Lonesome House - Production & Contact Info

Lonesome House (1916)
Short | Short, Drama

Lonesome House (1916)

Short | Short, Drama

In the remote village of Hazleton live old maid Myra Walton; her 5-year-old niece Bessie; Priscilla Watts, leader of the church sewing society; and the usual coterie of kindred souls. Miss Walton has inherited a small fortune and a modest ...See moreIn the remote village of Hazleton live old maid Myra Walton; her 5-year-old niece Bessie; Priscilla Watts, leader of the church sewing society; and the usual coterie of kindred souls. Miss Walton has inherited a small fortune and a modest competency on which she lives. When she first comes to the village she is called upon by Priscilla Watts and invited to attend a meeting of the village sewing society. She does so, taking her niece with her. During the meeting, she is quizzed regarding her religion, and when it is discovered that she does not belong to any church, she is immediately snubbed. From that time on, she lives a solitary life, keeping to her home and seldom going out, except to buy her supplies. Priscilla Watts starts gossip about her, and states that anyone who does not attend church is ungodly, and must have sinned. This leads to Myra's being snubbed the more, and her life is a lonely one. Ezra Henshaw, an old schoolteacher comes to town. Bessie is a member of the school, and the day Ezra takes charge, the scholars misbehave, though the old man tries to maintain order. One of the little boys is particularly impish, and Ezra is obliged to use the old-fashioned methods to check him. Little Bessie is somewhat of an imp herself, but not against the teacher, whom she likes at the start. They become good friends, and the old man soon learns to love her. He inquires about her home, but she is reticent, owing to the instructions of her aunt, who is sore at heart against the villagers because of their treatment of her. Ezra never visits her home, though he often walks part of the way with her on the return from school. One of the little boys falls in love with Bessie, and their baby love affair is a source of amusement to the old man. Little Bobbie gives her everything he can. Sometimes it is an apple, and sometimes a nosegay he picks in the fields. Bobbie visits her home and is received not unkindly by her aunt, until his mother learns of it and rebukes him. Hence Myra Walton keeps more to herself. One evening Bessie is hurt while see-sawing with Bobbie, and there is no one to take her home. Ezra is obliged to do so himself. He carries her in his arms, and when Myra sees him coming she is struck speechless. She timidly opens the door while he carries Bessie inside and lays her on a couch. Neither speaks to the other, but start to busy themselves with Bessie, who has sprained her ankle. When she is put to bed, her ankle bandaged, Ezra and Myra are left alone. Each recognizes the other as a sweetheart of former years. Myra is cold and distant to him, and asks him why he never came to her that night so long ago. The scene fades out to the time of their youth, when Ezra was a young man just beginning his career as a teacher. They were engaged. School funds were missed, and Ezra was dismissed in disgrace. He was ashamed to go to his sweetheart, though he was innocent, and her father forbade him to see her. She did write him, but the letter was never delivered, her father destroying it, a fact she learned afterward. Thus he thought that she believed him guilty. His innocence was proven when the shortage was discovered to be an error in the bookkeeping of the supervisors. It was too late then. The scene fades back to the present, and he learns that she still cares for him, and in a moment they are in each other's arms. As he leaves her house that night, the village gossip, Priscilla Watts, sees him and spreads the "scandal." But it is all in vain, for the old teacher and the old maid leave the town with little Bessie, and are married. He has saved his money and has a small fund in the bank, and she has her means. In addition, she sells the house and they take up a home in a new town. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less

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Cast	+ Add Cast
4 cast members

Name	Known for
Thomas Jefferson Ezra Henshaw Ezra Henshaw See fewer	Tarzan of the Apes (1918)
Julia Jackson Myra Walton Myra Walton See fewer	The Blood of His Fathers (1917)
Zoe Rae Little Bessie (as Zoe Bech) Little Bessie (as Zoe Bech) See fewer	Danger Within (1918)
Jessie Arnold Priscilla Watts Priscilla Watts See fewer	The Dark Mirror (1920)