Left Alone, excepting for the occasions when her husband returns to maltreat and abuse her, Effie Neville's cup of bitterness was not full until one day he dashed into their rude hut and, hastily concealing something within the house, said to her: "If anyone asks for me, tell 'em I ain't back yet." He hurries away. After he has gone she enters the shack and finds what her husband had secreted - a bag of gold. Soon the sheriff's posse arrives, but the wife tells them her husband has not yet returned. However, the sharp eyes of the sheriff has noted the tracks of a man, and, leading his posse away, the manhunt is on. They soon come into the vicinity of the outlaw, who, by a circuitous route, regains his house and locks himself within. The posse discovers the ruse and attack the house until the sheriff orders them to cease firing. They attempt to rush the house, when the outlaw, firing, wounds the sheriff. Sliding down from the loft as the posse enters the house, he outlaw secures the sheriff's horse and hurries away. The posse follows him, while the outlaw's wife busies herself in binding up the sheriff's wounds. The wife secures the bag of gold and gives it to the sheriff, and asks, now that the money is returned, they pursue her husband no further. In the meantime the posse has overtaken the outlaw, and on his refusal to surrender they fire and he is wounded. They hurry him back to the hut, where the sight of the sheriff and his wife infuriate him. Straining at his captors to release himself, he completes the work the bullet began and falls, dying, at their feet. The posse files away while the sheriff extends the hand of sympathy and succor to the bereaved woman. - Moving Picture World, November 1912
Nice exterior action on the San Marcos Pass.
In The Thief's Wife, the two male characters interact with Effie Neville in a stark contrast that deserves deeper scrutiny. Black and white cinema makes the contrast between light and shadow even more pronounced, and in the episode where the thief and his wife negotiate, the camera shoots out through the door and windows. Although the cramped, gloomy interior of the house is not visible from such a restricted angle, Effie Neville's environment can still be felt through the close-up blackness. Most of her body blends into the darkness as if she is imprisoned in the house. Her tyrannical husband only leaves her waiting in fear, but the sheriff's appearance is like sunlight pouring into the house from outside. The film ends with certain suspense for the audience. The thief is caught, and has this heartbroken woman got a twist of fate? Whether to help the injured sheriff bandage or take out her husband's stash of money, you can see her repressed loyalty and brave qualities. The sheriff also seems to be moved, he put down the stolen goods and chose to hold the woman's hand. Behind them are layers of mountain roads and the chase that Flying A excels at in Westerns. The angle of the camera once again blends the two storylines of the picture, distant and close up, and seems to symbolize the relationship between Effie Neville and these two men, is it estranged or coming closer? Lynn Kan - FAMST 151FA, July 27th, 2022