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  • The Broken Chain (1913)
  • Short | 24 min | Short, Drama
The Broken Chain (1913)
Short | 24 min | Short, Drama
Helen Reynolds, an heiress, finds life a great bore in spite of the adoration of her many suitors, because among them all there is no one who is able to inspire in her heart the love she longs to give. At last, however, she becomes ...See moreHelen Reynolds, an heiress, finds life a great bore in spite of the adoration of her many suitors, because among them all there is no one who is able to inspire in her heart the love she longs to give. At last, however, she becomes acquainted with a poor artist by the name of Vargas, with whom she falls deeply in love and who, hoping to mend his fortunes by means of a rich marriage, pretends to be infatuated with her. Springtime finds them on their honeymoon. Vargas is entirely mercenary and absolutely selfish and heartless, incapable of a deep, abiding affection. After he has dissipated the greater part of her fortune through riotous living, Helen finds her husband's love less ardent. He then succeeds in fascinating Mrs. Freeman, a rich widow, and in order to marry her, forces Helen, by continued cruelty, to secure a divorce. He leaves her heartbroken, and although she presents a brave face to the world, she spends many tearful hours alone and inconsolable. She seeks forgetfulness at the seaside and there becomes great friends with pretty Dorothy Clarke, a seventeen-year-old girl who, she afterward learns, is the niece of Mrs. Freeman, now the fiancée of Vargas. The artist, upon meeting Dorothy, is smitten with her naive charm and exerts all his powers of fascination to win her love. He finally succeeds, but Helen learns of his plans and to save the girl from his wiles, tells her own sad story. The child's love for the artist quickly turns to contempt. Vargas learns that his failure to win the heiress is due to the activities of his former wife and upbraids her villainously, threatening her, and ending his tirade with, "Must you always be a chain upon my life and actions?" The next day he is horrified to step into the room adjoining his own and there to find the body of Helen lying lifeless at his feet. The chain is broken. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less
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Director
Augusto Genina
Cinematographer
Giorgio Ricci
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Status
Edit Released
Updated Dec 31, 1913
Release date
May 5, 1914 (United States)

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2 cast members
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