When Harriet Copley returns Douglas Williams’s engagement ring, he begins to drink, then goes West. In a mining town, Douglas meets Nell, a dance hall girl known as “The Mountain Rat,” who is generally shunned by the more “respectable” local women. Nell is touched by his plight and, after he is beaten in a saloon brawl, nurses him back to health. They marry, but Douglas is ashamed of her and attempts to hide their marriage from Harriet.

The Mountain Rat

Adapted from: “The Mountain Rat” by Mary Rider (year unkown)

Director: James Kirkwood Sr.

Year: 1914

Studio: Reliance Motion Picture Company

Genre: Western

Survival status: Lost