The Soul Man
John Rhoades, a tramp, after a lapse of years, returns to his native village. There is an ordinance posted on the outskirts of the village giving warning that unless tramps leave within fifteen minutes they will be put to work for ten days on the rock piles. Rhoades comes to a gate and the dog barks at him, and as he leans against the gate his thoughts are of his happy youth. Then follows a visualization of Rhoades as a young man, bidding goodbye to his sweetheart, Hetty White. Rhoades wanders down the road, comes to an open gate and walks in. Hetty, who is married now, comes out of the house but fails to recognize Rhoades. Hetty brings food for Rhoades and her child asks him what makes him so sad. As Rhoades is telling her that through a terrible mistake he lost the love of an angelic woman, the sheriff and a lot of people arrive and order the tramp to leave the village. Next we see Rhoades sitting on the grass near a fire and thinking over his ill-past life. Presently there is a visualization of how it all came about. We see young Rhoades after his arrival in the city in partnership with William Wilton, both from the same village. His partner appropriates all the money in the safe and throws Rhoades into bankruptcy. Then Hetty, owing to Rhoades failure, breaks her engagement. This crushes him and he starts to lead the life of a tramp. The visualization fades out and Rhoades is seen still sitting near the fire. Later we see Hetty bending over her child, who is in a delirious fever. Meanwhile Rhoades has tramped back to this vicinity and is sleeping in an open field. Hetty leaves the bedside of the sick child to go for the doctor and the little girl in her delirium, gets out of bed and wanders away, towards the field where Rhoades is sleeping. Rhoades awakens and rushes to the child and taking the child up in his arms he starts to take her back to her mother. The mother, meantime, returns and finding the bed empty, is frantic with anxiety. When she sees Rhoades she rushes towards him and cries with joy over the recovery of her child. The child is put to bed, but keeps calling for the tramp. The doctor, who has arrived, warns Rhoades that the little girl has scarlet fever, but Rhoades disregards the warning. After days of constant devotion on his part the crisis is past, and the little girl is on the road to recovery. Wilton, Hetty's husband, who has been away on a business trip, returns. Hetty brings him into the room and tells Rhoades she wishes to introduce her husband. Rhoades sees that her husband is no other than Wilton, his ex-partner. He is about to denounce Wilton, then he sees the baby and bows his head. He cannot bring any more sorrow to the home of his old sweetheart by destroying her faith in the father of her child. He lifts the baby in his arms and kisses her tenderly. Wilton is in terror, for fear of exposure of his villainy, but Rhoades simply gives him a look of scornful contempt and goes off. He bids Hetty goodbye without betraying his own identity.
- Released
- 1916
Details
Release year: 1916
Storyline
John Rhoades, a tramp, after a lapse of years, returns to his native village. There is an ordinance posted on the outskirts of the village giving warning that unless tramps leave within fifteen minutes they will be put to work for ten days on the rock piles. Rhoades comes to a gate and the dog barks at him, and as he leans against the gate his thoughts are of his happy youth. Then follows a visualization of Rhoades as a young man, bidding goodbye to his sweetheart, Hetty White. Rhoades wanders down the road, comes to an open gate and walks in. Hetty, who is married now, comes out of the house but fails to recognize Rhoades. Hetty brings food for Rhoades and her child asks him what makes him so sad. As Rhoades is telling her that through a terrible mistake he lost the love of an angelic woman, the sheriff and a lot of people arrive and order the tramp to leave the village. Next we see Rhoades sitting on the grass near a fire and thinking over his ill-past life. Presently there is a visualization of how it all came about. We see young Rhoades after his arrival in the city in partnership with William Wilton, both from the same village. His partner appropriates all the money in the safe and throws Rhoades into bankruptcy. Then Hetty, owing to Rhoades failure, breaks her engagement. This crushes him and he starts to lead the life of a tramp. The visualization fades out and Rhoades is seen still sitting near the fire. Later we see Hetty bending over her child, who is in a delirious fever. Meanwhile Rhoades has tramped back to this vicinity and is sleeping in an open field. Hetty leaves the bedside of the sick child to go for the doctor and the little girl in her delirium, gets out of bed and wanders away, towards the field where Rhoades is sleeping. Rhoades awakens and rushes to the child and taking the child up in his arms he starts to take her back to her mother. The mother, meantime, returns and finding the bed empty, is frantic with anxiety. When she sees Rhoades she rushes towards him and cries with joy over the recovery of her child. The child is put to bed, but keeps calling for the tramp. The doctor, who has arrived, warns Rhoades that the little girl has scarlet fever, but Rhoades disregards the warning. After days of constant devotion on his part the crisis is past, and the little girl is on the road to recovery. Wilton, Hetty's husband, who has been away on a business trip, returns. Hetty brings him into the room and tells Rhoades she wishes to introduce her husband. Rhoades sees that her husband is no other than Wilton, his ex-partner. He is about to denounce Wilton, then he sees the baby and bows his head. He cannot bring any more sorrow to the home of his old sweetheart by destroying her faith in the father of her child. He lifts the baby in his arms and kisses her tenderly. Wilton is in terror, for fear of exposure of his villainy, but Rhoades simply gives him a look of scornful contempt and goes off. He bids Hetty goodbye without betraying his own identity.
Top credits
- King Baggot — John Rhoades
- Marie Weirman — Hetty White
- Ned Reardon — The Sheriff
- William Bailey — William Wilton