Summary
A vibrant tapestry of working-class loyalty and unexpected heroism unfurls as Jennie, a resourceful domestic in the opulent household of a railroad magnate, finds her afternoon tryst with her sweetheart, Tony, irrevocably tangled in a clandestine plot. A seemingly innocuous note, delivered by an impish simian, inadvertently exposes the lovers to the watchful eyes of Jennie's employers, setting a whimsical tone before the narrative plunges into darker intrigue. At a lively "wop" dance, Tony, a humble hand organist, is drawn into the shadowy machinations of a secret society. Jennie, with an almost preternatural intuition, follows him into the subterranean lair, becoming an unwitting witness to a sinister lottery designed to select an assassin for President Barker. Tony's "lucky" draw, a cruel twist of fate, reveals him as the designated saboteur of the very railroad bridge his employer will cross. Unmasking the conspiracy as a blatant frame-up, Jennie's quick thinking unleashes a hidden trapdoor, sending several conspirators plummeting into the abyss. Her subsequent capture and forced initiation into the society are mere preludes to her audacious defiance. Tasked with destroying Barker's home, she instead commandeers a horse, igniting a breathless, multi-modal chase across the countryside. From hand car to carriage, police patrol to rowboat, the pursuit culminates in a breathtaking showdown at the fated bridge. Jennie, a whirlwind of courage, not only averts catastrophe by flagging the train but, in a stroke of tactical brilliance, reappropriates the "infernal machine" and dispatches the entire boatload of conspirators, inadvertently sending a bewildered Tony into the depths. Her subsequent rescue of her bewildered beau and her pithy pronouncement on the futility of blowing up railroad presidents cement her status as an unsung, pragmatic heroine of the silent screen.
Synopsis
Jennie, maid of all work in the home of a railroad president, hears the strains of her sweetheart's hand organ outside her window. Tony sends her a note beseeching her to go to a "wop" dance that afternoon, entrusting the note to the monkey, who promptly delivers it to Mr. Barker and his wife who are sitting on the lawn. The note is finally delivered to Jennie and that afternoon they hie themselves to the dance. Here Tony is given a "high sign" by a fierce looking "wop" informing him that his presence is desired at a meeting of the secret society in the basement. He rushes off and Jennie follows and from an adjoining rooms overhears them draw lots to see who shall blow up the railroad bridge that afternoon as President Barker passes over it. Tony feels highly honored when he draws the lucky number, but Jennie, hearing that Tony was "framed," springs a trap in the floor and down go several of the "wops." She tries to escape but is captured and made a member of the secret society. She is instructed to blow up Mr. Barker's home, but instead mounts a horse and gallops after Tony who has found a hand car on the track. Then follows an exciting chase, the "wops" having mysteriously appeared on the scene in a carriage. Jennie, seeing they are gaining on her, throws her bomb and blows up the carriage. Mounted police are called out and take up the chase in a patrol, while the "wops" continue on to the bridge in a row boat. Jennie arrives just in time to flag the train and taking the infernal machine from Tony throws it into the boatload of "wops," incidentally pushing Tony off the bridge. She dives over after him and drags him ashore and tells him that blowing up railroad presidents is a "bum job."
Moving Picture World, January 5, 1918
Review Excerpt
"
In the annals of early cinema, where narratives often hinged on grand gestures and clear-cut morality, certain films stand out for their audacious spirit and surprisingly modern sensibilities. Among these, the 1918 production Smashing the Plot emerges as a vibrant, if largely forgotten, testament to the era's capacity for thrilling escapism and the emergence of unexpected heroines. Released at a time when the world was grappling with the throes of the Great War and cinematic langua..."
