A growing source of silent era film information. This listing is from The Progressive Silent Film List by Carl Bennett. Copyright © 1999-2026 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

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The Professional Scapegoat
(1914) United States of America
B&W : One reel
Directed by Sidney Drew

Cast: Sidney Drew [Arthur Wimperis, the scapegoat], Jane Morrow (Lucille McVey) [Enid, the saleslady], Harry Davenport [the lawyer], Courtlandt Van Deusen (Cortland Van Deusen) [the floorwalker]; [?] Donald MacBride? [the shoe salesman]

The Vitagraph Company of America production; distributed by The General Film Company, Incorporated. / Scenario by Sidney Drew and Charles Brown. / Released 20 November 1914. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.

Comedy.

Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Noticing an ad reading, “Man wanted, Experienced in dismissals preferred.” Arthur Wimperis, who has just been discharged, feels he is well equipped for a job of that nature. He applies at Mack’s big department store for the position. The superintendent tells him he requires a man to take the blame for trivial complaints made by customers, in other words, a professional scapegoat. A rehearsal is satisfactory and Arthur gets the job. He proves to be a superlative “scapegoat,” and when he goes through his “weepy” motions after being “discharged” by the superintendent, the enraged customer invariably calms down and goes out feeling sorry for having caused a subordinate to lose his job. He falls in love with Enid, a beautiful salesgirl who is being pestered by the attention of a floorwalker. Delighted at her sweet sympathy, Wimperis does not tell the girl of his position in the store but when she sees the young man “fired” several times, the joke comes out. Shortly after Wimperis and Enid have become engaged, a lawyer calls on the superintendent, inquiring for Wimperis. When sent for, the latter, by sheer force of habit, goes through his usual sorrowful business at being discharged, causing both men to roar with laughter. Wimperis then learns he is heir to a large fortune. He tells Enid and takes revenge on the floorwalker by heaving him into a pile of crockery. Arthur then stalks out of the store with Enid and they are soon made man and wife. Five years later she tells her husband that Arthur, Jr., has broken a saucer. Reprimanded. the youngster goes through the identical motions his father had performed when he was employed as a “professional scapegoat,” to the great amusement of Enid and Arthur, Sr.

Survival status: Print exists in the Library of Congress film archive.

Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].

Listing updated: 20 November 2025.

References: Film credits, film viewing : Website-IMDb.

Home video: Blu-ray Disc.