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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1705

The Kleptomaniac

Synopsis

A wealthy woman steals goods from a department store, while a poor mother takes bread to feed her children. Both reach the same court, where social position determines how their offenses are treated.

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Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified.
This copy runs
10:43
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Edwin Stanton Porter · Public domain

Cast

Historical context

Edwin S. Porter contrasts the two cases to criticize unequal justice. The parallel stories place material privilege and poverty at the center of the film's argument.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 22, 2026.

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