Afgrunden aka The Abbys 1910

This story affords the renowned European actress, Asta Nielsen, an opportunity of displaying her wonderful ability as a great artist. It depicts the life of a young woman, who tiring of her husband and her life in attractive surroundings conceives a sudden admiration for a picturesque circus man. He also is attracted by her, and when he appears and demands that she cast in her lot with the circus folks, she yields and leaves her beautiful home for the wandering life of a circus. Under the tuition of her admirer, she becomes a gifted member of the “haute ecole.” The new life fascinates her. Months pass, she becomes disillusioned, for her hero, Rudolph, proves fickle; he transfers his affections to another girl of the circus. There is a quarrel between the two women and Asta and Rudolph are discharged. Down they sink in the social scale; he becomes a dissolute ne’er do well, and she the pianist at a popular beer garden. Her husband during these months has never ceased to care for Asta and in a chance meeting persuades her to return to home and duty. She consents and while in the act of leaving, Rudolph appears and, exerting the old power over her, she remains with him. Still the husband is undaunted, and makes yet another effort to regain his wife, but Rudolph refuses to give her up. This time, the man and woman quarrel, and in the struggle which follows, Asta stabs him to death. She is arrested and taken away to prison, whilst her helpless husband looks on.

Genre: Short Films Silent
Starring: Asta Nielsen, Robert Dinesen, Poul Reumert
Year: 1910
Color/BW: Black & White
Director: Urban Gad
Movie Type: Public Domain Films
Decade: 1910s
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