Other Men's Shoes

Crauford Kent is a pastor in a mill town. He is engaged to Irene Boyle. The mill owner, John P. Wade, wants Miss Boyle. Kent is a poor pastor, who is afraid of people. He suffers a nervous breakdown. Meanwhile his twin brother, also played by Kent, has been convicted of embezzlement, for lending money to Harold Foshay, who says he needs it for his sick wife, and who promises to repay it promptly. Kent goes to prison, but Foshay is captured. Kent is freed and goes home to his brother's home. Foshay escapes to make more trouble.

Meanwhile, while the reverend is bedridden, the other one takes his place, practicing a far more muscular form of Christianity, and trying to start up a home for the crippled children of the city. Foshay shows up to blackmail him that "his brother" is a felon.

It will all end happily, we are assured, despite the usual enormous number of coincidences and mean guys acting nastily. Kent clearly differentiates the two brothers in his performance(s).

It's the latest offering from the score of Kickstarter-funded projects by Ed Lorusso. I didn't find the movie as enthralling as I hoped for with a movie that hasn't been seen for more than a century. The copy is in very good condition, and David Drazin has contributed a typically fine score to the DVD. However, despite good performances, and some very nice camerawork by Edward Horn, it's only for people who are mad for silent movies.

Crauford Kent stars as a mousy minister who is replaced by his rowdy twin brother. The new minister rallies the town's poor to challenge the local mill owner, who has been running the town. The new minister also challenges the mill owner for the love of a woman.

Plot may seem far-fetched but it works within its own framework. Irene Boyle also stars as Irene and John P Wade plays the nasty industrialist.

Harold Foshay (sometimes billed as Forshay) is the snarky Dreener and Edna May Sperl makes her film debut as the factory girl.

Print survives with original tinting.