One Is Business, the Other Crime

Synopsis

One Is Business, the Other Crime (1912) is an American silent short film starring Charles West. Running within the compact form typical of early cinema, the picture explores moral ambiguity between lawful enterprise and acts deemed criminal. Through expressionistic staging, clear visual contrasts and intertitles, the film poses questions about social inequality, choices shaped by circumstance, and the blurred line where respectable business and criminal behavior meet. Performances are delivered in the heightened style of the era, and the movie’s narrative economy focuses attention on a few pivotal moments and characters rather than extended development. For modern viewers, the film functions as both a moral melodrama and an artifact of early narrative filmmaking: its themes remain resonant even as its cinematic language reflects the limitations and inventiveness of 1910s production values. No spoilers are given here; the film’s appeal lies in its thematic tension and period staging rather than in plot twists.

Cast

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  Charles West

  Poor Husband

• 

  Dorothy Bernard

  Poor Wife

• 

  Edwin August

  Rich Husband

• 

  Blanche Sweet

  Rich Wife

• Frank Evans

  The Landlord

• 

  William A. Carroll

  The Rich Man's First Foreman

Reviews

Critical commentary for One Is Business, the Other Crime is limited, as is common for many short silent films from 1912. On IMDb the film holds a rating of 6.2/10 (user-based), which indicates a generally mixed-to-positive reception among the small number of modern viewers who have rated it. Major contemporary aggregators such as Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic do not list a critical score for this title, and there are few professional contemporary reviews available online, so assessments tend to come from film historians, archivists, and silent-film enthusiasts rather than mainstream critics. Positive commentary emphasizes the film’s thematic ambition and its effectiveness as a short moral melodrama: commentators note that the work tackles social questions with clarity and economy, and that it offers useful insight into narrative techniques used in 1910s cinema. Critics and historians who appreciate early film often point to its staging, economy of storytelling, and period value as reasons to seek it out. On the other hand, negative or tempered remarks focus on the limitations typical of the period—stilted or exaggerated acting by modern standards, straightforward moralizing, and production values that feel primitive to contemporary eyes. Some viewers find the short runtime leaves character motivations underdeveloped, making the emotional impact less immediate for those used to longer modern narratives. Overall, the film is most often recommended for silent-film collectors and students of cinema history rather than general audiences seeking polished storytelling. The available critical consensus is therefore that One Is Business, the Other Crime is historically interesting and thematically provocative, but also dated in style and limited in dramatic subtlety; IMDb: 6.2/10 reflects a modest appreciation from those who have rated it.

See also

Autumn Sonata

McCabe & Mrs. Miller

Paris, 13th District

The Isle