Deceived Slumming Party (1908)

• 51%
• 1908
• Comedy
• D.W. Griffith
• Edward Dillon
• D.W. Griffith
• George Gebhardt

Old Ezra Perkins and his wife, Matilda, are induced by the glib-tongued ballyhoo to investigate the mysteries of that famous section of our great metropolis, the Bowery, They are joined by Mr. Reginald Oliver Churchill Wittington, an English gentleman, who was willing in blow his last farthing in order to see the thing to the very limit. Fine for the Boweryites. Away they go on "rubecart" and are soon landed in a Chinatown opium joint. Here they find everything carried on in a conventional fashion, for just before they arrive the occupants are tipped off to get busy, and this act of a little comedy starts in. While there one of the girls pretends to commit suicide. Here is scandal. Reggie is quite perturbed, as is also Ezra and Matilda, and they are quite willing to "give up" handsomely to be allowed to depart, and not be detained as witnesses at the coroner's inquest, flimflam, No. 1. Next a chop suey emporium is visited and by a well-planned bit of business Ezra is made to upset a tray of dishes. Great excitement among the Chinks. The dishes are said to be of intrinsic china from China, and worth a fabulous sum. Ezra forks out the "fab." From here they are shown to the kitchen and witness the concocting of the succulent Chinese sausage. Matilda is very much interested in the operation when a Chink brings in a lot of rats which escape, causing her to leap upon a table, and, losing her balance, falls into the machine and is soon transformed into sausage. But by reversing the machine she is recovered, none the worse for her experience. Next they visit a typical Bowery saloon and Reggie treats the crowd, laying down a ten-dollar bill, expecting change and lots of it. This is the cue for a row between two of the regulars which terminates in what appears to be a murder. So the slumming party are glad to escape with their lives leaving the change behind. This is enough and they beat it back each with a stern resolution, "Never again.