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A Broken Symphony
(1910) United States of America
B&W : One reel / 993 feet
Directed by (unknown)
Cast: (unknown)
The Vitagraph Company of America production; distributed by [?] The Vitagraph Company of America or The General Film Company, Incorporated? / Released 16 July 1910. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Drama.
Synopsis: [The Moving Picture World, 30 July 1910, page ?] An old forester lives with his daughter Meg in the midst of a lumbering district. A stalwart young lumberman in charge of a crew of “lumber Jacks” meets Meg and falls deeply in love with her, and she with him. Noah, a young hunchback and a wandering camp-fiddler, also falls in love with the girl. Tom, the young lumberman, takes pity on the poor hunchback, gives him food, and has him come to the lumber camp and play his fiddle for the boys, who immediately get busy dancing “Money Musk.” “Turkey in the Straw,” and “Hoe Down”; and they sure enough whoop things up at a lively rate. Many a lively tune is played to a sad heart. The fiddler’s thoughts are not on the dancers; his heart is with Meg. Sadly, he feels that his chances of winning her love is handicapped by his poor crippled and deformed body when he looks upon the manly form and splendid physique of Tom, but hoping against hope, he does not entirely despair until he sees Tom and Meg in fond and loving embrace; then and not until then be realizes his case is hopeless. Tom and Meg are engaged, and the wedding arranged. Noah is engaged to play his fiddle at the festivities. The wedding day has come, the guests are assembled, and Noah takes his place. The ceremony is performed, and the dance begins. Noah fiddles with vim and vigor to appease his aching heart. As he thinks of his cherished and unrequited love, the strain is too much for him; he rushes from the place, smashes his violin across his knee, and departs into the forest. The bride and groom go to their new home, the guests depart, and Meg’s poor old dad returns to his lonely cabin which, without his little Meg, seems cheerless and deserted. Sadly, the poor old man goes about his duties, thinking only of his little girl. While he is thus engaged, the hunchback appears on the scene, sad and depressed. Meg’s father lays his hands on his shoulder, trying to cheer him, telling Noah of his own loneliness and offering the poor fellow a home with him; they will at least be company for each other. Noah declines his kind offer, but is finally won over when the old man goes into the house and brings out an old fiddle, a companion of former days, telling the young fellow that his ear for tune has grown dim and his skill departed, and he will give the instrument to him. Noah takes it and plays while the old forester sits by, attentively listening and carried into sweet dreams and happy thoughts on the sweet strains of the playing of the hunchback’s soulful music.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 30 July 1910, page ?] A dramatic love episode, depicting very graphically the hopeless, unspoken love of a poor, deformed fiddler, who ultimately marries another. The character of the fiddler, pathetic in its representation of misery and utter hopelessness, will attract by its power. It stands out sharply from the others, yet the remainder of the company give good support. It is a picture which will linger in the memory, whether one chooses to have it or not.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 10 September 2023.
References: Robinson-Palace p. 142 : Website-AFI; Website-IMDb.
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