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  • Slippery Jim's Repentance (1908)
  • Short | Short, Drama
Primary photo for Slippery Jim's Repentance
Slippery Jim's Repentance (1908)
Short | Short, Drama
In a court room, filled with spectators, witnesses, lawyers and officers, Judge Ford, stern, merciless but just, sits on the bench. Slippery Jim, poorly dressed, with hang-dog air, is in the prisoner's dock. His mother, an old, feeble ...See moreIn a court room, filled with spectators, witnesses, lawyers and officers, Judge Ford, stern, merciless but just, sits on the bench. Slippery Jim, poorly dressed, with hang-dog air, is in the prisoner's dock. His mother, an old, feeble woman, is watching the judge anxiously. The jury enters and renders a verdict of guilty. Jim grasps his chair with a gesture of despair, while the old mother totters toward the judge, holding out her hands pleadingly. He turns a deaf ear to her entreaties and sentences Jim to ten years' imprisonment. The condemned man is led away, and at the door turns and shakes his fist vindictively at the judge, while his mother faints in an officer's arms. Five Years Later. Jim, in the convict's uniform, is sitting on his cot with his head resting in his hands. The keeper passes, looks in, speaks to the convict and then passes on. As the jailer walks away, Jim goes to the door and looks after him, then stoops down, takes a file from his shoe, jumps on his cot and files a bar at the window. Two of the bars are finally loosened. Jim ties the bedclothes together, fastens the end to the unbroken bar and climbs out. Christmas Eve. At the judge's home the nurse brings his four-year-old daughter, a cripple, into the room. The father enters, undresses the child, arranges her stockings in the fireplace, sits beside her until she falls asleep and then goes out. Judge Ford, returning from Christmas shopping, enters his library loaded down with packages. He unpacks different ones, displaying toys and also a Santa Claus suit. He puts on the suit with a great deal of amusement, sits down to read and is soon fast asleep. Presently Jim comes to the window, peeps cautiously in, then softly enters. The Judge awakens, silently reaches for the revolver in his desk and before Jim realizes it, he is covered. The judge goes to the telephone, keeping his revolver pointed at Jim all the time. Realizing that he is calling for help, Jim falls to his knees and begs for mercy, which the judge scornfully and sternly refuses. He turns his head for an instant, Jim sees his chance, knocks the revolver out of his hand and chokes him into insensibility. Jim quickly binds the limp form, then starts in alarm as he hears a sound from upstairs. The little child awakes, crawls out of bed, limps to the fireplace, looks around, trying to discover where the sound comes from. She locates it from the room below, limps eagerly down, opens the door and enters. Meantime in the library Jim is impatiently waiting, holding the revolver for instant use. He glances about the room, observing the Santa Claus suit and quickly dons it. The little girl entering, thinks that Santa Claus is before her, limps over to him with delight. Jim is uncomfortable and as the child holds up her mouth for a kiss, his better nature asserts itself. The little girl has found the soft spot in Jim's hard heart. The little innocent thanks him for the many good things, then as she falls asleep in his arms, Jim carefully covers her, looks at the child reverently and lifts his eyes to heaven in supplication. The judge recovers consciousness, sees this act of kindness, takes Jim's hand in token of sincere friendship. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less
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Director
Van Dyke Brooke
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Status
Edit Released
Updated Dec 12, 1908
Release date
Dec 12, 1908 (United States)

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