Kissing Cup (1913)

Mr. Hetherington is a country squire with one daughter, and is interested in racing, To his daughter, Chrissie, on her twenty-first birthday, he gives a beautiful thoroughbred foal of splendid breeding, and this foal the daughter names "Kissing Cup." Three years later Mr. Hetherington has serious money losses, and. giving a mortgage on his estate, borrows money from a millionaire neighbor, Richard Cardew, who is also interested in racing. Cardew is secretly the enemy of the Hetherington family, although Squire Hetherington believes him a friend. The enmity was caused by two facts: Chrissie Hetherington has repeatedly refused his attentions, and young attentions upon Daisy Ingham, the daughter of Cardew's trainer. Ingham, father of Daisy, quits the employment of Cardew after the insult to his daughter, and knocks Cardew down. Seeing "Kissing Cup," now grown to be a beautiful three-year-old, he is struck by the splendid qualities of the mare, and suggests that he will train and enter her for a big race on speculation. "Kissing Cup," when trained, is proved in private trial and is entered for the big race. With big odds posted against her, Squire Hetherington backs the mare to win him a fortune of £40,000, or $200,000. A noted jockey engaged to ride "Kissing Cup" finds himself unable to handle the mare. Arthur Ingham, the young son of the trainer, has been the constant companion of the mare, and, having ridden her in the trial, is engaged to ride her in the great race. Cardew, having already instituted proceedings to foreclose his mortgage on Squire Hetherington's property, is wild with rage when he realizes that if "Kissing Cup" wins the man he is trying to destroy will be safely out of his clutches. Watching a second private trial, he realizes how absolutely essential is the riding of Arthur Ingham to make the success of "Kissing Cup" probable. Hiring ruffians to kidnap Arthur in a racing automobile, they carry him away on the night before the race. Their machine is followed by Daisy Ingham and Jack Hetherington, with an array of constables in another high-powered car, and here is seen a particularly exciting race between the cars. Cardew's bravos gain enough distance to successfully hide the boy in an abandoned building, but are seen by a tramp, who shows the constable the place where Arthur is hidden. The police making short work with the kidnappers, Jack hurries Arthur into his car and starts at top speed for the railroad, which will carry them to the race-course. Flood water in a low place on the road kills the engine of the automobile, and, of course, brings the car to a hopeless standstill. Jack recollects that they are close to a famous aviation school, and dashes off with Arthur across the fields, hoping he may yet save the day. They are fortunate enough to find a skilled aviator just setting out for a flight. The situation explained, the aviator, like a true sportsman, undertakes to land them at the race-course on time. Just as it is being announced that "Kissing Cup" is a non-starter, the aeroplane makes its graceful descent upon the oval enclosed by the race-course, landing just in front of the camera. Arthnr has just time to change his clothes, weigh in, and get "Kissing Cup" to the starting post. In a most exciting racing scene, "Kissing Cup" is shown getting off a stride ahead at the barrier and followed around the track by the camera, she comes in a winner by five lengths. The delight of the Hetheringtons is only equaled by the anger of Cardew, and the final tableau shows beautiful Chrissie Hetherington leading out beautiful' "Kissing Cup" to receive the plaudits of thousands.