''The Lie'' is a 1914 American silent short western

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by Allan Dwan and featuring Murdock MacQuarrie, Pauline Bush, and

Lon Chaney Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...

. The film is now considered lost. A still exists from the film showing Chaney as "Young MacGregor".

Plot

Auld MacGregor is a stern, religious old Scotsman who hoards his money while his son and daughter live in abject poverty. A gambler plots to rob MacGregor of his money, and he works up a friendship with MacGregor's son by giving him gambling winnings. Arthur, who dislikes the gambler, tells Auld MacGregor where his son got the money he's been spreading around, and the old man fights with his son. Young MacGregor gets in a saloon fight with the gambler, and both Arthur and MacGregor's daughter each fire a gun at the gambler simultaneously. Arthur's bullet kills the gambler, but since she is not aware that Arthur also fired a shot at the gambler, the girl believes it was her bullet that killed the man. MacGregor's son convinces his father to lie for the girl and provide an alibi for her, which goes against all his religious beliefs. The truth is later revealed, however, and Arthur is charged with the murder.

Cast

* Murdock MacQuarrie as Auld MacGregor *

as MacGregor's son * Pauline Bush as MacGregor's daughter * James Neill as The Gambler * William Lloyd as MacGregor's brother *

Richard Rosson Richard Rosson (April 4, 1893 – May 31, 1953) was an American film director and actor. As an actor, he was known for the nearly 100 films he was in during the silent era. As a director, he directed the logging sequences in the 1936 film ''Co ...

as Youth #1 *

Arthur Rosson Arthur Henry Rosson (24 August 1886 – 17 June 1960) was an English film director. From 1917 to 1948, Rosson directed 61 feature films (including co-direction of '' Red River''). He also worked on many major films as a second unit director ...

as Youth #2 * Fred McKay as Youth's Father

Reception

"Motion Picture World" stated: "This is a very good two-reel production....The story is interestingly presented and holds interest from the beginning. It is perhaps a little drawn-out in places, but on the whole the film is a commendable one." "Moving Picture World" stated: "It is a great play. There is a remarkable and unique situation...Allan Dawn (sic), one of the Universal top-notch directors, has produced this play. It is laid in the West, and if there is a place on the green earth that Mr. Dwan is familiar with, it is the West and its people. He has made every scene ring with realism."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lie (1914 film), The 1914 films 1914 drama films 1914 short films 1914 lost films Silent American drama films American silent short films American black-and-white films Films directed by Allan Dwan Lost American films Lost drama films Universal Pictures short films 1910s American films