Footprints (1914)

movie

Country: USA
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Short
Release: 1914-07-25
Director: Edward LeSaint
Writers: Edward LeSaint
Language: None | English
Stars: Guy Oliver , Stella Razeto , Lillian Hayward , George Hernandez , Al W. Filson
Runtime: min
Awards: N/A
AKA: Footprints , Footprints (United States of America)
Plot: Paula and Robert are betrothed and Mrs. Gray gives a party in honor of her son at their country house where Paula is a guest. A big moment of this function is when Mrs. Gray shows her guests a valuable diamond necklace, which is rapturously admired by Paula. That same night the necklace disappears. This news is kept from the guests, but Robert finds a handkerchief on the floor in the room and secretly sends for Teever, the noted detective. This disciple of Sherlock Holmes finds a naked footprint upon the waxed floor, evidently made by the thief taking the diamond. In order to find the duplicate loot he cleverly suggests "a bare-foot party for the ladies." Mrs. Gray cannot engage in this as she is bed-ridden for the day by rheumatism and Paula is among the missing. The detective has the imprint of all the fair feet and finds that none correspond with the copy on the floor of Madam's boudoir. Paula rushes in late to join the party, and the detective is astonished to find that her footprints correspond with those on the waxed floor. Poor Robert is heart-broken over this, but swears Teever to silence. That night he is awakened by an unusual sound. He calls Teever and tells him that a woman has left the house. They follow her in silence. It is Robert's mother in her nightrobe walking in her sleep. She goes to a big garden urn and places something in it. Then Robert awakens his mother and conducts her back to the house. The detective measures the foot-print left by the dew-wet foot upon the stone walk and finds it identical with that of Paula, and the one printed upon the wax floor. Both men hurry back to the urn, and there hidden among the plants is the casket containing the diamonds. There had been no thief. Mrs. Gray had concealed the diamonds there in her sleep as a somnambulist, and so Paula's wedding bells rang merrily without a doubt or discord.
IMDB:tt1225824