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  • Modern Slaves (1912)
  • Short | Short, Drama
Modern Slaves (1912)
Short | Short, Drama
Phil Roberts and his wife were slaves. Phil was cashier for a large mercantile house that encouraged him to be dishonest by paying him twenty-five dollars a week; and it just happened that Phil didn't need much encouragement. Tom Crane, ...See morePhil Roberts and his wife were slaves. Phil was cashier for a large mercantile house that encouraged him to be dishonest by paying him twenty-five dollars a week; and it just happened that Phil didn't need much encouragement. Tom Crane, Phil's office associate and residential neighbor, working for the same salary, industrious, thrifty, ambitious, struggling to pay off the mortgage on his little home, working long hours after the others in the office had ceased their toil to earn a little extra money to make more comfortable the lives of the little wife at home and the two kiddies. Phil Roberts and his wife were slaves; but their ideas were a little out of focus, so their poor aristocratic thoughts told them that they were free, but that the Cranes were slaves. Mrs. Crane did her own housework, Mrs. Crane wore very simple dresses. Mr. Crane never wore evening clothes, Mr. Crane didn't belong to any clubs. Phil repeatedly invited Tom to his club, and Tom persistently declined; but once he grew tired of refusing Phil's sincere hospitality. He had to hire a dress suit, so the mortgage on the home was postponed. And he was invited by a man whom he met at the club to attend a little reception he was about to give. "And bring the Mrs. along." It meant a new gown, but Tom felt he had to maintain his respect among his new acquaintances. So again the possession of his little house was a week farther away. While at the reception, Phil discovered that he needed a little more money than he had. He excused himself and went to the office, and there he found his employer and an accountant going over his books. He had lied, but the figures didn't and, he realized! Phil was a slave, and slaves are cowards! So the next morning Tom found Phil's body, with the gun in his hand. And that evening they had a little talk, did Tom and his wife, and they resolved to emancipate themselves from the sinful serfdom that was claiming them, to return to the poverty that was wealth. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less
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Director
Phillips Smalley
Writer
Lois Weber
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Status
Edit Released
Updated Apr 4, 1912
Release date
Apr 4, 1912 (United States)

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