In "A Pitfall of the Instalment Plan," the American is putting out another drama of business a type of play in which the Chicago company is notably successful. - It deals with the employment problem, graft, dishonest construction and false imprison-ment-all affecting the fortunes of Steve Martin, his wife and children. Steve had the reputation of being a good workman, but, like hundreds of others, he suddenly finds himself out of a job and months of walking the streets brings no better luck. He is forced to move his family to a cheaper neighborhood; his wife and children go shabby and Martin himeslf is in despair--when a stranger suddenly makes him an offer as foreman of a concrete mixing crew, at work on a new structure for a department store. Martin is engaged, on condition that he obey any orders whatsoever that the boss of the concrete workers may give. He takes the position at $16.00 per week, and is apparently making good--to his great joy and the intense happiness of his wife--when one day he discovers a workman stinting the measure of concrete. On investigation Martin ferrets out graft. The boss offers to take him in on the deal--and when Martin staunchly refuses, he discharges him. Martin has not the heart to tell his wife, but wanders about town day after day in the hope of finding work. Meanwhile, Mrs. Martin has been buying much-needed clothing- -and, at last, some little luxuries and attractive house furnishings on the instal-ment plan-signing. a statement that her husband is employed as foreman by the concrete construction company. She receives her goods, the security is investigated and her statement found to be false. Her arrest follows and on the morning of the next day, Mrs. Martin, Martin and the boss of the concrete workers are all summoned to court. The boss is called as a witness to testify that Martin was discharged for drunkenness. But the latter vigorously denies the accusation, and states the real reason for his dismissal. Upon the foreclosure of this evidence, the suit is dropped by the complainant. The department store makes reparation for false imprisonment of Mrs. Martin and Martin's claim of fraud in the concrete concern is proven- with the result that he is put in charge of the construction work, and the grafting boss is arrested and punished. The American cast performs this very realistic play most con-vincingly. The situations are all out of everyday life and the character study is genuine it is a drama of people like those we have known all our lives. - Reel Life, September 27, 1913
This film was rereleased in the fall of 1917.