Liquor and the Law - Cast

Liquor and the Law (1915)
Short | Short, Drama

Liquor and the Law (1915)

Short | Short, Drama

Dudley Larnigan, District Attorney of New York, has discovered the existence of a powerful graft trust. He had been unable to discover the identity of any member, but this he does know: the trust consists of 15 members. His activities in ...See moreDudley Larnigan, District Attorney of New York, has discovered the existence of a powerful graft trust. He had been unable to discover the identity of any member, but this he does know: the trust consists of 15 members. His activities in running the trust to earth causes this powerful organization to send him a warning. When this is unheeded, his death is planned. Bruce Larnigan, the son, is a young attorney ambitious to follow in his father's footsteps as a champion of reform. The elder Larnigan is killed. Bruce swears to avenge his father and determines to carry out his unfinished work. Therefore he becomes a candidate for District Attorney. The graft trust fears the young man, should he be elected, so Murphy, head of the liquor trust, is appointed to bring about his defeat. Dorothy Maxwell, whose father is head of the insurance trust and a member of the graft trust, is much interested in Bruce and his ambitions. She is an ardent suffragist and addresses a large meeting. In the course of her remarks she says: "We are not allowed the vote, but we can make our presence felt at the polls just the same; on election day let every woman go to the polls with a man, father, brother, husband or sweetheart, and if none of these is available get a man some way, take him to the polls and see that he votes right." The idea finds instant favor and its novelty appeals to women in all walks of life. The novel turnout on election day surpasses all expectations. The gangsters and poll workers are powerless in the face of the mob of women. They hastily report to Murphy, one of the grafters, who calls Stone, head of the graft trust, for advice. In a conference it is planned to lure Bruce to Murphy's den on the East Side and either make him commit himself to the service of the trust or put him out. Stone is, of course, not suspected by Bruce. They are friends in a way, also rivals for the hand of Dorothy, Maxwell's daughter. Stone pens a note which seems to have come from the trust, giving the address of their meeting place and the signal that will admit one. In Bruce's headquarters Stone ejects a suspicious looking man who has been hovering around. In the scuffle the man drops the note. Dorothy picks it up and hands it to Bruce. He sees within his grasp a chance to learn the identity of the trust heads and at the same time strike the first blow to avenge his father. He goes to the address indicated in the note, Dorothy driving him there in her car. The promptness with which he is admitted to the dive and the sound of the door being locked behind him arouses Dorothy's suspicions, so she notifies the police. Inside Bruce is confronted by Murphy and given the alternative of signing an incriminating paper or being killed by the thugs present. Bruce realizes the trap he has walked into, but more than all else he realizes the fact that before him is one of the graft trust and one of his father's murderers. He springs at Murphy and seizes him by the throat; the thugs draw knives and rush on Bruce. He releases Murphy, and picking up a chair, for a time fights off his assailants, but the odds are too great and Bruce is backed to the wall. Feeling the outside electrical wiring to the lights, he pulls them down and leaves the room in darkness. The dim figures of the thugs are seen closing in silently. Several blows are struck, a man screams, then comes a rush of daylight as the police break down the door. Murphy is on the floor, dead, killed by mistake in the darkness. Bruce is hanging on the chandelier, well out of danger. The meeting of the trust shows one vacant chair. All seem to see in the vacant chair the vision of Bruce vowing vengeance over his father's dead body. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less

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Cast	+ Add Cast
8 cast members

Name	Known for
Hobart Henley Bruce Larnigan Bruce Larnigan See fewer	Society Snobs (1921)
Jane Novak Dorothy Maxwell Dorothy Maxwell See fewer	Colleen of the Pines (1922)
Will E. Sheerer Dudley Larnigan - District Attorney (as William Sheerer) Dudley Larnigan - District Attorney (as William Sheerer) See fewer	Graft (1915)
Nanine Wright Mrs. Larnigan Mrs. Larnigan See fewer	The Flirt (I) (1916)
L.M. Wells Roger Maxwell Roger Maxwell See fewer	Graft (1915)
Glen White Stanford Stone Stanford Stone See fewer	Camille (1917)
Jack Curtis Murphy Murphy See fewer	Captain Blood (1924)
Mark Fenton Stone Stone See fewer	The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)