on condition that she will not interfere in the future. She accepts and departs. Marika and George are known in the town as the calamity children. Three years later, a daughter, Gertrude, is born to Vogel. Returning from the christening, Marika is suddenly seized by the old gypsy woman who caresses her. The old woman is driven off by the crowd but the incident makes an impression upon Marika's mind. Marika and George become childhood sweethearts, and when George is twelve years of age, he and Marika plant a little tree in the garden back of the house, and call it their sweetheart tree. Vogel, who oversees this, chides George for being so sentimentally silly, saying that he should be at work filling the grain bins. George resents Vogel's manner, and the latter becomes angry and then tells George how his father was a suicide who left Vogel to pay all his debts and bring up his son. George runs away, vowing that he will not return to the village until he can repay Vogel in full. Years pass and Marika and Gertrude are grown to young womanhood. Marika, with the memory of George ever in her heart, learns that he has prospered and is about to return to the village. Vogel, who hears this news, decides that George is the man to marry his daughter, Gertrude. George returns, and is hailed with delight by all except Marika, who, actuated by a motive of gratitude because of all Vogel has done for her in the past, stifles the call of her own heart and keeps her love for George locked within her own breast. Later George questions Marika as to why she insists upon avoiding him, but she is evasive, and he, in a fit of pique, proposes marriage to Gertrude. When she hears of this, Marika insists upon fitting up the new home which George and his future bride are to occupy in a neighboring village. This necessitates her making frequent trips at night, returning to her home the following day. On one of these trips Marika again meets the old gypsy woman, who seizes her and calls her her daughter. Marika rushes to her home and later, as she hears the family discussing the incident of meeting the gypsy years ago, she realizes for the first time that the old hag is her own mother. It is St. John's eve, two days before the wedding of George and Gertrude, and Marika on this night is to make her last trip to the new home of George and Gertrude. The family have retired and George has remained up to keep Marika company until train time. As she realizes that George is soon to go out of her life forever, Marika is unable to restrain the pent-up passion of years, and she begs George to take her in his arms. This action is seen through the window by the old gypsy, who realizes that from now on she can secure money from George to keep the facts of what took place from the public. As the day dawns George begs Marika to let him go to Vogel and tell his love for her, but she, knowing that the shock would kill Gertrude and break her foster parents' heart, refuses. Later she silently looks on with breaking heart as George and Gertrude are married. During the wedding ceremony the old gypsy enters Vogel's house and is found by the returning guests in the cellar, intoxicated. She is arrested and taken to jail. Marika learns of this and goes at once to her mother, and finds her very ill. She dies in delirium. The next morning Pastor Hoffman, who has always loved Marika, comes to the cell and finds his beloved bending over the body of her mother. He takes her into his arms and she leaves the prison with him.
IMDB:tt0133769