The Three of Us (1914)
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Mabel Taliaferro | Creighton Hale | John W. Noble (Director)
Rest of cast:
Master Stuart | Edwin Carewe | Irving Cummings | Madame Claire | Harry Smith | Mayme Kelso | Rachel Crothers (Play) | Herbert Oswald Carleton (Cinematographer)
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“The Three of Us”
A good family-life picture — sister fights to keep younger brother straight and save gold mine (Life Photo).
Reviewed by Hanford C. Judson.
This five reel picture, The Three of Us, made by Rolfe Photo Plays [B. A. Rolfe] for the Alco program, may be depended upon to make a strong appeal on account of the nearness of its interest to the people’s hearts. It is based on Rachel Crothers’ play and its title comes from the name of a gold mine, the sole legacy of three children. The girl (Mabel Taliaferro) and the boy (Creighton Hale) are growing up; the youngest is a child and these three are balanced to get the most, dramatically, out of the lad’s straining away from the home ties. They have a gold claim. The father had thought it good and the girl is doing her best to make the brother keep on with the fight; but he is dreaming of the delights of the city.
The second interest of the offering is a melodramatic love story in which Steve, Edwin Carewe, the hero, loves the girl, Rhy. He, too, is having discouragement in finding pay dirt in his mine, located next to The Three of Us. The villain, Beresford (Irving Cummings), is a sort of capitalist’s man. They know that Steve’s claim is good and want Beresford to get it for them. Steve has an option that will expire at noon in a few days, and this option is the pivot around which the action turns with increasing speed. At the climax every character is influenced by the fate of that option and events are happening fast. It was directed by John W. Noble and has been well conducted in all its vigorously alive scenes, ably conducted in its love story scenes, and acceptably conducted in those scenes in which the background characters appear. It will make a good offering.
The scene that will be termed the “big” scene, the big “punch,” is a fight between Steve and Beresford. The latter has stolen the option after Rhy, with, it must be confessed, some dramatic forethought, had taken it from Steve and left it in a jar on her shelf. She had seen a paper like it in his pocket at a party and now finding it gone, goes to his cabin to steal it back from him. Steve sees her there and sees the option too. It strikes him that she has played him false and is in the cabin because she wants to be there. There is a terrible fight between him and Beresford, they really break the cabin up. The best scenes in the picture are the home-like scenes and the most clearly drawn character is Steve, by Edwin Carewe, though the acting on the whole does all concerned credit. The photography and stage craft are very fair.
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Scene from The Three of Us (Lift Photo)
Collection: Moving Picture World, January 1915