Hearts and Sparks (1916)

• 71%
• 1916
• Comedy
• Charley Chase
• Hank Mann
• Bobby Vernon
• Gloria Swanson

Bobbie Vernon, an ingenious young inventor, has contrived a wireless spark-plug. He is in love with Gloria, whose father is Nick Cogley. Nick's business affairs are in a bad state. An up-state money-lender, Hank Mann, holds a mortgage on the old home and is threatening to foreclose. Mann suddenly sees Gloria, and proposes that he marry her, in which event he will cancel the mortgage. The father, having no alternative, contents to this arrangement. However, for Bobbie's sake, he determines to wait until he sees whether or not Bobbie wins his next auto race. If Bobbie wins, he will be able to marry Gloria and pay off the mortgage himself. Bobbie's speed demonstration convinces Mann that Bobbie is a possible winner, so he hires two desperadoes to burn his car and garage. But the wireless plug saves the car by running it out of the garage automatically. On the day of the race, Mann ties Bobbie in the barn but that is where the wireless outfit is located, so Bobbie directs his car with Gloria in it many times around the course, winning by several laps. It chances, however, that the crooks have connected a fuse to the speedometer of Bobbie's car so that at a certain velocity the gasoline tank will explode. and this situation brings about a dashing finish.