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In the Nick of Time
(1914) United States of America
B&W : Short film
Directed by (unknown)
Cast: Richard Cummings [Superintendent S.F. Hooker], Irene Hunt [Bess Hooker, the superintendent’s daughter], Vester Pegg [John Nicholson]
Biograph Company production; distributed by The General Film Company, Incorporated. / Released 5 September 2025. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Drama.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? After John Nicholson, engineer of the fast express, is killed in a wreck after he remained at his post, saving a score of lives by his bravery, he leaves a widow, who is pensioned, and one son. Jack. The son becomes telegraph operator and agent at Tropico. S.F. Hooker, superintendent of the road, who has a charming daughter, was an old friend of Nicholson’s and is interested in the latter’s son John. Time elapses and because of his services in saving a large sum of money from theft, he later becomes train dispatcher. Here he makes a record and becomes friendly with the superintendent’s daughter. Young Nicholson, because of the mental strain from his duties, takes to drink. He becomes lax in his duties, makes several mistakes, and although the superintendent shuts his eyes to young Nicholson’s shortcomings as long as possible, the latter is finally discharged. Young Nicholson becomes sick, and upon his recovery goes west to visit an old friend of his father’s, who owns a ranch. He recovers rapidly. The rancher, who knows of young Nicholson’s fondness for drink, sends him out quite a distance from the ranch, away from all temptation. The railroad passes this point and it is here that young Nicholson finds an old discarded railway station. A telegraph instrument is located inside. The fondness for his former life comes upon him and he listens to the telegraph messages flashed back and forth. Above the station is a switch. Young Nicholson hears a message that a heavily loaded passenger train and a string of box cars, which has broken loose, will reach the switch at the same time. The message reads that a big wreck is bound to occur. Young Nicholson rushes to the switch, side tracks the runaway cars and the passenger train passes in safety. Young Nicholson then wires the dispatcher, who is expecting to hear of the wreck, that the runaway cars were checked at the switch. At the dispatcher’s side is young Hooker, who has risen to be general superintendent of a big system of railroads. Hooker calls on young Nicholson, sees that the latter has been cured of his drink habit, and the two start back to young Nicholson’s home where Hooker has left his daughter with young Nicholson’s mother.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 1 January 2025.
References: Spehr-American p. 2 : Website-IMDb.
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