The Skull (1913)

movie

(18)

Country: USA
Genres: Drama, Short, Thriller
Release: 1913-02-05
Director: William V. Ranous
Writers: L.J. Williams
Language: None | English
Stars: Florence Turner , Leo Delaney , George Cooper , Edwin R. Phillips , Dorothy Kelly , Richard Leslie , Edith Storey
Runtime: min
Awards: N/A
AKA: The Skull , The Skull (India) , The Skull (United States of America)
Plot: Just as the bead clerk and his assistants are closing up the jewelry store for the day, a package containing a very costly necklace arrives by special messenger. The large safe deposit vault has been closed for the night and the time clock set. The head clerk is fearful to leave the necklace in the store and so decides to take it home. His actions have been closely watched by one of the junior clerks, with sinister and stealthy glances. As soon as the head clerk has gone, his young assistant hastily leaves the store and meets one of his pals, whom he tells about the necklace. It does not need a second glance to learn that his pal is a professional burglar and his interest in the necklace is very keen. Jordan, the head clerk, when he reaches home, puts the necklace in a small house safe. He has an engagement that evening, and is obliged to leave his wife alone. Later she decides to retire, and has no sooner done so than she hears a noise in the room below. She goes downstairs and on entering the room is met by the young clerk and his companion burglar. They seize her and she falls in a faint, continuing their work upon the safe, they have just succeeded in opening it when some medical college students who are on a lark, pass the house and seeing the open window, throw a skull which they are carrying, through the window into the room. It falls directly in front of the burglars who are so startled and frightened at the gruesome sight they hastily retire from the room. Mrs. Jordan, who has recovered, hastily opens the safe, takes out the necklace from the case in the safe and hides it in the hollow of the skull and resumes her position upon the floor. The burglars return, open the door of the safe, take out the case and are so surprised and disgusted on seeing nothing in it they hurriedly take their departure from the house. They have no sooner left, when her husband returns and finds her lying upon the floor. He picks her up. She smiles and then bursts into a laugh and picking up the skull, she quickly extracts the necklace from it. In his happiness at her safety and her cleverness in outwitting the burglars, he can only give her a kiss of appreciation. The next morning, Mrs. Jordan comes to the store with him, and while there, she recognizes the young clerk as one of the burglars of the night before. Police headquarters is notified by telephone and on the arrival of the police, the young fellow is taken into custody and through him, his pal is arrested.
IMDB:tt0348047