The Old Folks at Home (1916)

Genres - Crime, Drama  |  
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Synopsis by Janiss Garza

John Coburn (Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree), who hails from a rural area, is elected senator and he comes to the big city with his wife (Josephine Crowell) and son Steve (Elmer Clifton). Steve, seduced by the city's attractions, forgets all about his country sweetheart Marjorie (Mildred Harris, who had just graduated from child to ingenue roles) and falls in with a group of lawless pleasure seekers. He kills a man because of a woman, and Senator Coburn tries to protect him for the sake of Mrs. Coburn. However, he winds up on trial, and just as it seems he is about to be convicted, his mother stands up and pleads for her son. As a result he is found "not guilty." The verdict is accompanied by a title (written by the story's author, Rupert Hughes) which explains that although this move was illegal and wrong, the "old folks at home" nevertheless deserve some consideration. Senator Coburn was a nice digression for Tree, who was better known for his Shakespearean and costume roles.

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Keywords

court [law], jury, justice, killing, lawyer, mother, Senator, son