A Change of Heart - Production & Contact Info

A Change of Heart (1916)
Short | Short, Drama

A Change of Heart (1916)

Short | Short, Drama

John Coglan, a retired merchant, finds his gas bills exorbitant, and has a quarter gas meter installed in his house. He lives with his adopted daughter, Jane, and Ralph his son. Ralph is young and fond of a gay life, thereby invoking his ...See moreJohn Coglan, a retired merchant, finds his gas bills exorbitant, and has a quarter gas meter installed in his house. He lives with his adopted daughter, Jane, and Ralph his son. Ralph is young and fond of a gay life, thereby invoking his father's displeasure. Coglan dies, and when his will is read, it is discovered that Jane has been left two-thirds of the fortune. Ralph becomes infatuated with Rita Travers, a cabaret singer, who is under the influence of Ed Walters, a crook. Walters urges her to marry Ralph, as he thinks Ralph has been left the entire fortune. Rita therefore becomes Ralph's wife, and he brings her to his home. Rita immediately conceives a violent dislike to Jane, but gradually the good woman's influence is felt. Rita ignores Walters one day while she is out with Jane, and Walters writes her a note, threatening to expose her past record if she does not bring him several hundred dollars. Rita asks Ralph for the money, but he tells her that Jane has received the greater part of the fortune, and that he has not the ready cash. When Walters learns the true state of affairs, he tells Rita they must get rid of Jane. Ralph leaves on a business trip and Walters determines to avail himself of the opportunity. He visits Rita, and forces her to turn on the flow of gas in Jane's room. Rita repents of her action a moment later, and wants to save Jane, but Walters struggles with her, and leaves her unconscious on the floor. Shortly after the gas in Rita's room slowly goes out, the meter having run down. Jane, who has merely fallen asleep while reading, now awakens. Finding her room in darkness, she concludes that the meter needs another quarter. She puts one in it, thereby turning on the gas in Rita's room, and resumes her reading. An hour or two later, she detects the odor of gas, and is just in time to save Rita. The next morning Rita is thoroughly repentant, and confesses the whole story to Jane. Jane forgives her, but Rita says that it is best for her to leave, as Walters will continue to hound her. She writes out a confession, which she is about to hand to the unsuspecting Ralph, when Jane, who has been nervously handling a newspaper nearby, suddenly rushes up and snatches the letter away, telling Ralph it is all a joke. Alone with Rita, Jane shows her the headlines of the paper, which state that Walters was killed the night before while trying to escape arrest. Jane holds out her arms to Rita and tells her to remain. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less

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Cast	+ Add Cast
5 cast members

Name	Known for
George Berrell John Coglan John Coglan See fewer	The Sea Beast (1926)
Eleanor Blevins Jane Coglan - John's Adopted Daughter Jane Coglan - John's Adopted Daughter See fewer	A Friend in Need (II) (1914)
R. Henry Grey Ralph Coglan - John's Son (as Robert Grey) Ralph Coglan - John's Son (as Robert Grey) See fewer	Twin Kiddies (1917)
George Routh Ed Walters Ed Walters See fewer	While the Children Slept (1913)
Velma Whitman Rita Travers Rita Travers See fewer	Some Boy (1917)