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* BetaCouple: Secondary to Edith and Thorne's relationship is her brother Wilfred's relationship with Caroline.
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* BetaCouple: Secondary to Edith and Thorne's relationship is her brother Wilfred's relationship with Caroline. They had previously been engaged, but differences between them caused them to break off. However, as he confides in her when he makes the decision to finally go off to the front, they rekindle their relationship.
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* CrazyJealousGuy: Arrelsford had been rejected by Edith in the past and he projects his frustrations on her as well as her current lover, Captain Thorne, referring to him as "the gentleman... whose attentions you have been pleased to accept in the place of mine!"
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* {{Hypocrite}}: Arrelsford is called out by several characters for being just as underhanded and suspicious as the man he is trying to apprehend. This is most evident as he investigates the telegraph office under vague notions of "department business" and [[spoiler: ordering Thorne to be executed]] through an dubious KangarooCourt.
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* {{Hypocrite}}: Arrelsford is called out by several characters for being just as underhanded and suspicious as the man he is trying to apprehend. This is most evident as he investigates the telegraph office Varney estate under vague notions of "department business" and [[spoiler: ordering Thorne to be executed]] through an dubious KangarooCourt.
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* {{Hypocrite}}: Arrelsford is called out by several characters for being just as underhanded and suspicious as the man he is trying to apprehend. This is most evident as he investigates the telegraph office under vague notions of "department business" and [[spoiler: ordering Thorne to be executed]] through an dubious court order.
to:
* {{Hypocrite}}: Arrelsford is called out by several characters for being just as underhanded and suspicious as the man he is trying to apprehend. This is most evident as he investigates the telegraph office under vague notions of "department business" and [[spoiler: ordering Thorne to be executed]] through an dubious court order.KangarooCourt.
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It was adapted into a SilentMovie in 1919 by Hugh Ford starring Robert Harwick and Wanda Harley and again, with voice, in 1931 by J. Walter Reuben starring Richard Dix and Shirley Grey. It had several runs, most notably in 1977, which was [[FilmedStageProduction televised]] on Creator/{{PBS}} as part of the ''Great Performances'' series, starring Lenny Baker and Creator/MerylStreep in one of her first on-screen roles.
to:
It was adapted into a SilentMovie in 1919 by Hugh Ford starring Robert Harwick and Wanda Harley and again, with voice, in 1931 by J. Walter Reuben starring Richard Dix and Shirley Grey. It had several runs, most notably in 1977, which was [[FilmedStageProduction televised]] on Creator/{{PBS}} as part of the ''Great Performances'' series, starring Lenny Baker Creator/JohnLithgow and Creator/MerylStreep in one of her first on-screen roles.
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* ItWorksBetterWithBullets: [[spoiler: As Thorne is given his [[KangarooCourtpoor excuse of a court martial]],]] Jonas removes the bullets from the stacked muskets as the soldiers escorted him out [[spoiler: and tells Edith to tell Thorne to play dead so they don't reload and finish him off. However, when Edith tells him this, [[SubvertedTrope he warns the soldiers that the guns have been tampered and they reload.]]]]
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* ItWorksBetterWithBullets: [[spoiler: As Thorne is given his [[KangarooCourtpoor [[KangarooCourt poor excuse of a court martial]],]] Jonas removes the bullets from the stacked muskets as the soldiers escorted him out [[spoiler: and tells Edith to tell Thorne to play dead so they don't reload and finish him off. However, when Edith tells him this, [[SubvertedTrope he warns the soldiers that the guns have been tampered and they reload.]]]]
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* ItWorksBetterWithBullets: [[spoiler: As Thorne is about to be executed,]] Jonas removes the bullets from the stacked muskets as the soldiers escorted him out [[spoiler: and tells Edith to tell Thorne to play dead so they don't reload and finish him off. However, when Edith tells him this, [[SubvertedTrope he warns the soldiers that the guns have been tampered and they reload.]]]]
to:
* ItWorksBetterWithBullets: [[spoiler: As Thorne is about to be executed,]] given his [[KangarooCourtpoor excuse of a court martial]],]] Jonas removes the bullets from the stacked muskets as the soldiers escorted him out [[spoiler: and tells Edith to tell Thorne to play dead so they don't reload and finish him off. However, when Edith tells him this, [[SubvertedTrope he warns the soldiers that the guns have been tampered and they reload.]]]]
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* KangarooCourt: When Wilfred insists [[spoiler: that Thorne be given a fair trial,]] Arrelsford says he will give him "the quickest drum-head[[note]] i.e. a battlefield court martial[[/note]] on Earth" and he is back [[spoiler: to be executed by the firing squad]] in a matter of minutes.
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* {{Hypocrite}}: Arrelsford is called out by several characters for being just as underhanded and suspicious as the man he is trying to apprehend. This is most evident as he investigates the telegraph office under vague notions of "department business" and [[spoiler: ordering Thorne to be executed]] through an dubious court order.
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* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: [[BigBad Arrelsford]] calls the Varneys' black slave Jonas a "dog" as he adamantly tries to have him shot [[spoiler: for colluding with Thorne/Lewis,]] and frequently refers to him by the n-word.
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* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: [[BigBad Arrelsford]] Arrelsford calls the Varneys' black slave Jonas a "dog" as he adamantly tries to have him shot [[spoiler: for colluding with Thorne/Lewis,]] and frequently refers to him by the n-word.
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* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler: When it becomes apparent that the Confederate army is onto him in Act IV, Thorne does little to resist and accepts his demise. He goes so far as to thwart Jonas' plan to [[ItWorksBetterWithBullets remove the bullets from the soldiers' guns]] before they can execute him and warns the soldiers that the guns have been tampered with. This earns him the respect of Wilfred. Fortunately for him, his execution is stopped as General Randolph announces the President had set aside his execution.]]
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* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler: When it becomes apparent that the Confederate army is onto him in Act IV, Thorne does little to resist and accepts his demise. He goes so far as to thwart Jonas' plan to [[ItWorksBetterWithBullets remove the bullets from the soldiers' guns]] before they can execute him and warns by warning the soldiers that the guns have been tampered with. This earns him the respect of Wilfred. Fortunately for him, his execution is stopped as General Randolph announces the President had set aside his execution.]]
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* ChekhovsGun: The Presidential commission, which is first seen in Act I, is later used by Edith in Act III, giving General Randolph reason to believe that Thorne's purpose at the telegraph office is legitimate [[spoiler: as he is about to be outed as a spy by Arrelsford.]]
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* OnlyAFleshWound: Subverted with [[spoiler: Wilfred's]] injury. Even though he [[spoiler: got badly grazed in the neck by a bullet during a Union ambush]], he makes a brave attempt to walk it off and return to the front before he faints and, even after lying down for a while, still is unable to stand or walk well for much of the act.
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* OnlyAFleshWound: Subverted with [[spoiler: Wilfred's]] injury. Even though he [[spoiler: got badly grazed clipped in the neck by a bullet during a Union ambush]], he makes a brave attempt to walk it off and return to the front before he faints and, even after lying down for a while, still is unable to stand or walk well for much of the act.
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* EveryoneHasStandards: Wilfred [[spoiler: is ultimately the one to arrest Thorne.]] However, when Arrelsford insists [[spoiler: that he be executed immediately,]] he protests, saying that he deserves a fair trial.
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* OnlyAFleshWound: Subverted with [[spoiler: Wilfred's]] injury. Even though he [[spoiler: got badly grazed in the neck by a bullet during a Union ambush]], he makes a brave attempt to walk it off and return to the front before he faints and, even after lying down for a while, still is unable to stand or walk well for much of the act.
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''Secret Service: A Romance of the Southern Confederacy'' is a [[RomanticComedy Romantic]] {{Dramedy}} written in 1895 by William Gillette and was first performed at London's Garrick Theatre in October 1896. It is one of Gillette's most popular and successful plays outside of ''Theatre/SherlockHolmes.'' It is notable for its flair for suspense, having one scene in Act III with over three straight pages with nothing but stage directions.
to:
''Secret Service: A Romance of the Southern Confederacy'' is a [[RomanticComedy Romantic]] {{Dramedy}} written in 1895 by William Gillette and was first performed at London's Garrick Theatre in October 1896. It is one of Gillette's most popular and successful plays outside of ''Theatre/SherlockHolmes.'' It ''Theatre/SherlockHolmes'' and is notable for its flair for suspense, having one scene in Act III with over three straight pages with nothing but stage directions.
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It was adapted into a SilentMovie in 1919 by Hugh Ford starring Robert Harwick and Wanda Harley and again, with voice, in 1931 by Hugh Ford starring Richard Dix and Shirley Grey. It had several runs, most notably in 1977, which was [[FilmedStageProduction televised]] on Creator/{{PBS}} as part of the ''Great Performances'' series, starring Lenny Baker and Creator/MerylStreep in one of her first on-screen roles.
to:
It was adapted into a SilentMovie in 1919 by Hugh Ford starring Robert Harwick and Wanda Harley and again, with voice, in 1931 by Hugh Ford J. Walter Reuben starring Richard Dix and Shirley Grey. It had several runs, most notably in 1977, which was [[FilmedStageProduction televised]] on Creator/{{PBS}} as part of the ''Great Performances'' series, starring Lenny Baker and Creator/MerylStreep in one of her first on-screen roles.
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* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: [[BigBad Arrelsford]] calls the Varneys' black slave Jonas as a dog as he adamantly tries to have him shot [[spoiler: for colluding with Thorne/Lewis,]] and frequently refers to him by the n-word.
to:
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: [[BigBad Arrelsford]] calls the Varneys' black slave Jonas as a dog "dog" as he adamantly tries to have him shot [[spoiler: for colluding with Thorne/Lewis,]] and frequently refers to him by the n-word.
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* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: [[BigBad Arrelsford]] calls the Varneys' black slave Jonas as a dog as he adamantly tries to have him shot [[spoiler: for colluding with Thorne/Lewis,]] and frequently refers to him by the n-word.
* SpoiledByTheCastList: Arrelsford's big reveal that Captain Thorne was Union agent Lewis Dumont all along is supposed to be a big WhamLine. Unfortunately, the cast of characters at the beginning typically has Thorne listed as Dumont.
* SpoiledByTheCastList: Arrelsford's big reveal that Captain Thorne was Union agent Lewis Dumont all along is supposed to be a big WhamLine. Unfortunately, the cast of characters at the beginning typically has Thorne listed as Dumont.
to:
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: [[BigBad Arrelsford]] calls the Varneys' black slave Jonas as a dog as he adamantly tries to have him shot [[spoiler: for colluding with Thorne/Lewis,]] and frequently refers to him by the n-word.
* SpoiledByTheCastList: Arrelsford's big reveal that Captain Thorne was Union agent Lewis Dumont all along is supposed to be a big WhamLine. Unfortunately, the cast of characters at the beginning typically has Thorne listed as Dumont.n-word.
* SpoiledByTheCastList: Arrelsford's big reveal that Captain Thorne was Union agent Lewis Dumont all along is supposed to be a big WhamLine. Unfortunately, the cast of characters at the beginning typically has Thorne listed as Dumont.
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[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/secret_service_gillete.jpg]]
''Secret Service: A Romance of the Southern Confederacy'' is a [[RomanticComedy Romantic]] {{Dramedy}} written in 1895 by William Gillette and was first performed at London's Garrick Theatre in October 1896. It is one of Gillette's most popular and successful plays outside of ''Theatre/SherlockHolmes.'' It is notable for its flair for suspense, having one scene in Act III with over three straight pages with nothing but stage directions.
It was adapted into a SilentMovie in 1919 by Hugh Ford starring Robert Harwick and Wanda Harley and again, with voice, in 1931 by Hugh Ford starring Richard Dix and Shirley Grey. It had several runs, most notably in 1977, which was [[FilmedStageProduction televised]] on Creator/{{PBS}} as part of the ''Great Performances'' series, starring Lenny Baker and Creator/MerylStreep in one of her first on-screen roles.
It takes place in Confederate UsefulNotes/RichmondVirginia during the height of UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar. As the war rages on, much of the city has been converted into hospitals and, because of the chaos of war, members of the Union's Secret Service are able to infiltrate the Confederacy in disguise. Two of these men are Harry and Lewis Dumont, the latter of which made it into Richmond under the guise of one Captain Thorne, planning to infiltrate its telegraph office and send an order that can turn the tide of the war for the Union. However, in the process of this, he falls in love with Edith Varney, the older daughter of a Confederate General. However, hot on his tail is Confederate Secret Service agent Benton Arrelsford, who wants nothing but to stop Lewis/Thorne in his tracks. Will [[StarCrossedLovers his relationship with Edith]] take priority, or his mission?
The 1898 edition of the script is available to read for free online courtesy of the University of Toronto [[https://archive.org/details/secretservicerom00gilluoft/mode/2up through the Internet Archive]].
----
!!''Secret Service'' contains examples of:
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Thorne narrowly escapes execution as General Randolph says President Davis had shut the case since Thorne's refusal to give the dispatch allowed them to repulse the Union ambush. However, he is still imprisoned as a [[POWCamp POW]] due to his suspicious behavior and won't be released until he agrees to switch sides for helping them. Nevertheless, this still gives Edith a chance to possibly reunite with Thorne.]]
* BetaCouple: Secondary to Edith and Thorne's relationship is her brother Wilfred's relationship with Caroline.
* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: [[spoiler: Harry Dumont tries to have Lewis (as Thorne) shoot him in the leg as Confederate soldiers are onto their movements. When Lewis refuses, he takes the gun and fires it upon himself, which kills him.]]
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Caroline Mitford, full stop. She is seen daydreaming and making outlandish comments in nearly every scene she's in, to the point where she almost ruins the uniform pants she was modifying for Wilfred because she she had her head in the clouds.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler: When it becomes apparent that the Confederate army is onto him in Act IV, Thorne does little to resist and accepts his demise. He goes so far as to thwart Jonas' plan to [[ItWorksBetterWithBullets remove the bullets from the soldiers' guns]] before they can execute him and warns the soldiers that the guns have been tampered with. This earns him the respect of Wilfred. Fortunately for him, his execution is stopped as General Randolph announces the President had set aside his execution.]]
* ItWorksBetterWithBullets: [[spoiler: As Thorne is about to be executed,]] Jonas removes the bullets from the stacked muskets as the soldiers escorted him out [[spoiler: and tells Edith to tell Thorne to play dead so they don't reload and finish him off. However, when Edith tells him this, [[SubvertedTrope he warns the soldiers that the guns have been tampered and they reload.]]]]
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: [[BigBad Arrelsford]] calls the Varneys' black slave Jonas as a dog as he adamantly tries to have him shot [[spoiler: for colluding with Thorne/Lewis,]] and frequently refers to him by the n-word.
* SpoiledByTheCastList: Arrelsford's big reveal that Captain Thorne was Union agent Lewis Dumont all along is supposed to be a big WhamLine. Unfortunately, the cast of characters at the beginning typically has Thorne listed as Dumont.
''Secret Service: A Romance of the Southern Confederacy'' is a [[RomanticComedy Romantic]] {{Dramedy}} written in 1895 by William Gillette and was first performed at London's Garrick Theatre in October 1896. It is one of Gillette's most popular and successful plays outside of ''Theatre/SherlockHolmes.'' It is notable for its flair for suspense, having one scene in Act III with over three straight pages with nothing but stage directions.
It was adapted into a SilentMovie in 1919 by Hugh Ford starring Robert Harwick and Wanda Harley and again, with voice, in 1931 by Hugh Ford starring Richard Dix and Shirley Grey. It had several runs, most notably in 1977, which was [[FilmedStageProduction televised]] on Creator/{{PBS}} as part of the ''Great Performances'' series, starring Lenny Baker and Creator/MerylStreep in one of her first on-screen roles.
It takes place in Confederate UsefulNotes/RichmondVirginia during the height of UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar. As the war rages on, much of the city has been converted into hospitals and, because of the chaos of war, members of the Union's Secret Service are able to infiltrate the Confederacy in disguise. Two of these men are Harry and Lewis Dumont, the latter of which made it into Richmond under the guise of one Captain Thorne, planning to infiltrate its telegraph office and send an order that can turn the tide of the war for the Union. However, in the process of this, he falls in love with Edith Varney, the older daughter of a Confederate General. However, hot on his tail is Confederate Secret Service agent Benton Arrelsford, who wants nothing but to stop Lewis/Thorne in his tracks. Will [[StarCrossedLovers his relationship with Edith]] take priority, or his mission?
The 1898 edition of the script is available to read for free online courtesy of the University of Toronto [[https://archive.org/details/secretservicerom00gilluoft/mode/2up through the Internet Archive]].
----
!!''Secret Service'' contains examples of:
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Thorne narrowly escapes execution as General Randolph says President Davis had shut the case since Thorne's refusal to give the dispatch allowed them to repulse the Union ambush. However, he is still imprisoned as a [[POWCamp POW]] due to his suspicious behavior and won't be released until he agrees to switch sides for helping them. Nevertheless, this still gives Edith a chance to possibly reunite with Thorne.]]
* BetaCouple: Secondary to Edith and Thorne's relationship is her brother Wilfred's relationship with Caroline.
* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: [[spoiler: Harry Dumont tries to have Lewis (as Thorne) shoot him in the leg as Confederate soldiers are onto their movements. When Lewis refuses, he takes the gun and fires it upon himself, which kills him.]]
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Caroline Mitford, full stop. She is seen daydreaming and making outlandish comments in nearly every scene she's in, to the point where she almost ruins the uniform pants she was modifying for Wilfred because she she had her head in the clouds.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler: When it becomes apparent that the Confederate army is onto him in Act IV, Thorne does little to resist and accepts his demise. He goes so far as to thwart Jonas' plan to [[ItWorksBetterWithBullets remove the bullets from the soldiers' guns]] before they can execute him and warns the soldiers that the guns have been tampered with. This earns him the respect of Wilfred. Fortunately for him, his execution is stopped as General Randolph announces the President had set aside his execution.]]
* ItWorksBetterWithBullets: [[spoiler: As Thorne is about to be executed,]] Jonas removes the bullets from the stacked muskets as the soldiers escorted him out [[spoiler: and tells Edith to tell Thorne to play dead so they don't reload and finish him off. However, when Edith tells him this, [[SubvertedTrope he warns the soldiers that the guns have been tampered and they reload.]]]]
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: [[BigBad Arrelsford]] calls the Varneys' black slave Jonas as a dog as he adamantly tries to have him shot [[spoiler: for colluding with Thorne/Lewis,]] and frequently refers to him by the n-word.
* SpoiledByTheCastList: Arrelsford's big reveal that Captain Thorne was Union agent Lewis Dumont all along is supposed to be a big WhamLine. Unfortunately, the cast of characters at the beginning typically has Thorne listed as Dumont.
