Love and Science (1912)

• 57%
• 1912
• Comedy
• Romance
• Science Fiction

Max Pledge, a young savant, is trying to perfect his invention which will enable a person to see the other person with whom he is talking over the telephone. He becomes so absorbed in his work that he will not see anyone. His sweetheart, Daisy, calls and he tells her he is too busy at the time, but if she will go home he will telephone her and she can see him then as he expects to have the invention ready for the first successful test. Daisy is very much vexed at his inattention and determines to teach him a lesson by way of a practical joke. She asks her chum to join in her prank of dressing the chum up as a man with a mustache, so when Max calls up be shall see his sweetheart apparently kissing another man. Evening comes. Max telephones and his first test is a perfect success. He first sees his Daisy, then he sees the supposed man kiss her. His jealousy and anger is so ungovernable and through the hard work perfecting his invention his mind gives way. He forgets everything, cannot recognize anyone. The doctors say the only way to restore his reason is to reproduce the same scene, but to give it an explanatory ending. The moving picture camera is called into service. The scene is re-enacted with the same tragic gestures as before. The supposed man with the mustache kisses Daisy as before. Max watches intently; suddenly the artificial mustache falls off and he at once recognizes Daisy's girl chum. Slowly his reason returns. The joke of it dawns upon him and he folds Daisy in his arms, never to doubt again.