THE PIPER'S PRICE

Released 1/08/17 by Universal/Bluebird Photoplays; Director: Joseph De Grasse; Screenplay: Ida May Park, from a story by Mrs. Wilson Woodrow; Cinematography: King Gray; 5 reels

CAST: Dorothy Phillips (Amy Hadley), Maud George (Jessica), Lon Chaney (Billy Kilmartin), Claire Du Brey (Jessica's Maid), William Stowell (Ralph Hadley)

SYNOPSIS: Ralph Hadley's first wife, Jessica, is a shrewd businesswoman, while his new wife, Amy, is the perfect homemaker. Billy Kilmartin, an attorney, has pursued Jessica for many years, and now that she is divorced, he is quite persistent in his attentions. Ralph and Jessica both hold stock in a business, and at a stockholders meeting, Jessica makers several important suggestions that win both the approval of the company and Ralph's admiration. Ralph takes Jessica to lunch, but Amy soon hears idle tongues wagging about the ex-couple being seen together and she worries about the other woman. Amy learns that she is pregnant, but decides to keep the secret from Ralph. She goes to Ralph's office one day and finds Jessica there discussing their business ventures. The two are introduced, and after Jessica leaves, Amy creates a violent scene. Ralph thinks himself entirely innocent, but soon realizes that he is indeed falling in love with his ex-wife. Amy goes to Jessica, telling her of the impending birth of their child, and Jessica realizes she must give Ralph up. Jessica refuses to see Ralph any longer, and when he finally demands to see her one day, she tells him that she and Billy were married that morning. Ralph goes home, prepared to shoot himself, when the doctor enters and congratulates Ralph on the birth of his child. Ralph realizes his true love for Amy and the happy family are reunited.

"Such conduct on the part of the two offenders against common decency should put them outside the pale of sympathy, and the second wife exhibits such a lamentable weakness of character during the affair that pity for her should be mingled with contempt. It cannot be denied, however, that there exists a grade of mind which will follow the fortunes of these three humans with the deepest interest and herald the ending as a triumph for justice and truth. An important factor in bringing about this result is the excellence of the acting by the entire cast." ---Moving Picture World

"A well treated domestic drama is THE PIPER'S PRICE, quite conventional when you get down to the bottom of things, but original on the surface, due to a few new twists...Dorothy Phillips, as Amy, gives an emotional performance...while Lon Chaney has the only other part of importance." ---Motion Picture News


© 1996,2017 Jon C. Mirsalis


Return to Filmography