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Bitter-Sweet
(1910) United States of America
B&W : Split-reel / 450 feet
Directed by (unknown)
Cast: J. Warren Kerrigan [Jack Sweet], Martha Russell
Essanay Film Manufacturing Company production; distributed by Essanay Film Manufacturing Company. / Released 12 February 1910; in a split-reel with Western Chivalry (1910). / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Comedy-Drama.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? We can easily presume that the domestic life of young Mr. and Mrs. Sweet has been somewhat strained. A storm has been brewing for some time and when her spouse comes in to dinner one evening, an hour later than the appointed time. Mrs. Sweet thinks she has sufficient cause to start an altercation. Sweet has brought with him certain peace offerings, a new hat and a bunch of carnations, but those he stows away until he has reconnoitered in the vicinity of the enemy, the dining room. The enemy is seated in a chair at the dining table glaring at the clock, each passing minute inspiring her to promise of more baleful inflictions on her belated husband. “Good evening, dearie,” says Sweet, as he enters. No answer. Mrs. Sweet, rising, storms at him, and when he seats himself at the table, Mrs. Sweet orders the bewildered maid to remove every vestige of food from the table. “Well, I’ll be —” breathes Jack under his breath. “I say, old girl, what’s the row?” Again Mrs. Sweet flies at him and finally flounces out of the room. Sweet follows her into the reception hall, where they have a good heart to heart talk. It finally ends when Mrs. Sweet announces seriously that she is going home to mother. Sweet, now provoked and quite beside himself at his wife’s temper, opens the door and haughtily bows her out, but when she finds her husband is not joking, she stamps her foot, removes her coat and hat and tries another tack. Of course she will go! But first they must have a division of the household goods. Jack agrees and pulling out a notebook and pencil orders her to begin setting apart the furniture. Mrs. Sweet selects this, Jack that. Mrs. Sweet wants the mantel clock. Jack selects the other bric-a-brac. From room to room they go, quarreling and wrangling over who shall have this and who shall have that, until they reach the bedroom. Jack pulls from the closet a trunk and Mrs. Sweet opens it. Suddenly Jack looks up at the picture of their dead baby, a little cherub of three, then turns thoughtfully away and drops into a chair, thinking deeply. In the meantime his wife has opened the trunk and is laying out certain of the baby's clothes. From the trunk they remove tenderly the baby’s playthings and as memory turns back to the bright happy days when baby was with them, tears dim their eyes. They forget their quarrel, the division of the household goods, everything! Then the two slowly look deep into each other’s eyes. The notebook falls from Jack’s hands, Mrs. Sweet bursts into sobs and stretches out her arms to her husband. Jack tenderly takes her to his heart as the picture closes.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 26 February 1910, page ?] A graphic representation of a near domestic tragedy, depicting a husband and wife quarreling, then deciding to separate and dividing the household belongings. This works admirably until they reach the trunk containing the clothes and playthings of the dead baby. Over that they forget their difficulties and come together again. There is some humor, but more pathos, and that of a sort which brings a suspicious moisture into the eyes of most of the audience. It is admirably acted and the photography is satisfactory.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 15 February 2024.
References: Website-AFI; Website-IMDb.
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