The Count That Counted (1910)

• 72%
• 1910
• Comedy
• Romance
• Gilbert M. Anderson
• Augustus Carney
• Gilbert M. Anderson
• J. Warren Kerrigan

Jimmy Little, a reporter for the Daily Howl, is in love. The object of his affections this time is pretty Dorothy Alexander, daughter of a millionaire, and this is the unfortunate part of it, because Dorothy's father suspicions the reporter of wanting the millions more than Dorothy. However nothing could be furthermost in the mind of Jimmy, and on the afternoon our story opens, Jimmy, having received a note from Dorothy to call immediately and ask her father, he leaves the office and takes a car to Dorothy's home. Dorothy and he fearfully approach the old gentleman in his study, but he mercilessly denounces Jimmy as a fortune hunter, and in the end the unlucky suitor is dragged to the door by the butler and pitched out on his ear. Jimmy refuses to accept defeat, scrawls a brief note to Dorothy inviting her to elope with him and sends it in by the maid. Dorothy answers that he must first win her father's consent, and father, coming into the room as she writes, adds a postscript to the effect, "and if you ever do you can have her." Jack Horning is interested in Jimmy's affair, and when Jimmy confesses his predicament to him, the star reporter immediately hits upon a lovely scheme. Jimmy, he announces, will masquerade as an Italian count and will, with promises of title and fame for the daughter of the soap maker, obtain the latter's consent. Due publicity is given the "advent to our city of his lordship, Count De Soakum," and the article, concocted by young Horning, adds further that the count bears a letter of introduction to Mr. James Alexander, the millionaire soap maker. That evening Jimmy, masquerading as the count, calls on Mr. Alexander, and is given a fine reception. The old gentleman not only gives his check of $10,000 to the happy couple, but also an ironclad consent to marriage. Dorothy's father and mother then leave the young people to themselves and during their absence Jimmy removes his false moustache and goatee. This is a sad mistake, however, as a moment later father and mother return, and Jimmy, in endeavoring to get his facial trimmings restored to his face, sticks the moustache over one eye and the goatee on the side of his cheek. However, Jimmy and Dorothy win out in the end when the reporter flashes the written agreement signed by father himself, "and if you ever do you can have her.