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The Uncanny Mr. Gumble
(1914) United States of America
B&W : One reel
Directed by (unknown)
Cast: Augustus Phillips [Hayden Carroll, the artist], Gertrude McCoy [Blanche Frayne], Julian Reed [Mr. Gumble], Bliss Milford [the maid], Charles Ogle, Edward Earle, Harry Lindsey, Elizabeth Miller, William Bechtel
Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated, production; distributed by The General Film Company, Incorporated. / Released 21 January 1914. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Comedy.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Hayden Carroll was an artist, and his friends believed in him. They believed in him because he had the true artistic temperament, which is to say that he painted his pictures without caring in the least whether anyone liked them or bought them. Unfortunately, one cannot maintain the god-like attitude of detachment necessary for artistic endeavor very long in our present workaday world without other visible means of support. If an enraptured populace does not spontaneously shower gold upon one, one is regrettably forced to earn one’s own living. Thus Carroll, after he finished his paintings, his previous carelessness was changed to a very lively interest in selling them. Otherwise he would have starved. One day the business manager of “The Scream” offered him five thousand dollars a year for a weekly set of humorous sketches. Carroll shuddered at the thought, but at length driven by necessity, began the first of the drawings, a hideous caricature which he called “Mr. Gumble.” His artist friends recoiled from him in horror and Blanche Frayne, the girl he loved more even than his art, declared that she intended to marry an artist, not a sign painter. Hayden sat down before the canvas of his creation and fell asleep. His dreams were haunted by the absurd figure of Mr. Gumble. Wherever he went, whatever he did, the figure stayed close by his side and crowds of his friends mocked and scoffed at him because of his new companion. The climax was reached when in his dream he hurried to Blanche’s house. Of course Mr. Gumble was there before him, but when Carroll tried to kill this child of his brain, Blanche stopped him. She said she loved Mr. Gumble more than she did Carroll. Then, still in his dream, Carroll returned to his studio and chased the uncanny Gumble about. At last he seized a paper knife, struck him and awoke to find his sketch for “The Daily Scream” ripped across. Blanche came in and found him thus. Her joy at what he had done was so great that Carroll voluntarily swore never again to delve in commercialism. Best of all, after they were married, he painted really good pictures that really dill sell.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 25 June 2020.
References: Website-IMDb.
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