The film opens with the outbreak of the Civil War, with young men rushing to enlist while their girlfriends watch with pride. Only our protagonist, Frank Winslow, played by Charles Ray, seems uncertain, but with some encouragement from his sweetheart he heads into an enlistment center. He doesn’t sign up, however, as he gets cold feet and flees home instead. His girlfriend is heartbroken and humiliated, and has to watch other couples celebrate the dubious honor of their men rushing off to war.
At home, Frank is confronted by his father, the esteemed Col. Jefferson Beverly Winslow. He’s aghast at his son’s cowardice, and does what any proud father would do— he loads his gun and points it at his son and tells him to either enlist or be shot. There’s some tough love for you. It works, as Frank enlists, under his father’s watchful, and well-armed, eye, and heads off to war. He doesn’t last long, as he deserts on his first night there, and races home, where the family servants hide him. The colonel discovers him however, and after chewing out his son, does the only thing he can think to do. He dusts off his uniform, likely from the Mexican War, and heads into battle, saying “the name of Private Winslow is on the rolls: someone must answer when that name is called.”
Meanwhile, as cowardly Frank is hiding in the attic of his home, his town is overrun by enemy forces, who commandeer his home. While his mother reluctantly feeds and cares to the soldiers, Frank eavesdrops. He overhears them discussing a map that shows their army’s weak point, one that could be easily exploited were the other side to learn of it. Summoning his heretofore absent courage, Frank sneaks down, holds the group of soldiers at gunpoint, and, dressed in the enemy’s uniform, steals the plans and rides away. He makes it to safely to where his troop is camped, where he is promptly shot by none other than his own father— he finally got his chance!— due to him wearing the uniform of the opposite army.
Frank survives the gunshot and delivers the map to the commanding officers, who successfully defeat the other army. Meanwhile, his father doesn’t realize it was his son he shot until he is summoned to visit the mysterious hospitalized hero. Imagine his surprise when he learns his cowardly son is a coward no more!
My favorite part of this film is Charles Ray. His acting is far more natural than that of many silent era stars. At times, he almost seems to be a modern day actor who has somehow been cast back into time to appear in a silent film, but never in a jarring way. I appreciate the way he conveys his fear, both of going to war and of being a coward, in a believable yet subtle manner.
I watched this on YouTube, and you can, too.
Next I’m watching: Children of Eve [1915], directed by John H. Collins.
The Coward (Oct. 3, 1915)