Film vs Film
Select two cult films to compare side by side.
The Silent Witness Synopsis
Janet Rigsby loves Richard Morgan, a Denver college student, but loses him when he is caught in a fire. Shortly after Richard's presumed demise, Janet leaves her home and bears a son out of wedlock. Over the years, she struggles to make ends meet while raising Bud, her son, on her own. Although her savings are small, Janet manages to send Bud to college. Chastised for his poverty and illegitimate birth, Bud, who is in love with the college gardener's daughter, suffers the ridicule of his peers and eventually comes to blows with and threatens one particular boy for insulting his mother. In the ensuing confrontation, the boy is killed and Bud is arrested for the crime. During the course of the trial, Bud discovers that the district attorney is Richard Morgan, his father. The testimony of one expert witness reveals how the murder in truth was committed, and a liberated Bud happily reunites with his mother and new-found father.
The Crucible of Life Synopsis
After the breakup of her marriage, Gladys Dale works for prominent society woman Mrs. Dorset as companion to her daughter Diana. Mrs. Dorset's ne'er-do-well son Robert becomes involved with a gang of thieves headed by German spy Fritz von Hoffbert, and after stealing his mother's jewels, he casts the blame on Gladys. Saddened, Gladys leaves for France as a Red Cross nurse, where she meets Edwin Fairfax, who loves her. Fairfax commands the army company to which von Hoffbert has been assigned as a spy, and when Fairfax learns the latter's true identity, the two fight. Fairfax is wounded defeating von Hoffbert and meets Gladys again in the hospital, where he proposes. At home, Robert is caught in another robbery, which clears Gladys' name.
"The Silent Witness" holds a slight edge in general audience appreciation, but "The Crucible of Life" offers its own unique cult appeal.
Suggested Watch:
The Silent Witness