The Power Behind the Throne - Production & Contact Info

The Power Behind the Throne (1912)
Short | Drama, Short

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The Power Behind the Throne (1912)

Short | Drama, Short

Aria is the daughter of a gifted but poor musician. A baron, while riding past Aria's home, is thrown from his horse and injured. The nobleman is cared for by Aria and her mother. The first person to meet the baron's gaze when he returns ...See moreAria is the daughter of a gifted but poor musician. A baron, while riding past Aria's home, is thrown from his horse and injured. The nobleman is cared for by Aria and her mother. The first person to meet the baron's gaze when he returns to consciousness is Aria, and it is love at first sight between them. In the governor's suite is his secretary, who is in love with Aria. He is rejected by Aria and he leaves the house. The baron, longing to again see the musician's daughter, becomes her father's pupil. The king writes the governor, informing him that his son, the baron, must marry at once a duchess. The secretary tells the governor that the baron will not consent to forming such an alliance. The governor hastens to Aria's home and there finds the baron and hands him the king's letter. The baron tears it up. The governor then gives the secretary carte blanche to plot against Aria. The first step of the secretary is to obtain the aid of a gay young count who also admires Aria's beauty and would give anything to have her in his power. Then the father and mother of Aria are arrested and placed in the public pillory and Aria is told that the only way she can have them set free will be for her to write and sign a certain letter. She is summoned to appear at a court ball. It is intended by the plotters that Aria shall show great fondness for the count and ignore the baron. She is then to be given drugged wine and carried away by the count. However, the duchess's maid and the baron's orderly are sweethearts and through the maid the orderly discovers the nature of the plot and warns Aria not to drink the wine. During the ball, the letter which Aria wrote is dropped, picked up and shown to the baron, who is thus led to believe Aria false and he upbraids her before the whole court. Aria is unable to defend herself. Later, the baron, driven to desperation, visits Aria for one last interview before taking his life by means of poison. While he is talking with her, the orderly enters and substitutes for the poison the narcotic formerly intended for Aria. The baron drinks the supposed poison. Aria drinks it also. Then believing herself to be dying, she tells the baron the truth respecting the letter and he begs to be forgiven for his unjust suspicions, the two then become unconscious and are discovered shortly afterwards by the governor and his suite who come in search of the baron. Aria's father and mother who have been set free, arrive at the same time. Everyone believes the young couple to be dead. The orderly explains to the governor and Aria's parents how he substituted a narcotic for the poison and the lovers are finally resuscitated. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less