Volume II: Filmography

THE WRITING ON THE WALL

June 10, 1910 (Friday)

Length: 1,000 feet

Character: Drama

Director: Barry O'Neil

Scenario: Lloyd F. Lonergan

ARTICLE, The Moving Picture World, May 14, 1910:

"Stop! You've drank the poison! This cry echoed through the Thanhouser studio one morning recently and caused all eyes to focus on Barry O'Neil, the stage director and the man responsible for this thrill. Of course it came out that the cry was a stage direction, but withal it was so odd that the usually blasé studio workers wanted to know the reason whereof. This is it: In the barroom scene in The Writing On The Wall, a coming Thanhouser release, then in production, two villains drink with a hero at a rough pine table and manage to drug his brandy. The hero raised the glass to his lips, but the director discovered that it wasn't the drugged one. One of the villains had got it in the mix up - he was spoiling himself! A strong but unlooked-for situation! Hence the director's call."

SYNOPSIS, The Moving Picture World, June 11, 1910:

"Turner, a man of bad character, conducts an inn in the country. His stepdaughter Grace is his trudge. When on an errand to the village she meets Jack, wealthy young man. He is much attracted by her. Jack goes to the bank and draws a large sum of money. Hank, a pal of Turner, sees him and tries to ambush him on the road, but fails. Then he goes ahead to tell Turner. Jack, on his trip, meets Grace. Nearly exhausted, he takes her home, and thus seems to play directly into the hands of the villains. They steal his revolver, and would drug him, were it not for the fact that Grace writes a warning on the wall with wine. Jack, aided by Grace, escapes but the girl is wounded. Jack marries Grace."

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