Adrift

Adrift is a 1911 American silent short drama film produced by the Thanhouser Company and directed by Lucius J. Henderson. The film depicts a story of a young artist whose lack of success leads him to attempt suicide. Before he can carry out the act, his daughter follows and stops him. He confesses to his wife and she thanks her child, providing the inspiration for the artist to complete a great painting. It brings him success and he grows distant from his wife and becomes interested in another woman whom he was commissioned by. Once again saved by his daughter's actions, whose crying moves the woman to break off the relationship with the artist. The artist destroys the painting and learns a moral lesson. The film was advertised to the American churchgoer as a moral picture. The film was generally well received by critics, but the faults of story for the sake of a moral lesson were noted. Adrift, like all other American silents of the day, had no musical accompaniment, but a letter written into a trade publication provides a score for the drama. The film is presumed lost. Plot An official synopsis of the film was published in The Moving Picture World states: "Jack Thorne, a young artist, finds his efforts unappreciated, and he and his wife and little daughter are on the verge of starvation. The final blow comes when his last painting, on which he had built much hope, was rejected by a rich man, whom an artist chum kindly brought to the impoverished studio. Jack decides that he can struggle no longer. Unseen by his wife, he picks up his revolver, puts it in his pocket and goes out, intending to end everything. But his little daughter has watched him; she follows him and stays his hand. Her prayers and entreaties bring him to a realization of what his rash act would mean to the two helpless ones that would be left behind. Penitent and remorseful, he accompanies his child back to their poor home. There he confesses to his wife that it was only the child's timely interference that saved him from ending it all. The mother drops on her knees beside her child, and clasping her in her arms, raises grateful eyes to Heaven in a prayer of thankfulness. Jack, looking up suddenly, sees the beautiful group of mother and child, with a light as if from Heaven upon them.