Everett, a contractor, repeatedly embezzles public funds of the city. When things get bad, he is taken out of trouble by his friend - so to call him - Robert Crane, a wealthy politician and a sexual offender: of late, "in the South", Crane raped young Mary, daughter of the Gypsy fortune-teller Zenda, better known as "The woman in black". But for the latest pecuniar crime of Everett (which he confesses in a letter to Crane), about which the district attorney is going to investigate, Crane changes his attitude and decides to blackmail his friend: he will not help Everett out, by means of a substantial cheque, unless the contractor will arrange the marriage of his young daughter Stella with the perverted politician.
Crisis of conscience, fear and torment, melodramatic clichée gestures - of which the film is over-abundant -, but, in the end, why not? Everett sells his daughter, so easy... Stella, to save his criminal father the (well deserved) jail, has to break her engagement to her fiancée Frank Mansfield (who is beginning to understand the whole nasty business) and prepare for the bitter future. But providence has its mysterious ways: Zenda and Mary, wandering northward from the South, not only come across Crane's campaign posters on the walls of the city (and Mary recognizes her raper in Crane's image on them), but - at the very same moment, as the two women are speaking aloud about all the issue - they meet Frank Mansfield, who thinks that now something can be made to prevent the ominous marriage. And plans are devised.
Comes the day of the marriage, and the ceremony is going to take place. Crane has given back to Everett the incriminating letter (though nothing is said about the cheque). As customary, the bride appears fully veiled before the minister. It is only when the marriage has been sanctioned that the fatal words are spoken: "you may kiss the spouse". The bride removes her veil, and here comes the first surprise for Crane: his wife is not Stella, but Mary, disguised as Stella and veiled! Though it is not very clear how can Crane and Mary be really husband and wife now, as usually the minister calls the names of the bride and groom, and, not being aware of the situation, he must have called the names Crane and Stella (not Mary). But, anyways... The second surprise for Crane (and for everyone else) is that Zenda, the woman in black, comes suddenly out of the blue and stabs Crane to death. Really bad situation. In a few seconds from the homicide we see Everett politely escorting the guests to the door, we see the two Gypsies going away in all ease, we see Frank Mansfield and Stella kissing in the room next to the one in which the corpse of Crane lies in a pool of blood.
And what about Everett? Will he continue his criminal activity? Will he be prosecuted by the D. A.? Will Stella and Frank keep silent about it all? Will the woman in black be unpunished? Nobody really knows.
I viewed the movie in a video of the Library of Congress. The soundtrack attached was really really bad: jolly marches in a film that is prevalently dramatic. Really weird. Let silents be silent, we will run them with our own music, if this is the case.
Crisis of conscience, fear and torment, melodramatic clichée gestures - of which the film is over-abundant -, but, in the end, why not? Everett sells his daughter, so easy... Stella, to save his criminal father the (well deserved) jail, has to break her engagement to her fiancée Frank Mansfield (who is beginning to understand the whole nasty business) and prepare for the bitter future. But providence has its mysterious ways: Zenda and Mary, wandering northward from the South, not only come across Crane's campaign posters on the walls of the city (and Mary recognizes her raper in Crane's image on them), but - at the very same moment, as the two women are speaking aloud about all the issue - they meet Frank Mansfield, who thinks that now something can be made to prevent the ominous marriage. And plans are devised.
Comes the day of the marriage, and the ceremony is going to take place. Crane has given back to Everett the incriminating letter (though nothing is said about the cheque). As customary, the bride appears fully veiled before the minister. It is only when the marriage has been sanctioned that the fatal words are spoken: "you may kiss the spouse". The bride removes her veil, and here comes the first surprise for Crane: his wife is not Stella, but Mary, disguised as Stella and veiled! Though it is not very clear how can Crane and Mary be really husband and wife now, as usually the minister calls the names of the bride and groom, and, not being aware of the situation, he must have called the names Crane and Stella (not Mary). But, anyways... The second surprise for Crane (and for everyone else) is that Zenda, the woman in black, comes suddenly out of the blue and stabs Crane to death. Really bad situation. In a few seconds from the homicide we see Everett politely escorting the guests to the door, we see the two Gypsies going away in all ease, we see Frank Mansfield and Stella kissing in the room next to the one in which the corpse of Crane lies in a pool of blood.
And what about Everett? Will he continue his criminal activity? Will he be prosecuted by the D. A.? Will Stella and Frank keep silent about it all? Will the woman in black be unpunished? Nobody really knows.
I viewed the movie in a video of the Library of Congress. The soundtrack attached was really really bad: jolly marches in a film that is prevalently dramatic. Really weird. Let silents be silent, we will run them with our own music, if this is the case.