Powers Picture Plays

1912 silent film directed by Harry C. Mathews

The Severed Hand, a society of Italian criminals and blackmailers, swear to kill Danny Dawson, who has turned traitor.

The Spark of Manhood

The cracksman is discouraged and cynical. It is Christmas Eve. He takes his revolver and starts out in quest of gain. Dot gets home, tired out and distressed because she has been discharged from the store. Her crippled sister hangs up her stocking and prays for the morrow. It is too much for Dot. She goes out to secure money for a present at any cost. Passing the window of a mansion, she observes a man give a woman a necklace. In the hurried departure, it is left behind. The temptation is too strong: she gets through the window and secures the necklace, only to be confronted by the cracksman, who has entered another way and pretends to be the owner. She tells her sad tale.

Carlton, disapproving of his dissipated son and the latter's scheming wife, on his death-bed makes his will in favor of his devoted niece, Marcia. Hearing of this the previous couple plan to balk the father; their scheming is overheard by the cracksman, who has stealthily entered the house. The son and his wife retire and the cracksman creeps upstairs and enters Marcia's room. Affected by her beauty and innocence as she lays sleeping, he determines to assist her; following the son into the sick man's room he snatches the stolen will from his hand.

A man is captured by Indians after swearing off all women.

Captain Silas Tugg, of the schooner Helen, is a hater of women and all their doings. He has forbidden his mate, Tom Burns, to marry.

Louis Mona is left to the care of the monks of the monastery of San Luis, who have brought him up with love and care. Louis, who is devoted to his surroundings, and who knows nothing of the great outside world, and who has no great desire to learn about it in person, desires to join the order, but there is a rule that cannot be overlooked.

The woman has been leading an adventurous life. Her admirer grows tired and casts her off. She departs and sinks down in the street, tired mentally and bodily. The artist is painting the Madonna. His model fails to give him the inspiration needed and he discharges her. Passing down the street he observes the woman with the beautiful tired face, speaks to her and finally persuades her to go with him and be his model and embrace a better life. The painting is finished. The woman has supplied the inspiration. She tires and longs for the old, merry life. She meets the tempter once more and goes with him to his home.

John, the janitor, has a pet monkey that accompanies him on his different jobs. Because of the monkey's wonderful ability, John is given a post of janitor in one of the large hotels.

First episode in the Lady Baffles and Detective Duck one-reel comedy series. The city is being terrorized by a mysterious female Raffles. At last, in desperation, the chief of police sends for his friend, the famous sleuth, Detective Duck. While these two are sitting in conference, Raffles, in her search for loot, enters the home of Mrs. Gotta Millun. Raffles' eyes sparkle as she takes in with delight the rich Oriental knick-knacks and furnishings. Mrs. Millun is a connoisseur. Raffles hides under a table when Mrs. Millun comes in. Mrs. Millun has just received a gift from her brother in far-off India. It is a jewel case containing eight beautiful and rare pearls as large as hen eggs. In a note accompanying them her brother explains that the jewels were part of the loot of the Britishers when they raided Oski Wow Wow, and that they were taken from a famous Indian Princess who had sworn eternal vengeance on all who thereafter possessed them.

Lindy, the lone Black girl in her class, is mostly ostracized by her classmates. When Lindy emerges as a heroine during a school fire, attitudes change.

Cleo drops her bonnet while sitting on the wall. Young Wally picks it up; their eyes meet and the old, old tale follows.

Dorothy informs the cracksman that when he has finally renounced his life of thieving he may return to her and claim her. The cracksman resolves to be worthy of her. In his home he doubts his ability to reform and takes out his revolver. A vision of the girl comes to him and he is about to cast it aside when a tray of gleaming jewels crosses his vision. His resolution wavers. He places the gun in his pocket and sallies out.

Wally and the girl are in love. The rich broker covets the girl, but is rejected. The broker bids the father good-bye just as the latter receives a telegram, telling him that he is a large sum short on margins. The broker reads and tells the father he will help him if he is allowed to marry the daughter. The father agrees against his will. The girl agrees to the self-sacrifice to save her father's honor. Money triumphs, and the broker and the girl marry, but as time goes on, he ill-treats her shamefully.

Mr. Cupid falls asleep on the job, and hijinks ensue.

Marius goes into the lion's pit, taking his life into his hands to save the girl who has been brutally left to die by Marius' rival.

Two friends, Tad and Jack, are conversing with each other at the Club, when Dr. Matthews, the wealthiest man in town, enters. In contemplating the rich man, the two young men speculate as to whether or not, with all his wealth, he is happy. The argument leads them to a wager. Tad bets $1,000 that there is something in the physician's life he would hate to have known, and that as a consequence he is unhappy. Jack accepts the bet.

Naughty children steal an anatomy-class papier-mâché skeleton and use it to play pranks on people around town.

Banker Shultz has not had a vacation for over thirty years. His doctor advises a rest or a breakdown will soon result. But it is impossible for Shultz to leave the affairs of the bank a moment. At last he hits on a great scheme. That of getting his friend, Detective Duck, to impersonate him.