The Cord of Life (1909)

After being refused a loan by a friend, an angry Antonine vows revenge. Finding his friend's child at home alone, he ties the child to a rope suspended precariously over a five-story drop. ... See full summary »

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writer:

D.W. Griffith

Stars:

Charles Inslee, Marion Leonard, George Gebhardt

Cast

Credited cast:
Charles Inslee	...	Galora
Marion Leonard	...	Galora's Wife
George Gebhardt	...	Antonine
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Linda Arvidson	...	In Tenement
Dorothy Bernard
Clara T. Bracy
John R. Cumpson	...	In Tenement
Charles K. French
Charles Gorman
Guy Hedlund
Anita Hendrie	...	In Tenement
Arthur V. Johnson	...	Policeman
Florence Lawrence	...	In Tenement
Adolph Lestina
David Miles	...	In Tenement

Storyline

After being refused a loan by a friend, an angry Antonine vows revenge. Finding his friend's child at home alone, he ties the child to a rope suspended precariously over a five-story drop. Then he follows his friend and tries to stab him. When caught, he boasts about the child in danger, giving the father enough time to rush home and affect a rescue.

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Genres:

Short | Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 January 1909 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Mutoscope & Biograph

Technical Specs

Runtime:

9 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Throwing Out the Baby in the Basket

George Gebhardt is tracking down Charles Inslee, looking to settle an old debt. Mr. Gebhardt finds Mr. Inslee in an old tenement building, living with his wife Marion Leonard, and their baby. Inslee explains he is as penniless as down-and-out Gebhardt, and has no money. The two men argue, and Gebhardt angrily marks the door to Inslee's apartment with a vengeful "X" as he leaves. Later, Gebhardt returns to rig a horrific plan; he'll have Ms. Leonard unwittingly kill their baby by hanging the bound baby in a basket from the apartment window; when mother opens the window, baby falls to a certain death!

Biograph's New York studio, and area location are helpful in story setting; in the set-up scenes, the extras are pleasing to watch - they include Biograph girls Linda Arvidson, Florence Lawrence, and Dorothy West. Director D.W. Griffith's story goes for the sure-fire suspense by putting an innocent baby's life in danger. There are some notable storytelling flaws - for instance, note that the baby is conveniently pre-bound, and Ms. Leonard's table cloth is certainly not her favorite! Still, there are some nice touches; like Gebhardt's marking, and later wiping of the "X" on his enemy's door.

"The Cord of Life" is the string which holds the basketed baby from the apartment window; the string is held in place by the closed window; when the window is opened, the string should loosen, and drop the baby, according to villainous Gebhardt's plan. For fun, try to figure out how father Inslee plans to solve the problem, and save the baby.

*** The Cord of Life (1/28/09) D.W. Griffith ~ George Gebhardt, Charles Inslee, Marion Leonard