False Colors (1914)

In 1895, noted actor Lloyd Phillips leaves the stage after his wife dies in childbirth. Blaming his infant daughter Dixie for his wife's death, Phillips leaves her with Mrs. Hughes, his ... See full summary »

Director:

Phillips Smalley

Writer:

Lois Weber (story)

Stars:

Phillips Smalley, Lois Weber, Dixie Carr

Cast

Cast overview:
Phillips Smalley	...	Lloyd Phillips
Lois Weber	...	Mrs. Moore / daughter Flo
Dixie Carr	...	Dixie Phillips
Adele Farrington	...	Mrs. Hughes, housekeeper
Charles Marriott	...	Butler (Mr. Hughes)
Courtenay Foote	...	Bert Hughes, son of Butler and Housekeeper
Herbert Standing	...	Marc Herbert

Storyline

In 1895, noted actor Lloyd Phillips leaves the stage after his wife dies in childbirth. Blaming his infant daughter Dixie for his wife's death, Phillips leaves her with Mrs. Hughes, his housekeeper. Meanwhile, Mrs. Moore, a wardrobe mistress who has kept a scrapbook on Phillips, must raise her infant daughter Florence alone when her husband dies. Eighteen years later, Mrs. Hughes has squandered all of Phillips' money on her ne'er-do-well son Bert. Dixie then leaves and goes to New York where she receives a part in a Broadway play from Marc Herbert, her father's friend. When Phillips returns looking for Dixie, Mrs. Hughes and Bert convince Florence, Bert's new wife, to pose as Dixie. She soon is disgusted by the plot, however, and returns to her mother, with whom Dixie now lives. Meanwhile, Herbert innocently sends Phillips word of Dixie's success, but when he goes to see her, she bitterly rebukes him. Phillips again leaves, but eventually he and Florence realize their feelings for ...

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Plot Keywords:

actress shares first name with character | partially lost film | 

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Genres:

Short | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 December 1914 (USA)

Also Known As:

False Colours

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hobart Bosworth Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

32 min (extant part)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

False Colors is, for 1914 an interesting backstage melodrama.

False Colors is, for 1914 an interesting backstage melodrama. Director Phillips Smalley stars as Lloyd Phillips, an actor that gets a telegram as he steps off the stage that his wife has given birth to a daughter but is sinking fast. Lois Weber wrote the screenplay and stars in two roles as Mrs. Moore and her daughter Flo. After Phillips rushes home to discover his wife has died he no longer wants to see the baby and allows for it to be raised elsewhere. Mrs. Moore a seamstress who had worked in the theater and admired Phillips is confronted by her wheelchair bound and jealous husband when he finds hidden stash of pictures of Phillips among his wife's belongings. The argument proves too much for the sickly husband and he dies. Years pass as the newborn daughter grows into a young woman thinking herself abandoned by her aloof father. Meanwhile a plot is hatched to bilk money from the actor in the guise of care for his out of sight daughter's up bringing. Before it's all over father and daughter will be reunited and seamstress will have won the favor of the man she loved from the wings. Most to the five reels have recently been discovered at the Library Of Congress.