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The Better Man
(1911) United States of America
B&W : One reel
Directed by [?] Robert Goodman?
Cast: William Clifford [the winning suitor], Mildred Bracken [Doris], Francis Ford [the losing suitor]
G. Méliès production; distributed by The General Film Company, Incorporated. / Produced by Gaston Méliès. / Released 14 December 1911. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Comedy-Drama.
Synopsis: [From Méliès prtomotional materials] Of two equally attractive suitors Doris cannot decide which to choose, so devises a novel plan to determine which is the better man. The rivals have a race from the Post Office to her house. Lying on the road, apparently hurt, is Pedro, Doris’ old servant. The first suitor rushes by, but the second, at the risk of losing a bride, stops and helps the old man home, whereupon Doris divulges the “frame-up” and declares the loser the winner. // [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Doris is up a tree as to which of two suitors to accept. Tom is very companionable and Fred is very noble, each equally lovable. She is in the throes of despair, when an idea comes to her to test which is the better man. To the postmistress, her friend, Doris gives two letters, one of which each of the lovers is to call for the next day at noon. Meanwhile, she instructs her faithful old servant Pedro, in the part he is to play in determining the better man. Both letters contain the same: “To prove who is the better man, deliver this letter to me as soon as possible,” and upon reading, the rivals mount their steeds and race for Doris’ house. It is a desperate ride in which Tom shows no pity for his horse. He is far ahead of Fred when he comes upon old Pedro, who is lying on the road, apparently hurt. But Tom determines to win, so rushes on. When Fred sees the old servant in distress, he is touched, and even at the risk of losing Doris, helps the old man home. Doris and her folks have observed the whole thing through a pair of field glasses. When Tom arrives, he rushes to claim his bride, but is met with an indifference hitherto unknown. His horse drops from exhaustion. Fred arrives with Pedro, fully expecting he has lost the prize. Pedro gets suddenly strong and laughs, which makes Fred all the more mad at himself for having stopped, but when Doris explains her little plot. It does not take either long to understand which has proven “the better man.”
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 30 December 1911, page ?] A pleasing love story in which a clever western girl uses a little trick to find which of her two admirers is the better man. She arranges it so that each of them receives a letter at the same post office at noon of the same day. Each letter reads, “To prove which is the better man deliver this letter to me as soon as possible.” Both race to get to the girl first. Her trick was this: she got an old man to pretend to be in great need of help in a place which both would have to pass. The better man risked the girl to do a human act and lend a hand where one was needed. He got there second, but he got the girl. The picture is highly commendable.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 27 May 2024.
References: Thompson-Star p. 231 : ClasIm-226 p. 55 : Website-IMDb.
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