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  • A Servant of the Rich (1914)
  • Short | Short, Drama
Primary photo for A Servant of the Rich
A Servant of the Rich (1914)
Short | Short, Drama
Marian Abbott is interested in the welfare of servants. As she has no trouble with them in the suburbs, she wonders why the papers are full of the trouble society people have in the city. She shows her servants the articles and questions ...See moreMarian Abbott is interested in the welfare of servants. As she has no trouble with them in the suburbs, she wonders why the papers are full of the trouble society people have in the city. She shows her servants the articles and questions them, and is told it is because the society people in the cities do not treat their help like human beings. At the meeting of the Servants' Welfare Society she tells them she is going to get a position with one of the society women as a maid and learn the real cause of the trouble. Meanwhile, on the way to the meeting her auto gets beyond her control and if it were not for the quick work of a stranger she would have run over a child. She cannot thank the man, Adrian Vandevere, a New York society man, enough. She does not learn his identity nor does he see her face very clearly, because of her goggles. She hires out as a maid with Mrs. Wadleigh, a society leader. She learns of the long hours, for which there is no extra pay, the left-over food and the bad ventilation in the servant's room. A social war is on and Mrs. Wadleigh hits upon a scheme to humiliate her rival, Mrs. Vandevere. She tells Marian she will dress her up like a lady and introduce her into society and when Mrs. Vandevere has taken her up she will humiliate her by telling who Marian is. Marian objects to the trick, but when she learns that Mrs. Vandevere's son is the man that helped her out home, she decides to do it. Mrs. Wadleigh dresses her up magnificently and coaches her to meet society folks, an operation that almost sends Marian into convulsions of laughter. She makes her debut at an affair given by Mrs. Vandevere and meets Adrian again. She recognizes him at once and he feels sure he met her, but both Marian and Mrs. Wadleigh assure him that is impossible. He takes possession of her right away and shows so plainly his infatuation that Mrs. Wadleigh cannot help gloat over the success of her plan and sees an even greater humiliation awaiting Mrs. Vandevere and her son, if the latter will only propose. He proposes and she accepts. She refrains from telling him who she is, however, so that the little comedy can go its length. At a party Mrs. Vendevere announces the engagement. There is an uproar of congratulations, broken only by Mrs. Wadleigh's hilarious laughter. Called upon for an explanation, she exposes the trick and Mrs. Vandevere almost faints. Adrian comes to the rescue of the situation by telling Marian he intends standing by her. Marian steps into the breach by telling the truth about herself and recalling to Adrian's mind where he met her before. It is now Mrs. Wadleigh's turn to be discomfited and in a rage she departs for home. Mrs. Vandevere receives Marian gladly, and gloats over the fact that the trick proved a boomerang. Mrs. Wadleigh's defeat is further brought home to her when she reads in the paper Marian's exposé of servants' conditions in such a way that everybody will know just who is meant by the leader of society who employed her. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less
Read more: Plot summary
Director
John Ince
Writer
George Terwilliger (story)
Producer
Siegmund Lubin
See all filmmakers & crew (3)
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Status
Edit Released
Updated Jan 17, 1914
Release date
Jan 17, 1914 (United States)

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4 cast members
Name Known for
John Ince's primary photo
John Ince
Adrian Vandevere Adrian Vandevere   See fewer
The Great Jewel Robbery (1925)
Betty Brice's primary photo
Betty Brice
Marian Abbott (as Rosetta Brice) Marian Abbott (as Rosetta Brice)   See fewer
Michael Strogoff (1914)
Jean Armour's primary photo
Jean Armour
Actress Actress   See fewer
An Amateur Orphan (1917)
Florence Armour's primary photo
Florence Armour
Actress Actress   See fewer
A Servant of the Rich (1914)
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