The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-09-01
AT The IMPERIAL
DAVID HIGGINS IN his LAST
DOLLAR FRIDAY NIGHT,
SEPTEMBER 1.

The famous racing play. His Last
Dollar" with David Higgins in the
role originally created by him. is the
most thrilling drama of its type aver
produced in America. The success
of the original production was so de-
clsive and notable hat the title Of
the play has become a by-word in
racing circles, and for many years a
David Higgins" has been commonly
accepted as representing the last dol
lar in ones possession. In the film
Characterization of Joe Braxton, the
Millionaire eX-jockey. surpasses his
impersonation in the stage version,
and many scenes, including the eX-
citing situations at the stock eX-
change. and the great race itself.
that were only described in the play.
are wildly depicted in the film adap-
ton. In all these. Mr.. Higgins YER
satility is revealed to a marked de-
gree, and his talents as actor and
horseman are shown unhampered by
the inevitable limitations of a stage
production.
Joe Braxton, first a little newsie
OF the slums. goes south. learns to
handle horses, becomes a noted
Jockey, then drifts west and for years
Is a cowboy, investing his earnings
in cattle. lands and finally mines un-
til he is a millionaire. Coming east,
the self made mar determines to en-
joy a life of ease and forget the hard
ships of his youth. Still unmarried.
he becomes the catch of the social
season, and Is eventually %entrapped
into an engagement with Viola Gray
son, a young beauty whose mercen-
airy mother urges her into the affair
with Braxton, who admires, but does
not love the young m Viola
herself In in love with Tom Linson,
a friend of Braxton's, who is by no
means the big-souled, open-hearted
man that Braxton is. Linson is a
schemer, who has planned to ruin
Braxton and enrich himself with his
friends fortune. Linson goes south,
with a letter of introduction from
Braxton to an old southern colonel,
who had formerly b%efriended the ex-
jockey. In the south Linson wooes
and wins Eleanor Downs, the col
onel's young and pretty daughter,
and being ordered from the house
by the colonel, Linson p%ersuades the
unsophisticated girl to elope with
him, in vain. Linson returns TO New
York and inveigles Braxton into a
heavy stock speculation. in which he
hopes to fleece his friend. Mean
-I.I- Ill T~1 n-H 1a1tx- .0AA
and health. sends Eleanor east to
run their horse, 'Mongrel," in the
great ~futurity race. Eleanor and
Braxton meet, and in that meeting
Braxton learns the difference be.
tween true love and false. while FL.
eanor, too, loses her heart. She dis.
covers the plot 10 ruin Braxton and
learns that Viola is false to him
Though Linson threatens to ruin her
reputation with the story of their
proposed elopement, she does reveal
the truth to BraXton. who believes
Eleanor, defies Viola and Linson
and rushes to the stock exchange to
fight for his tottering fortune. The
J exchange closes in time to save hin
from being quite wiped out. and hi
knows that the afternoons futurit,
!, race will make or break him. for hi
[ has placed all he did not put into tn,
: Wall street venture on Eleanor:
horse. "Mongrel," which is to ruI
against 'PompadouT." the ~favorite
{ Linson's horse. The great race it
| self. the rascally tricks of Linson
! the dramatic hand to hand fight be
tween the rival jockeys. their mag
n~ificent riding, the attempted foulins
! of "Mongrel." and the splendid tri
Y umph of Braxton and Eleanor Owe
, their enemies, is wildly shown in on
of the greatest and most realisti,
; race track scenes ever portrayed be
: fore the camera.
AT its close. Eleanor and Braxtoi
) decide to finish LIES race together
2 and the drama ends happily.