''Bound on the Wheel'' is a 1915 American

short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...

silent

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-g ...

directed by

Joe De Grasse Joseph Louis De Grasse (May 4, 1873 – May 25, 1940) was a Canadians, Canadian film director. Born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, he was the elder brother of actor Sam De Grasse. Biography Joseph De Grasse had studied and was a first-class grad ...

and featuring

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 ...

. It was written by Ida May Park (De Grasse's wife), based on a story by Jules Furthman. The film is now presumed

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

Plot

''Bound on the Wheel'' was a three act feature. The film is set in the east-side tenements of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Elsie Jane Wilson plays the "embittered" Cora Gertz who lives in a tenement room with her parents, and Lon Chaney plays Tom Coulahan, a "drink-numbed 'good-for-nothing'" who lives on the floor below them with his alcoholic parents. Tom wants to take Cora away with him to live in a place of their own, but his parents create such a fuss that after they are married, Cora agrees to stay in the same building and live with Tom and his parents. Soon after, Cora's parents return to live in Germany and Tom's father dies. Mrs. Coulahan and Cora are forced to take in washing, while Tom devolves into a drunken lout. When Mrs. Coulahan dies, the entire burden of the household is now on Cora's shoulders. Hans, a family friend from Germany, tells Cora that he is looking for a good investment for his life's savings. Tom plots to steal the thick bankroll Hans is carrying. Tom tries to bully Cora into helping him steal Hans' money, but Cora warns Hans of Tom's plot. Meanwhile, a drunken Tom accidentally mistakes a bottle of poison for his booze and drinks it. Cora finds her husband dead, and she and Hans are now free to marry.

Cast

Elsie Jane Wilson Elsie Jane Wilson (7 November 1885 – 16 January 1965) was a cinema actress, director, and writer during the early film era. She took part in the productions of the silent film era and starred in over thirty films. Between the years of 1916 an ...

as Cora Gertz *

as Tom Coulahan *

Lydia Yeamans Titus Lydia Yeamans Titus (12 December 1857 – 30 December 1929) was an Australian-born American singer, dancer, comedienne, and actress who had a lengthy career in vaudeville and cinema. She was remembered on stage for her ''Baby-Talk'' act and a ...

as Mrs. Coulahan (Tom's mother) *

Arthur Shirley Arthur Shirley (31 August 1886 – 24 November 1967) was an Australian actor, writer, producer, and director of theatre and film. He experienced some success as a film actor in Hollywood between 1914 and 1920. Biography Early life Born Hen ...

as Hans *

George Berrell George Berrell (December 16, 1849 – April 20, 1933) was an American actor of both the 19th and early 20th century stage and of the silent film era. He appeared in numerous stage plays as well as more than 50 films over the course of a car ...

Lule Warrenton Lule Warrenton (June 22, 1862 – May 14, 1932) was an American actress, director, and producer during the silent film era. She appeared in more than 80 films between 1913 and 1922. She was born in Flint, Michigan and died in Laguna Beach, C ...

as Mrs. Gertz (Cora's mother) * Thomas Webster

Reception

"A strong drama that goes right to the point without any consideration for delicacy...This is produced very well, with much attention being paid to the atmosphere of the tenement district. Lon Chaney as the husband does some excellent character work." --- Motion Picture News "Every moment is full of action, suspense, heart interest and thrills. A true to life drama that will hold your keenest interest from start to finish." --- Motion Picture Weekly The ''Modesto Evening News'' described the film as a "close and accurate study of life in the poor district of a large city, and like an Ibsen drama it looks squarely at life, omitting none of the sordid details.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bound On The Wheel 1915 films 1915 drama films 1915 short films Silent American drama films American silent short films American black-and-white films Films directed by Joseph De Grasse Lost American films Films with screenplays by Jules Furthman Universal Pictures short films 1915 lost films Lost drama films 1910s American films