Harry Burgess is a robber who wants to change his ways, but his cronies want him to do one last job. The mark, A. K. Austin, is the father of Gerald Austin who is engaged to Margaret Marrable. One of the gang accidentally kills Austin, and while they are trying to figure out what to do, Gerald, who has overheard them, comes out of his hiding place. Burgess tries to frame Gerald for the murder but when this fails he attempts to get rid of Gerald by killing him and his fiancee with a bomb. However, just before the bomb goes off he remembers that Gerald once saved his life. He subsequently sets them free and makes his escape. Gerald throws the bomb out the window and it explodes, killing Burgess in the process.
The Fatal Card
( dir. James Kirkwood
)
United States of America (USA)
:
Famous Players Film Company
,
1915
6435351
1915
single work
film/TV
crime
Chambers, Charles Froman and Stephano Gatti filed a lawsuit in the US Supreme Court in 1911 against Richard Ferris, who they claimed had breached their ownership of the play by copyrighting an adaptation (by George E. McFarlane). That play was subsequently produced in America under the same name, The Fatal Card. The Supreme Court found in favour of Chambers, Froman and Gatti in early 1912, ruling :
The complainants were the owners of the original play and exclusively entitled to produce it. Their common-law right with respect to its representation in this country had not been lost. This being so, the play of the plaintiff in error, which was substantially identical with that of the complainants, was simply a piratical composition. It was not the purpose or effect of the copyright law to render secure the fruits of piracy, and the plaintiff in error is not entitled to the protection of the statute. In other words the claim of Federal right upon which he relies is without merit. (ctd. Find Law: http://laws.findlaw.com/us/223/424)
1894 : Royal Adelphi Theatre, London ; 6 September 1894 - 16 March 1895.
1894 : Palmer's Theatre, New York City (USA) ; 31 December 1894 - ca. March 1895.
