Released 9/19/15 by Universal/Rex; Director: Joseph De Grasse; Screenplay: Nell Shipman, from her story, The King's Keeper; 2 reels
CAST: Cleo Madison (Grace Milton), Arthur Shirley (Dick Rance), Lon Chaney (Black Scotty), Millard K. Wilson (John Harding)
SYNOPSIS: Dick Rance, a forest ranger, arrests Black Scotty for willful burning of the forest and for hunting out of season, and Scotty swears vengeance on the ranger. That same afternoon, Rance rescues a girl whose canoe was overturned by her escort, and finds that she is Grace Milton, a former sweetheart who he left when he found her in the arms of John Harding. Harding, in fact, was her date that day, and he follows her when she goes to Rance's cabin to thank him. Rance is very cold and unforgiving with Grace, but Harding worries that he will steal her away. He meets Scotty, and the two plot together. Grace writes Rance, asking him to meet her at Pine Cove, but her pride does not allow her to mail the note. Harding retrieves the letter and sends it to Rance, while he and Scotty set a trap for him. Rance is captured by Harding while Scotty sets fire to the King Pine, the oldest and grandest tree in the forest. Rance overpowers Harding and races to the scene of the fire in time to control it. The burning King Pine topples onto Scotty and kills him. Rance is rewarded for his bravery, and is reunited with Grace.
"The scenes taken in the pine forest are very attractive and the story worked out in an entertaining manner." ---Moving Picture World.
NOTES: Some sources list this as a Universal/Gold Seal release, but it was copyrighted under the Rex production company name, and multiple contemporary sources list it as a Rex release.
© 1996,2008 Jon C. Mirsalis
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