The Absentee

The Absentee is a 1915 American silent allegory film directed by Christy Cabanne and starring Robert Edeson, A. D. Sears, and Olga Grey. It was released on May 8, 1915. Plot In a prologue, the mythical figure of Ambition seeks to attain the position currently held by Success. Success has reached the pinnacle of his desire, and sits looking over his kingdom. Having achieved his success, Success decides to take a break and goes off with Pleasure, leaving Might in control of the land. Might, under the influence of Evil, along with Might's wife Extravagance, as well as by his daughter Vanity, begins to abuse the land's occupants, including Toil, Age, Strength, Innocence, Happiness, and Ambition. Spurred on by Evil, who says that Justice is blind and cannot see what he is doing, Might whips the laborers. However, Justice is not blind, and she learns of the situation, informing Success, who returns and sets the situation right again. In current time, Nathaniel Crosby (who is the embodiment of Success in the prologue) is the sole owner of a prosperous factory. After receiving a letter from his general manager telling him that he needs to take a vacation, and can trust him to take care of things while he is away, he decides to take a holiday. Leaving his general manager, Sampson Rhodes (the personification of Might) in charge, he starts out on an extended pleasure trip. Rhodes is influenced by his wife (the personification of Extravagance) and Genevieve, his daughter (the personification of Vanity), to take advantage of his position to increase their wealth and social position. Rhodes lowers the workers' wages, so he can take a bigger cut of the profits. The workers retaliate by going on strike, and the police are called in to protect the plant. Tom Burke (the embodiment of Ambition) can no longer financially support his ill mother since he is striking. Neither can he go through with plans to marry David Lee's (the embodiment of Contentment), the foreman's, older daughter Happiness. Lee, along with several other laborers, become more and more discontent as the strike continues, and they eventually turn the strike into a riot. In the first assault several of the workers, as well as one of the policemen, are killed. As the violence continues to escalate, Rhodes realizes that it has gone beyond the abilities of the police to handle, and calls in the militia to put down the riot.