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John McGraw.
Frame enlargement: Silent Era image collection.
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One Touch of Nature
(1917) United States of America
B&W : Five reels
Directed by Edward H. Griffith
Cast: John Drew Bennett [William ‘Battling Bill’ Vandervoort Cosgrove], Viola Cain [Leonora O’Brien / ‘Madame de Montignon’], Edward O’Connor [Shamus O’Brien], [?] George Henry or John Henry? [E.P. Cosgrove, William’s father], Helen Strickland [Mrs. Cosgrove, William’s mother], John J. McGraw (John McGraw) [himself], Edward Lawrence (Edmund Lawrence)
Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated, production; distributed by K-E-S-E Service. / From the short story “One Touch of Nature” by Peter B. Kyne. Cinematography by Charles Gilson. Presented by George Kleine. / © 23 July 1917 by Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated [LP11130]. Released 30 July 1917. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Comedy-Drama.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? William Cosgrove, son of a wealthy pork packer, is the crack player of the Yale team. Heegan, a scout for the Giants, certain that he has discovered a new baseball star, rushes to McGraw. Meanwhile a stray ball has hit one of the dogs of “Madame de Montignon,” a vaudeville star. “Big Bill” Cosgrove rushes to her with an apology. The lady proves tractable and hands Bill her card. Bill misses bis afternoon class and repairs to the theater. However, there seems to be a cloud on the horizon of his love, for he is confronted by a Frenchman who, from the wings, is sending a kiss to “Madame de Montignon.” Bill learns that the beauteous Madame is not married. Madame accompanies Bill to a restaurant. Bill learns Madame’s real name is Leonora O’Brien and she is the daughter of a Chicago plumber. But Bill proposes, and is accepted. Meanwhile, the act is supposed to go on in a few minutes. No Madame. The manager is nervous. The Frenchman suddenly has an idea and puts it into execution. Madame’s maid can go through the act. She appears and makes a greater hit than her mistress. Suddenly Leonora rushes to the theater in time to see her maid secure the audience’s approval. Hill calls on his father and explains that he is in love. Father nearly collapses. Mother proves obdurate. Father calls on Leonora and tries to bribe her. Bill marries Leonora. Father promises to cut his son out of the last cent. When they reach home a letter signed McGraw is awaiting Bill. He is offered a job with the Giants which he accepts. Father approves the news. Mother is shocked. She forces father to call on McGraw and proffer a sum to the team manager to break Bill’s contract. McGraw refuses. Later, the world’s championship is played. Bill is making good. Father rushes to the game. Bill waves to him. Father will not recognize him. Bill, discouraged, begins to play very badly, until his lather, realizing that he is the cause of his son’s poor play, shouts encouragement. Bill wins. That night at the Vandervoor-Cosgrove home a happy family is united.
Survival status: Print exists in the Library of Congress film archive [16mm acetate positive, 16mm acetate duplicate negative].
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: Animals: Dogs - Sports: Baseball - Vaudeville
Listing updated: 20 April 2024.
References: Edelman-Baseball pp. 32-33, 127, 203 : Website-AFI; Website-ASFFDb; Website-IMDb.
Home video: DVD.
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