For Ireland's Sake - 1914

Country of origin: United States
Director/scriptwriter: Sidney Olcott.
Black and white; silent; 3 reels, c.3,000 feet; format, 35mm
Production company: Gene Gauntier Feature Players
USA release : 12 January 1914.
USA distributor : Warner’s Features Inc.
Copy: George Eastman House; Pacific Film Archive; Irish Film Archive.
Cast: Jack Clark (Marty), Gene Gauntier (Eileen), Sidney Olcott (Father Flanagan).
Summary: Marty, a rebel, is seen with his sweetheart, Eileen, on a donkey and cart. Upon leaving her, he goes to a forge in the hills where he makes pikes to be used as weapons against the English. Detected by British soldiers he escapes with the aid of Eileen. Wearing a great cloak, Eileen sees her lover fleeing from the soldiers and throws the garment around Marty in order to hide him. Later, Marty is hiding in a chimney at an inn. The soldiers arrive and the officer in charge stokes up the fire which forces Marty from his hiding place. This precipitates a riot which results in the soldiers being overpowered by the locals and having their weapons taken. Marty escapes again and swims across a lake to a cave where he is visited by Eileen who brings him food. On one occasion she is observed and this leads to the soldiers discovering Marty's hiding place. Both Marty and Eileen are captured and imprisoned. While in prison, Marty is visited by Fr Flanagan, having been urged to do so by Eileen's mother. The priest smuggles a file into the prison and that night Marty begins to file at the window bars, while singing to drown out the noise from the cutting. Escaping from his cell, Marty overpowers the sentry and by climbing the ivy-covered wall of the prison to Eileen’s window, frees her also. As Eileen reaches the ground she is seen by a soldier. He grabs her, but Marty jumps from a height and overpowers the soldier. They are met at the lakeside by Fr Flanagan who marries them before they sail for America.
Note: Filmed in County Kerry, Ireland. Though it is not made explicit in the film, it is set around the time of the 1798 Rising.
References: MPW, 17 January 1914:346; MPW, 31 January 1914:526; MPST, 15 May 1914:18-21.