The fan painter
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | The fan painter |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1913 |
| length | about 45 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Rudolf Meinert |
| script | Rudolf Meinert |
| production | New Century Film Co., Berlin |
| occupation | |
| |
The Fan Painter is a German silent film melodrama from 1913 and at the same time one of the first productions by Rudolf Meinert .
action
James Woodley is happily married and has a lovely daughter named Kitty. The only thing he can't handle is money, his passion for gambling first made him bankrupt and then drove him into the clutches of a foreign power, for which he now performs espionage services. He is promptly caught and sentenced to five years in prison. His daughter and wife vow to the convict that he would henceforth renounce all joys of life and share with him the labor of celibacy. Kitty leaves town with her ailing mother and settles elsewhere. From then on she earned her living as a fan painter. The pretty artist soon caught the attention of rich Fred Beverley, a true gentleman of the world. He lives across the street and watches Kitty with the desire of a loving admirer. Kitty feels bound by the promise made to her incarcerated father and refuses Fred the promise to become his wife. Fred can tell that she is not completely indifferent to him from the fact that Kitty has painted a fan with both portraits on it.
After three and a half years, Woodley is released early from prison. Meanwhile his ailing wife has died and Kitty still refuses to give her happiness a chance, even though she and Fred are in love. When father and daughter see each other again, they fall sobbing into each other's arms. Since Kitty doesn't want Fred to know about her father's past, she persuades him to leave town with her immediately. James, however, wants to say goodbye to his wife and therefore visits her grave. Meanwhile, Kitty, who leaves him alone for this intimate moment, vacillates between obligation to her father and love for her beau. In a silent prayer she seeks a solution to this dilemma. James waits in vain for his daughter at the agreed meeting point, a lake, and then errs when he does not find her there, searching through the darkness of the city. With the “Brothers of Mercy” he finds comfort and welcome for the coming night. On the night camp he writes a few lines to his daughter wishing her all the best for her future. Meanwhile, Kitty herself is desperately looking for her father at the lake.
A little later there is excitement in this same body of water within sight of Woodley's accommodation: several people have gathered around a lifeless body and are trying to help. Woodley sees the hustle and bustle from a distance and hurries there too. He has to watch the strangers take care of his daughter, who has obviously been pulled out of the water. Horrified, he takes the lifeless one who has already been attempted to resuscitate and carries her to the house of the merciful brothers. There Kitty regains consciousness, and so the tragedy finally turns to a happy ending.
Production notes
The fan painter was created in the spring of 1913, passed film censorship on May 3, 1913, and was premiered on May 16, 1913. The length of the three-acter was only 829 meters.