Jump to content

For His Son

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For His Son
Title card with a white design featuring the film title
Title card
Directed byD. W. Griffith
Written byEmmett C. Hall
Starring
CinematographyG. W. Bitzer
Distributed byBiograph Company
Release date
  • January 22, 1912 (1912-01-22)
Running time
15 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

For His Son is a 1912 American short silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Charles Hill Mailes, Charles West and Blanche Sweet. A young man becomes addicted to the secret ingredient in the soft drink invented by his father. Mark Griep claims the film was inspired by the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, the original formulation of Coca-Cola—which contained cocaine—and Vin Mariani, and notes that the book Silent Films, 1877–1996: A Critical Guide to 646 Movies calls For His Son one of the earliest films to address drug addiction.[1]

The film was shot in Fort Lee, New Jersey when Biograph Company and other early film studios in America's first motion picture industry were based there at the beginning of the 20th century.[2][3][4] A print of the film survives.[5]

Full movie

Plot

[edit]

A physician spoils his only son, but eventually reaches a point where he can no longer afford to give his son anymore. The doctor devises a soft drink that contains cocaine which he calls "Dopokoke" to try to raise more funds. The drink is an immediate hit, and he is able to give his son more cash.

The son becomes one of those addicted to the drink. When he learns what the secret ingredient is, he is unconcerned, as is his greedy father. When his fiancée discovers he is injecting cocaine directly with a needle, she breaks off their engagement. His father's secretary is also addicted, and she also knows what she is hooked on; they decide to elope.

The couple visibly deteriorate physically. When she refuses to share the drug with him, the son grabs her, but then dies. The physician is called, but nothing can save his son.

Cast

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Griep, Mark. "From Vin Mariani to For His Son (1912)" (PDF). Retrieved June 15, 2025.
  2. ^ Koszarski, Richard (2004). Fort Lee: The Film Town. Rome, Italy: John Libbey Publishing. ISBN 978-0-86196-653-0.
  3. ^ "Studios and Films". Fort Lee Film Commission. Archived from the original on April 25, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
  4. ^ Fort Lee Film Commission (2006). Fort Lee: Birthplace of the Motion Picture Industry. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-4501-1.
  5. ^ "Silent Era: For His Son". Silent Era. Retrieved July 12, 2008.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=For_His_Son&oldid=1296742837"