Crossed Wires (1915) Online

Back in 1915, full-length films were often no more than half an hour. There were exceptions but in general the film industry and standards were evolving and the full-length film we think of today was more common in the 1920s. So, at only half an hour, "Crossed Wires" was about as long as most films were...though there were exceptions (such as "Birth of a Nation").

As for the plot, it's utterly ridiculous--the sort of thing that is just too impossible to believe. But, back in 1915 this sort of melodrama was easier for the public to accept and you can't completely judge the film by today's standards.

The story begins with the elderly Mrs. Grayson writing her will. Her conniving maid knows she'll be coming into the money and is planning on expediting matters! But before she does it, Mrs. Grayson's nephew warns her that he doesn't trust the maid...and Grayson chucks the nephew and niece out of the house. Soon after, the maid poisons her and locks her in a room which happens to have a telephone...and what happens next is too hard to imagine possible. I'd say more but don't want to spoil it.

The film has very good and the production values of this Thanhauser movie are lovely for the era. Worth watching for silent film nuts (like me) but otherwise you might want to try a few other silents first.

"Crossed Wires" is a decently made, if ultimately mediocre, 1915 two reeler. Two close-ups in the first part of the film indicated to me that this would, at least, be a more professional and well-crafted production compared to the earlier Thanhouser films available today and other early films. The first close-up is of the maid, which reveals, from the beginning, that the maid is the villain. The second is of acid bubbling in tea, which tells us the maid has poisoned it. There is no mystery in this film. The narrative is unrestricted--omniscient--we know more than the characters do. The entertainment is in the anticipation of whether or when the characters will discover what the audience already knows--somewhat of a suspense drama.

In addition to the close-ups, the short has a fluid pace and good continuity editing. A couple scenes feature low-key lighting, including one with a flashlight. There's also a brief superimposed vision in one scene. On the other hand, we get the then usual practice of the same camera position for scenes on the same set. An exception is the police station and courtroom scenes, which, if you look carefully, use the same set, with no change to wallpaper, hanging lamps or bench; instead, the filmmakers used different camera perspectives for each in-film-location.

The main weakness of this picture is its contrived plot after the trial scene. First, there's the big coincidence of the sister meeting the stranger, who can save her brother. Second, the trick on the maid at the end is ludicrous--it seems to serve no purpose other than spooking her. And, why would the police agree to and be involved in it? Today, at least, that would be an invitation to a lawsuit against the police. I don't know what the scenarist was thinking with this ending--I guess they wanted a comeuppance finale.