In Fear of His Past (1914)
—
Jack Conway | Spottiswoode Aitken | Mary Alden
—
—
“In Fear of His Past”
Two-Reel Majestic depicting the bitterness of undeserved punishment with a redemption through natural justice.
Reviewed by Louis Reeves Harrison.
Cast.
John Burton… Jack Conway
Colonel Gray… Spottiswoode Aitken
Mary Jennings… Mary Alden
Among all dramatic situations, one of the most affecting is that of a man imprisoned for a crime he did not commit — it is a blot upon our present stage of civilization that such a thing is possible. That undeserved punishment falls upon the head of a young man of no criminal tendencies through the machinations of a clever adventuress at the beginning of In Fear of His Past. She is the real thief, but she succeeds in making circumstantial evidence point to an innocent man that her crime may be covered.
His escape from prison is attended with a line of action entirely new, and he escapes for good. He becomes the secretary of an eccentric old gentleman of wealth engaged in writing his memoirs, named Colonel Gray. This role, delightfully interpreted by Spottiswoode Aitken. is one of originality. Colonel Gray is wealthy enough to be eccentric, and his eccentricities are rich with human kindness. He judges men for himself, and tries them out before allowing that judgment to set.
The young secretary merits the confidence reposed in him. but is tormented with fear that his identity as an escaped convict will be discovered. Now comes the adventuress in pursuance of a new scheme, that of robbing the eccentric Colonel. She succeeds in getting an interview as an agent of rare books and ingratiates herself by posing as an author.
She is engaged to assist in writing the Colonel’s memoirs. She recognizes the secretary as her former victim and silences him through his fear.
The arrival of a simple young girl, the Colonel’s grandchild, seriously interferes with the plans of the adventuress and augments the dread of the young ex-convict when he falls in love with the granddaughter. The adventuress is driven to make a desperate move — she insists upon the secretary becoming her accomplice in robbing the safe. He is driven to the point of committing crime under the influence of his haunting dread, but asserts his manhood just in time. His quarrel with the adventuress draws the attention of Colonel Gray, and he overhears the adventuress incriminate herself. She is promptly placed under arrest and the splendid old Colonel secures a pardon for the young ex-convict by personal testimony before the Governor. The secretary escapes imprisonment to follow an honorable career, but how many are hurled down the plane of disgrace and humiliation to utter demoralization and death through the lack of a little common humanity and judicial intelligence. The big problem is admirably suggested.
—
Scene from In Fear of His Past (Majestic).
—
Collection: Moving Picture World, January 1915