| Director: | James Kirkwood Sr. |
| Starring: | Henry B. Walthall Irene Hunt Dorothy Gish |
| Studio: | Biograph Company |
| Distributor: | Mutual Film |
| Runtime: | 4 reels |
The Mountain Rat is a 1914 silent four-reel film directed by James Kirkwood for Biograph. The film—described as "a drama of daring and romance in the Western wilds"[1] —is notable for being one of the biggest early screen appearances of actress Dorothy Gish.[2]
After an argument, Douglas Williams' fiancée, Harriet, returns the engagement ring. Discouraged, he soon heads out west, where he meets and falls for a dancer named Nell, known as the Mountain Rat in a dance hall at a mining camp. Nell has been shunned by the more "respectable" women of the community, but Douglas doesn't care; he marries her on the spur of the moment. Drama ensues when Douglas's mother and former fiancée come looking for him and he's forced to choose.[3] [4]