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Ashes
(1910) United States of America
B&W : Split-reel / 310 feet
Directed by (unknown)
Cast: (unknown)
Edison Manufacturing Company production; distributed by Edison Manufacturing Company. / © 7 January 1910 by Edison Manufacturing Company [J137021, J137022, J137023, J137024]. Released 7 January 1910; in a split-reel with The Engineer’s Romance (1910). / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / Edison production number 6571.
Drama.
Synopsis: [From Edison promotional materials] Sentimental. A lonely bachelor, seated before his fireplace, sees in the ashes the one love affair of his life enacted again. A pretty story, splendidly photographed. • [The Moving Picture World, 8 January 1910, page ?] A middle-aged bachelor in his apartment, or den, lights his pipe and, after looking fondly at a photograph on the mantel, sits smoking in his arm-chair near the open fireplace. As the logs smolder his fancy wanders to the one love story of his life. The face of his first and last sweetheart looks out of the rising smoke, and the scene dissolves into the incidents of the love story which pass before his mind. As the simple, pretty and pathetic story is unfolded and finally dissolves into the bachelor’s den again, the fire dies out and the lonely bachelor stands looking into the ashes, which typify his life’s story.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 22 January 1910, page 91] Probably every man who reaches middle age sometimes looks into the dying embers of a fire and reads what may seem to him the story of his life. The bachelor who sees in the smoke of his cigar the face of his first and only sweetheart, and then sees the scenes of his love story pass before him, wreathed in this smoke is probably typical of very many who have had a romance, but have lived long enough to see it vanish down the vista of the years. The story passes. The scenes resolve once more into the bachelor’s den and he gazes regretfully into the ashes, apparently mourning because this romance passed. The memories of middle life will make this picture impressive, and all men will see in it some allusion, perhaps, to their own experience and that will make the picture all the stronger. It is recommended as a desirable addition to any program.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 23 January 2025.
References: MovPicWorld-19100108 pp. 20, 28 : Website-AFI; Website-IMDb.
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