When Lions Escape - Production & Contact Info

When Lions Escape (1914)
Short | Short, Drama

When Lions Escape (1914)

Short | Short, Drama

When Edward Strong, a successful stockbroker, led home as his bride a lion tamer, all his friends predicted that she would ruin his life. The most gloomy prophecies were uttered as to how his wife would bring hordes of Bohemian friends to ...See moreWhen Edward Strong, a successful stockbroker, led home as his bride a lion tamer, all his friends predicted that she would ruin his life. The most gloomy prophecies were uttered as to how his wife would bring hordes of Bohemian friends to his home, and that he would be in the divorce court within a year. But unfortunately for these gloomy prophets their forebodings did not come true. The father of Margaret, the wife, was a Polish count who had been expelled for political reasons, and having lost all his estates he took up circus work as he was a magnificent rider. From a child Margaret was brought up among the animals, and as she grew older she became a lion-tamer. When she married Strong she was glad to leave behind her circus life. Still she had a fondness for her lions and kept them, and once every year she used to give a private entertainment to which all her friends were invited. On one of these occasions two explorers, who had just returned from Central Africa, were introduced. Tuthill, one of the explorers, was interested in the exhibition of Margaret's power, but warned her that if at any time she herself felt afraid her command over the lions would end. A game of baccarat was then suggested by Charles Brandon, the other explorer. Strong took a hand, and it was remarkable to notice the way Brandon always won. After losing five thousand dollars in five minutes Strong thought he had better stop. He retired, and, standing by the glass door, took out a cigarette. As he was about to light it he noticed a movement on the part of Brandon that aroused his suspicion, and he watched the glass. A minute or two later the game finished and Brandon come out. Strong spoke to him and asked him for a light. As he lifted up his arm Strong saw a card concealed up his cuff and seized his little finger, and holding him thus, extracted the cards. Brandon was mad with rage but powerless, and Strong merely smiled contemptuously at him. Then he told him he would not show him up if he signed a paper agreeing to lose the five thousand dollars at cards that evening, "which I have obtained by cheating." With inward curses Brandon signed the note. Just as they were repairing to the card room they heard a noise, and Tuthill was brought out fainting. He had had a sunstroke and had been warned against excitement, but the chances of the cards were too much for him and brought on a stroke. A doctor present told them that the patient must he left alone, and there must be no disturbing noise. Brandon was enraged at having been found a cheat. Even though Strong did not show him up he knew that people would become suspicious. It was in this frame of mind that Brandon heard the doctor's report, and thought over this remark of the doctor's about the effect a suggestion would have upon Tuthill's mind. He thought to himself that if he could make him the instrument of his vengeance upon Strong there would be no chance for suspicion. It would be put down as the result of his illness, and anything he might do would be unpunished. With this idea in his mind he went to Tuthill's bedroom. The sufferer was lying in a delirious state on the bed, and Brandon whispered in his ear the suggestion that he should bind Strong when he come to see him and loose the lions. At first the last relics of intelligence struggled against the idea, but Brandon's strong will soon conquered these. Then he hid to see his plot carried out. Strong sent all the guests and servants into a large smoking room built at the end of the garden, so as to give Tuthill absolute silence. Then he went to give Tuthill the medicine the doctor ordered for him. He entered the room and prepared the medicine and while he was doing so Tuthill wrenched the electric light cable from the table lamp. Then he only drank part of the medicine and asked his host to put more water with it. As he turned to do so, Tuthill sprang upon him and tied his hands behind his back with the cord. While Strong was trying to break this the madman dashed into the corridor and seized a bundle of rope kept in case of fire and then returned and bound Strong to the bed. The madman went down to the lions' cage and loosed them. Strong made desperate efforts to free himself, succeeding to break loose from the bed to which he was tied, and to squirm towards the door. A moment afterwards the lithe creatures came pawing at the door. Strong got his shoulder against it and pushed for dear life. Under the lions' pressure the door came ajar, but they soon tired for the time and moved on to the neighboring room, in which was Margaret's little girl. The child had not fallen asleep and was sitting up in bed playing with her toys when the lions entered. Margaret was waiting in the smoking room for her husband's return. When he did not come she got anxious and rang him up. She got no answer and determined to go and see what was happening. When she entered the hall she heard her husband's cries and her child's. For a moment she hesitated between husband and child, but the mother instinct prevailed. For a moment she was able to drive away the lions and picking up the child she fled to the telephone. But this very moment of flight weakened her hold over the animals and they began to follow her. As the guests were wondering where their host and hostess were, the telephone rang, and they learned that the lions had broken loose. They seized pistols and hastened to the house where they could hear the roaring of the lions. When Tuthill loosened the lions he wandered through the house until he fell asleep. When the guests broke into the house the lions were getting ferocious but fled before their pistols, and Margaret and the child were rescued just as her nerves were giving way. Next they went to the room where her husband was imprisoned and loosened him. While this was happening Tuthill began to come to, and dimly remembered what had happened. Slowly the dreadful reality of what he had done came over him. As Strong heard the plot against him his rage against Brandon knew no bounds and he understood how the other had been used as a mere tool. They set out to hunt for Brandon to bring him to justice. They found him lying facing the white ceiling with a look of fear in his sightless eyes that banished all hatred. A mightier hand than theirs had inflicted punishment. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less

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Marian Swayne Actress Actress See fewer	The Adventures of Kitty Cobb (1914)

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