Through Turbulent Waters (1915)

• 82%
• 1915
• Drama
• Duncan McRae
• Gertrude McCoy
• Frank Farrington
• Bessie Learn

The west is the stamping ground for Paul Temple and his thespian associates. He is talking with his sweetheart, Jane Dinsmore, as Alice Robinson, Jane's intimate friend, enters with a letter from an erstwhile associate, advising her to go to New York and accept a place in the chorus. A word from Temple, and Alice has made up her mind. She leaves for New York. Temple and Jane have been married some time and are living unhappily, apart from the old folks. The former's reputation as a heavy actor is wide, but drink has degraded him. Subsequently, Jane dies, due to Temple's abuse of her. A short time previous to her death, Jane had sent a telegram to her father advising him of the wretched conditions under which she was living, and the information has prompted Dinsmore to go in search of her. Arriving at the Temple address, he is advised by the landlady of his daughter's demise and persecution. He swears to avenge his daughter. Alice is contented with her place as a member of a cheap stock company. Temple, a dissipated person, has come to New York, and is engaged as the leading man in the company Alice is with. Alice is, of course, surprised to sec him but he mourns the loss of his "poor wife" and explains that, for professional reasons, he has changed his name to Delaney. Alice accepts his explanation. Attracted by her beauty, and recognizing in her much latent talent, Temple promises to make her a great actress and she, in turn, fails under his hypnotic influence. James Montrose, a producer, and Frank Wentworth, his lawyer, see the play in which Temple, now known as Delaney, is starring. They decide on him as their choice for their new Broadway vehicle, "The Lesson." Delaney is engaged, and through his influence, Alice is retained to play the ingenue lead. He goes through a sham form of marriage with Alice, with a man named Ford, hired to act as a parson. Night after night, Delaney coaches her, until Alice plays the part almost perfectly. Her big scene is in the last act, when she tires at Delaney as the curtain falls. All this time Dinsmore has been scouring the west for a trace of Temple, not knowing that he has changed his name. The play is a signal success. The first night brands Alice as a star. By chance Dinsmore, who has come on to New York, sees a photograph of Delaney with Alice, and after investigation, learns that he is starring in "The Lesson." He thereupon writes a number of notes to the star threatening him. The receipt of these letters has begun to undermine the nervous system of Delaney. To add to this source of discomfort and worry, Alice, having come upon Delaney and Ford when the latter was demanding the rest of the money for performing the mock marriage, discovers that she is not really married to him, with the result that she expresses the wish that real bullets be in the stage revolver at the performance at the theater that evening. After several notes have been sent, Dinsmore conceives a plan by which to avenge the death of his daughter, and forges a pass which admits him back of the stage in the theater whore Delaney is playing. He replaces the blank cartridges in the revolver with real bullets, with the result that Delaney is shot to death by Alice. She is arrested, and held on the strength of a statement by the maid, who heard her express the wish that real bullets be in the revolver. Dinsmore, reading of Alice's arrest in the paper, calls Wentworth, now handling Alice's case, on the telephone, and without disclosing his identity, confesses he was responsible, Alice is released. Dinsmore, realizing that there is now nothing more to live for, commits suicide. Wentworth, having long since shown affection for Alice, is now accepted by her.