Captain Jinks, the Cobbler

Captain Jinks, the Cobbler was one of two Jinks comedies released by Vitagraph for Christmas 1916 and, according to the U.S. copyright filing, was loosely based on the true story of celebrated conman Friedrich Wilhelm Voigt, who passed as a Prussian officer and commandeered funds from the Köpenick municipal treasury in 1906. In Vitagraph’s adaptation of the tale, the first movie version made in America, an army officer in some unpronounceable Central European town directs Jinks to repair his gear. Hounded by his nagging wife, the cobbler dons the officer’s uniform and parades about town. The impersonation proves so convincing that the burgomeister awards Jinks the officer’s bonus. When the ruse is discovered, the court gives Jinks a choice: two years in jail or at home with his wife. The film ends with cobbler pondering the pros and cons.

Directed by Van Dyke Brooke, Captain Jinks, the Cobbler leans on a strong ensemble — Frank Daniels, Mildred Manning — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 1916.