The Wasted Years - Cast

The Wasted Years (1914)
Short | Drama, Short

The Wasted Years (1914)

Short | Drama, Short

Mr. Marshall learns of another misdeed on the part of his son. Jack, that proves to be the last straw. Infuriated, he adds a codicil to his will in which he revokes the bequest of his fortune to Jack and bequeaths it all to his foster son,...See moreMr. Marshall learns of another misdeed on the part of his son. Jack, that proves to be the last straw. Infuriated, he adds a codicil to his will in which he revokes the bequest of his fortune to Jack and bequeaths it all to his foster son, Henry. Jack is informed of his father's decision and with his usual weakness determines to kill himself. His father comes into the room just in time to seize the pistol and prevent the rash and unmanly act. Far from being softened, he sees in the matter new arguments to confirm him in his step. He sends for Henry, shows him the will with its codicil and then lays it down upon the table on top of the loaded pistol. A little later, to emphasize his remarks, he strikes the paper with his hand and the pistol is discharged into his body. Jack and the butler, hearing the shot, rush in and find the distracted Henry kneeling before the dead body of Mr. Marshall. The butler craftily takes the will and, unseen by Henry, cuts off the codicil. Jack, though he at heart knows the truth, accuses his brother of deliberately murdering his father, the sooner to gain the money. A policeman is called in and the butler then demands and is promised by Jack hush money for his share in the fraud. A few months later Jack marries an heiress, but his marriage does not reform him. He speculates in Wall Street and before long has lost all his money and his wife's as well. He confesses his folly to his wife and together they leave for a little farm upstate, where they plan to live and start life anew. In the meantime the butler has left service, planning to live "on Easy Street" with the regular income from Jack. But he has an unpleasant wakening. He receives a letter from his partner in fraud, enclosing a small sum of money and saying that it is all that can be sent him, as things have been going badly of late. Shortly afterward he carelessly throws a flaming match upon the floor after lighting his pipe. Through his carelessness there is an oil stove explosion and he is severely injured. As he lies dying, in the presence of witnesses, he makes his confession of fraud, implicates Jack in the crime and asserts Henry's innocence. As a result of this confession Henry is acquitted and released from prison. Through a little amateur detective work he learns the whereabouts of his foster brother and loses no time in looking him up. There is a dramatic meeting between the two. Stung by the wronged man's reproaches and fearing the exposure of his villainy, Jack attacks him, but in the struggle falls from a cliff and is killed. A little later two detectives on the trail of the dead man arrive just in time to save Henry from arrest as the murderer of his foster brother and to prove the villainy of Jack. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less

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Cast	+ Add Cast
5 cast members

Name	Known for
M.O. Penn Reginald Marshall - the Father Reginald Marshall - the Father See fewer	Rod of Wrath (1915)
Francis Carlyle Jack Marshall - the Son Jack Marshall - the Son See fewer	The Perils of Pauline (1914)
Jack Standing Henry Marshall - the Foster Son Henry Marshall - the Foster Son See fewer	The Evangelist (1916)
Pearl Sindelar Alice Marshall - Jack's Wife Alice Marshall - Jack's Wife See fewer	Cleopatra (1912)
Morris McGee The Butler The Butler See fewer	A Sword of Damocles (1914)