Filmmakers today could make a two hour feature out of the plot of this ancient D. W. Griffith drama, but the old master wraps this one up inside of eight minutes. Harry Salter plays a judge who faces the wrath of a woman when she sentences her loved one to prison. She follows him to his home and climbs in through an open window with the intention of exacting a terrible revenge.
Even at eight minutes there's plenty of padding here as we see the judge and his family preparing for Christmas while the evil woman hides behind curtains. Things pick up pace when wifey goes to bed and falls into such a deep sleep that she fails to awaken when the evil woman manhandles her into a chair in front of a shotgun rigged to fire the moment her husband opens the door to their bedroom.
Griffith engineers some quite effective last-minute tension, but the story is slight to say the least. Given the age of the film, the implausibilities in the plot are perhaps forgivable, but Griffith would very soon develop his story-telling skills.
Even at eight minutes there's plenty of padding here as we see the judge and his family preparing for Christmas while the evil woman hides behind curtains. Things pick up pace when wifey goes to bed and falls into such a deep sleep that she fails to awaken when the evil woman manhandles her into a chair in front of a shotgun rigged to fire the moment her husband opens the door to their bedroom.
Griffith engineers some quite effective last-minute tension, but the story is slight to say the least. Given the age of the film, the implausibilities in the plot are perhaps forgivable, but Griffith would very soon develop his story-telling skills.