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Gene Gauntier.
Frame enlargement: Silent Era image collection.
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The Girl Spy
Before Vicksburg
(1910) United States of America
B&W : One reel / 935 feet
Directed by Sidney Olcott
Cast: Gene Gauntier [the girl spy]
Kalem Company, Incorporated, production; distributed by Kalem Company, Incorporated. / Scenario by Gene Gauntier. Art direction by Henry A. Farnham (Henry Allen Farnham). / Released 28 December 1910. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Drama: War: Historical: Civil War.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? The opening scene of our story shows a Union powder wagon making its way down the road convoyed by a company of mounted Union soldiers. The route of this wagon is reported to Confederate headquarters by one of its spies. Nan, a girl frequently employed by the department of the Confederate army, is called to headquarters and instructed to secure the destruction of the enemy’s ammunition train just reported. Nan is fitted out with a Union uniform, mounted on a fast horse and sent on her journey, previously provided with a forged order supposedly signed by a Union general which authorizes her to pass through the lines. Nan succeeds in getting through the Union lines and quickly locates the ammunition train, taking up the march with them. When night arrives the convoy goes into camp, posts its sentinels for no especial fear of danger as they note they are well within the Union lines. Nan, however, watching her opportunity, slips up behind the lone sentry placed over the ammunition wagon and, having rendered him unconscious, drags him away from the wagon and takes his place. Watching her chance, Nan plants a dynamite cartridge under the wagon, lights a fuse and makes a quick run out of the danger zone. Suddenly there is a loud explosion and all there is left of the ammunition wagon is a heap of charred embers. Attention is drawn to Nan while she is attempting to escape owing to a crash in the underbrush caused by tripping her foot and falling. A pursuing party is sent after the daring spy who has had the hardihood to perform such a daring deed. Closely pursued by Union soldiers, Nan rushes through the underbrush on foot, finally reaching a nearby river where she plunges in, diving underwater and remains there until the Union soldiers retire from the scene. Coming up to the surface, she quickly swims ashore and makes her way rapidly to the Confederate army headquarters where she reports the successful ending of her mission, then on to her home to relieve her mother’s anxiety.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 14 January 1911, page ?] A war story representing the exploits of the now well-known girl spy in destroying a Union ammunition wagon. She forges an order and gets inside the Union lines and succeeds in disposing of the sentry so as to take his place. Then, she uses a stick of dynamite to explode the powder wagon. This is a good war story, but the producers have made one serious mistake. Dynamite was not used for such purposes as early as the Civil War. It was used during the Spanish War, but it did not come into use for blasting or other similar work until 1867. It will be seen that in this instance the explosive material is an anachronism which rather disturbs the unity of events. The setting of the picture is excellent and the photography is all that could he desired. There is a succession of thrills which will satisfy the most obdurate audience.
Survival status: Print exists.
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: Espionage: Spies - History: USA: American Civil War (1861-1865)
Listing updated: 27 December 2022.
References: Pitts-Hollywood p. 5 : Website-AFI; Website-IMDb.
Home video: Blu-ray Disc, DVD.
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