Released November 27, 1916, Their Counterfeit Vacation is a one-reel Black Diamond Comedy filmed and produced by the United States Motion Picture Corporation (USMPC) in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The film was distributed by Paramount Pictures.
An advertisement for the film appeared in the July 7, 1917, issue of Motion Picture News on page 6.
As of the writing of this article (November 30, 2017), no prints of this film are known to survive. If you have any information about the film, please contact us.
A synopsis of the film is available in the April 14, 1917, issue of Motography on page 803. The text is here transcribed by Noreen O’Connor:
The Wish Bone — Black Diamond Comedy — April 16. — Box Car Bill and Journeying Jim roll into some town in a box car on a cold winter’s day. They look out of the box car and see a beautiful chicken yard in the distance. They are chased by the farmer when they attempt to steal the chicken but they make their get away and build a roaring fire, over which they roast the juicy fowl. After their meal they fall asleep and his majesty appears from a cloud of smoke and says “you fellows have had hell enough on this earth, with the wish-bone of the chicken in your possession your every wish shall be granted.” With the aid of the wish bone the fortunate tramps enjoy luxurious food, ride in beautiful cars and enjoy the coming of bewitching maidens, escaping from the police, several times by waving the magic wish bone. They do not proceed far in one of their cars when they crash into a street car and the auto is badly wrecked. They decide that the auto is no good and wish that a dump cart were transformed into a car. Their wish is granted and they drive to the railroad yards, find all their brother hobos and invite them out for a ride. They have a hilarious time until the auto crashes into a telegraph pole. The scene then fades back to where they both fell asleep devouring the chicken and they wake up extremely frightened, throw the wishbone away and decide that it is no good.
