User Reviews

An artistic melodrama of political life, it has much quality in its plot, its acting, its general stage management and its photography. The plot is simple and natural and the story is carried forward speedily with no flat places and with a steady deepening of interest. Perhaps, taking it as a picture of life, and it is very convincing, its most interesting character is the astute machine boss (played by Brooke). We see him confronted by a knotty problem. He must save the railroad president (played by Eldridge) who had broken the law and who was to be tried before a judge (played by Costello) who is known to be just. His first attempt to suborn the judge fails and he then craftily makes use of the fact that the accused man's daughter (played by Miss Neason) is engaged to the judge. But his scheme fails completely by the merest chance. The other three characters were also intelligently and clearly shown and were very interesting. One of the most noticeable qualities of the picture is its quiet dignity. It gets this largely from the fact that it is one whole, and not a broken series of situations. Scene follows scene without padding or complication of any kind. The center of interest keeps its balance, so to speak, as it is handed from scene to scene. There is also little suggestion of stage craft in it. Every scene at once throws the interest to the center where it belongs and keeps it there regardless of other considerations. We don't notice the furnishings much; nothing is obtruded; everything seems just to have happened. It takes great pains to arrange naturally. The photographs also are natural or are the kind that seem so. There's no doubt about its being a feature. It is a very good melodrama. - The Moving Picture World, February 17, 1912