Playthings of Fate

 

PLAYTHINGS OF FATE

1912, Italy

Aka… La Smorfia del Destino / ‘The Grimace of Fate’ (It), Ex… Les Caprices de la Destinée / ‘The Whims of Destiny’ (Fr), The Scowl of Destiny (UK), Playthings of Fate (US)

Pc: Milano Film (Milan),

Dist: Milano Film (1912, It), (06/07,12, Fr), Universal Film Manufacturing Company [Carl Laemmle] (08/10/12, US), J.F. Brockliss Ltd. [J. Frank Brockliss] (08/10/13, UK),

D: Attilio Bernacchi; P: Pier Gaetano Venino, Paolo Airoli di Robbiate & Giovanni Visconti di Modrone 

C: Clara Sylvanire, Eugenia Tettoni Fior & Frederico Elvezi

Syn: Italy and South America. The banker, Enzel, had refused the young engineer, Victor, the hand of his daughter Beatrice because of his position in life. Victor decided to leave for South America, where he could rapidly become rich. Beatrice loved him and promised to be faithful until his return. The Count d'Artois fell in love with Beatrice, but she was coldly repulsed by him. Her own plight then forced her to decide to marry the Count d'Artois. The banker, her father, would not accept the sacrifice of his daughter, but it was useless. During these happenings Victor, who was still in South America, had begun to lay the foundation of his wealth in the lumber business and hoped soon to return to his native land with a fortune. But one day he read the news of Beatrice's pending marriage to the Count. He at once became uneasy. Clarisse, a young American girl, who was employed with Victor as cashier, an affection sprung up between them. Two years after Victor is rich and he desires to see his native land again, he decides to return. Following his return, at a hall which he attended with Clarisse, he saw Beatrice, prettier than ever, surrounded by admirers. This troubled him profoundly. Clarisse could not sleep and confronted a thief who was ransacking the drawers of her bureau.  The burglar seized the revolver that was in the drawer and pulled the trigger and Clarisse fell dead. While the police were questioning the servants, one of them said they had seen Victor come in.  The chief of police asked him to tell where he was during the night, and he is accused of the murder and is led off to jail. Beatrice proves that Victor was with her when the murder took place. Victor threw himself into Beatrice's arms and they fervently embraced each other.

     Comm: Western elements [?]. Partially set in South America. Most likely filmed entirely in Italy.  Milano Film of Milan was formed in 1908 by Baron Paolo Ajroldi di Robbiate (03/03/1863, Mainz, Germany – 05/04/32, Sanremo), Pier Gaetano Venino (03/28/1878, Milan - 05/03/55, Genova) & Giovanni Visconti di Modrone. The Visconti di Modrone family are related to both Luchino Visconti (1906 - 1976), the celebrated film director and Luchino Visconti di Modrone, who produced “Morricone Segreto: Celebrating Ennio Morricone – the Secrets Behind His Genius” (2020).

     Milano Film later made THE UNCLE FROM AMERICA (1914), which may have had western elements.  PLAYTHINGS OF FATE is like the earlier TRAIN ROBBERY IN MEXICO (1904, Germany) in that both films were set this side of the Atlantic.

     Not to be confused with Biograph Company’s “Playthings of Fate” (01/15).

 

[By Michael Ferguson]