Summary
Witch's Lure plunges into the murky depths of early 20th-century American ambition and peril, unfolding a narrative where the very ground beneath one's feet holds both promise and treachery. At its core, the film portrays the desperate plight of Peggy Martin and her ailing father, teetering on the brink of financial ruin, their salvation seemingly tied to the volatile fortunes of an oil well. Enter Brill, a charlatan promoter whose veneer of enterprise conceals a web of deceit, orchestrated in concert with a ruthless, foreclosing landlord. Brill's machinations are insidious: accepting a clandestine bribe to halt the well's progress, he simultaneously perpetrates a cruel hoax, faking a productive strike on barren land to inflate share prices, leaving the Martins' hopes to dry up with the non-existent crude. The narrative takes a turn towards the melodramatic when Peggy's spirited, if somewhat impulsive, friend, Tex, attempts to ensnare Brill with her feminine wiles, a gambit that quickly backfires. Her perilous predicament is averted by the timely intervention of Billy, a mysterious correspondent with whom Peggy has only exchanged letters, his arrival a deus ex machina from the written word. The landlord, fueled by vindictive spite, escalates the conflict dramatically, igniting the very well that was meant to be the Martins' salvation. The climactic rescue sees Peggy, trapped atop the inferno, snatched from the jaws of catastrophe by a daring aerial maneuver: Billy, soaring in an early biplane, descends with a lifeline, pulling her to safety. The dust settles not with individual triumph, but with the land's acquisition by a larger entity, paving the way for the burgeoning romance between Peggy and her newfound hero, Billy, a testament to love's unexpected blossoming amidst industrial intrigue.
Synopsis
Peggy Martin and her father need mortgage money from the oil well leased to a shady promoter, Brill, who receives a bribe from the foreclosing landlord to suspend the working, and also, by faking the well, which he knows is barren, scoops a profit on the shares. Peggy has a madcap girl friend, Tex, who goes to "vamp" Brill in order to save the Martins. Tex is saved from Brill's clutches by Billy, a young man whom Peggy knows by correspondence only. The landlord fires the well out of revenge, and Peggy is saved from its summit by a rope from an airplane containing Billy and a friend. The land is bought by a company, and the lovers come together.
Review Excerpt
"In the nascent years of cinematic storytelling, when the silver screen was still finding its voice, films like Witch's Lure emerged, captivating audiences with their blend of high stakes, moral dilemmas, and burgeoning visual spectacle. Released in 1917, this silent melodrama plunges viewers into an era defined by rapid industrial expansion and the often-ruthless pursuit of wealth, particularly the elusive 'black gold' that fueled an entire nation's dreams. It’s a fascinating artifact, not just ..."
