"The Leap from the Water Tower" (1915)

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Helen Holmes

This film is part of our series 'Hidden Gems'. It can be watched by registered users who make a donation. For more details, please click here.

We have included this film in our program to illustrate the work and contributions of our star Helen Holmes.

"The Leap from the Water Tower" directed by J.P. McGowan from a story by Edward T. Matlack and Frank Howard Clark, is a short action film from a serial by the name of "The Hazards of Helen" starring Helen Holmes. This is episode 9 from a total of 119 weekly one reel films produced by Kalem, showing just how popular this serial was in 1914-1917. The first 48 films starred Helen Holmes, the remaining 71 starred Helen Gibson. They both played heroines that were independent and adventurous, resolving dangerous situations with quick thinking. Their acting was very physical and they performed their often very dangerous stunts. It is believed to be the longest film series in the silent era and one of the longest ever. Very few of the films survive, and we are happy to be able to show this rarity to our esteemed viewers.

Many of the episodes, including this one, tell about railroad adventures. A disgruntled fired worker decides to get even by tampering with the brakes of a large train. Helen receives the news at an intermediate station and has to try and fix the problem before disaster strikes.

Click to enlarge:

Helen Holmes and Leo Maloney in The Leap from the Water Tower 1915 10

Helen Holmes and Leo Maloney

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Below is a short preview of the film.