Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
to
to
Exclude
Only includes titles with the selected topics
to
In minutes
to
1-50 of 1,297
- A young boy, opressed by his mother, goes on an outing in the country with a social welfare group where he dares to dream of a land where the cares of his ordinary life fade.
- The love of a Moorish maiden, the daughter of the commander of the army, for a Christian knight, is the basis for the story. The first meeting of the two lovers takes place at her father's castle, where the armed knight has come to sign the treaty which ratifies the boundary line between the two nations and terminates a long series of battles. The Moorish chief, a devout believer in his faith, to prove to his enemy the sincerity of the compact, makes a vow before Allah that he will slay, with his own hands, the first person of his race that breaks the bond and crosses the boundary line of his domain. After the affairs of state are disposed with, the chief invites his worthy antagonist to remain as a guest of honor in his castle, as becomes the custom of the time. The young knight accepts the invitation and it is ever thus; that he who tarries on his way ofttimes wanders into Cupid's snare. The dark-eyed maid of noble race looks mysteriously forth from beneath her half-veiled face and Sir Knight forget not the look nor misunderstood its meaning. Love when veiled is a dangerous art and Sir Knight soon finds himself lingering beneath the balcony of his royal lady love of the soft southern moon oft looks down upon the old, old story told again to listening ears. But the course of true love rarely runs through green fields and especially if man and maid are of a different race and faith. So it came to pass that the princess had a rival lover, of her own race, who soon spread the rumor that her knight has been fatally wounded in battle. Secretly she steals forth to join him and great is her joy at finding him well. But soon the lovers realize that she has been made the victim of a trick and its awful truth comes upon her when her father discovers that she has broken the treaty, has crossed the boundary line and he is compelled to keep his vow to his God, to slay her with his own hands. The lover hears of her plight and at the head of a gallant army comes to her succor where Crown and Crescent flash in fierce battle array. Love conquers and all ends well.
- D'Artagan leaves home to seek his fortune. Armed with his father's sword and a letter to the Captain of the King's Musketeers, he rides forth boldly to face the world. At a wayside inn he arrives just in time to rescue a young woman from the clutches of several of the Cardinal's spies. He arrives in Paris shortly after and presents his letter to Captain de Treville of the Musketeers. Here he catches his first glimpse of the famous Three Musketeers, Athos, Porthos and Aramis, and decides to fight his way into the Musketeers. In leaving, he runs into Athos, who berates him for his stupidity. This is more than he can bear, even from a Musketeer, and a duel is arranged for one o'clock at the rear of the convent. Hastily turning from Athos he comes into violent contact with Porthos, tearing his cloak from his shoulder and disclosing his ragged jerkin beneath. D'Artagnan bursts into violent laughter at this unexpected disclosure and is challenged to a duel at two o'clock at the convent grounds. Upon reaching the street he spies Aramis chatting with two musketeers and decides to join them, when he discovers that Aramis' foot is resting upon a beautiful lace handkerchief. Wishing to ingratiate himself in the good will of Aramis, he calls his attention to the handkerchief. Aramis denies ownership, but D'Artagnan insists that he saw him drop it and, picking it up, hands it to him. D'Artagnan is again soundly berated for his stupidity; the result is another challenge at three o'clock at the convent. D'Artagnan has lost so much time quarreling that he finds it now time for his first duel. He hurries to the convent only to find all three musketeers waiting. Hardly has he crossed swords with Athos, however, when a company of the Cardinal's guards appear and attempt to take them into custody for dueling. D'Artagnan volunteers to fight on their side and is gladly welcomed. The fight proves a glorious victory for the musketeers, who gather up the swords of their fallen enemies and march triumphantly from the field, arm in arm with D'Artagnan, their sworn friend. They are all brought before the king, but when he hears of the odds against them he not only rewards them, but promises to make D'Artagnan a Musketeer.
- D'Artagnan having discovered that the girl he has rescued on his way to Paris is none other than the Queen's confidante, Constance, loses little time in becoming better acquainted. The Queen has a secret love affair with the Duke of Buckingham and as a token of her love, she gives him a set of twelve diamond studs. Richelieu's spy, Milady, discovers this and at once reports it to the Cardinal. He sends Milady to steal the studs and persuades the King to give a state ball and ask the Queen to wear the diamond studs, which he does. As soon as she hears this request she writes a note to Buckingham, but finds she has no messenger whom she can trust. Here Constance comes to her aid. The Queen gives her the note and also her handkerchief as a token and she leaves to find D'Artagnan. He is not far away, so she tells him his mission, gives him the note and handkerchief and bids him God-speed. Richelieu's spy has overheard their plans and hurries to report the matter to the Cardinal. He sends the spy out on the road ahead of D'Artagnan with instructions to prevent his reaching Buckingham. D'Artagnan in the meantime has confided to his comrades that he is on a dangerous mission and all three decide to accompany him. The spy manages to leave D'Artagnan's three friends disabled, but our hero arrives safely at Calais, where he finds the port has been closed. Buckingham's boat is about to lift anchor. He forces the Captain of the port to have him rowed out to the ship, where he meets Buckingham and finds that Milady is also on board. Milady manages to cut off two of the diamond studs and hurrying out of the cabin jumps into D'Artagnan's boat, and is rowed ashore, realizing that Milady has taken them they hastily call for a boat to go ashore, but Milady has taken the last one, so there is no way but to swim. Taking two valuable studs from Buckingham to replace the stolen ones, D'Artagnan leaps through the port and swims ashore. He wins the race to Paris, arriving in time to have the two studs set and delivers the twelve intact to the Queen, who generously rewards him by giving him a valuable ring and also his heart's desire, Constance.
- Workers in a pottery factory labor in unhealthy, unventilated and dangerous conditions, but the plant's wealthy owner doesn't see any need to change things. It's not long before one of his workers falls ill to tuberculosis, and soon the owner learns the meaning of the old adage, "What goes around comes around".
- Ralph Valentine and his father are musicians of proud and aristocratic ways and are so wrapped up in their art as to be oblivious of their poverty. Their faithful servant, Joseph, has been wont to withhold the threats of debtors from them, but there comes a time, shortly after the father's death, that Ralph must be told the truth. Joseph tells everything and suggests that Ralph accept money that he has saved and go to Paris, where he may show the world his art. Ralph does so and goes to live with the Gardins. His uncle Victor Valentine, wealthy and fond of gay life, invites him to live at his home provided he will leave behind his foolish dreams and fancies. Ralph refuses, preferring to remain where he is. He wins the love of Pauline Gardin and is quite content. Through his Bohemian acquaintances he meets Mme. Flora Margot. This tired, blasé young woman makes a pet of him and enraptured by her dazzling beauty he longs to satisfy her every desire. Attempting to do so, he becomes indebted to impatient creditors, who demand immediate payment or his arrest. Pauline, ignorant of his infatuation with Flora, assists him out of his present difficulties with her own savings. Realizing Flora's fast waning affection, he resolves to regain it by buying a certain antique necklace which he knows she covets. The antique dealer demands an exorbitant price which he is unable to pay. He is further disheartened when one day he finds her in the arms of his uncle, and he rushes forth intent upon suicide. About to throw himself into the river, a vision of Flora appears before him and he resolves to secure the necklace at any cost. The dealer of the antique shop is busy when he enters and Ralph wanders into a room where there are curios upon the walls and tables. Curiously examining the various articles, his hand suddenly touches a secret panel which springs back, revealing a marvelous painting of the Christ. A spiritual influence comes over him, so profound is its impression upon his mind. While awaiting the attendance of the dealer, he becomes greatly interested in a peculiar skin which has writing upon it in Sanskrit. Sitting down he becomes drowsy and falls asleep. The writing changes into English, which reads that the possessor of the skin has only to wish and his wish will be granted, but that with each desire the skin shall grow smaller and the days of the possessor grow less until death is the penalty at the last wish. The dealer approaches and Ralph is amazed to behold him now in the form of a devil. The devil asks if he desires the skin and Ralph, fearfully undecided, suddenly thinks of Flora and agrees to take it. What are his desires and his terrible anguish as the talisman grows smaller have been woven into a story of weird and mystic situations.
- Tom is a boisterous boy who brings his playground manners into his mother's parlor. His mother knowing that he is a gentleman at heart, tries to improve his behavior generally, more by suggestion and example than by reproving him and her efforts eventually meet with success. She reads to him of the Knights of the Round Table, of Sir Galahad and the Holy Grail, and fills him with an idea of chivalry, gallantry and courtesy. She buys him a suit of toy armor and a sword and draws up rules of truth and honor for him to sign. The boy filled with enthusiasm selects for his special favors a little, spoiled girl who does not understand. Of all acts of gallantry, one of Sir Walter Raleigh appeals most to him. He takes advantage of an opportunity and spreads his coat for Ethel to tread upon. She laughs at him, stamps upon the coat and makes faces at him. Later he is very much discouraged and although he rescues her from the consequences of her own fault she denounces him as being the one to blame. He is in disgrace and his armor and his knighthood are taken away from him. All that his mother has told him of the reward for strict rectitude must be true because it was his mother who told him, but his faith has received a severe shock and is in danger of being lost altogether; but the spoiled girl in her childish way begins to understand and she decides to tell the truth. Tom gets back his honors and his knighthood and the seed so lovingly and carefully sown by the mother begins to take root and gives promise of bearing fruit. At the close of the story one has a complete belief that this boy and girl will grow into a noble man and woman helping others by their example.
- The eighteenth day of April, 1775, still lives in the hearts of all loyal Americans, as the birthday of our country. It was the day the first shots were fired against the British at Lexington. Throughout the years of privation and suffering which followed, that same spirit of the "minute men" endured up to the very last, when Lord Cornwallis surrendered his army on the nineteenth day of October, 1781, American independence was assured. Of all the characters of our Revolutionary period, none is more endeared to all than that of Paul Revere, whose exploit has been immortalized by Longfellow so effectively that the lines of the poem and the incidents portrayed are graven more deeply, perhaps, upon the average American mind than any other character or exploit of our American history. When Revere learned of the British commander's intention of attacking the patriot's base of supplies in Concord, and told his friend to, "Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch of the North Church tower as a signal light." He little realized that the tiny light would serve as a beacon of liberty for future generations but so it has proven and we follow him today as he clattered along the country-side rousing the men to fight for their life and our liberty and our pulses beat with each stride of the mount.
- We show Lord Nelson leaving the admiralty room where he makes his famous speech and then introduce him with his captains giving the details of that wonderful plan of attack which was carried out to the letter at Trafalgar, the inspirations of the captains and their enthusiastic toast. We are then carried along to the day before the battle when the men are writing their last letters home. Here a beautiful scenic and photographic effect is introduced as the vision of the sweetheart of one of the lieutenants fades into view. This gives an opportunity to introduce that famous episode of the letter in which Lord Nelson called back the mail ship for a single message and which is endeared to the hearts of all those who sail the sea. We are then carried along to the morning of October twenty-first, Eighteen Hundred and Five, when the fleet of the enemy is sighted. The decks are cleared for action and the hoisting of the colors is portrayed with all the solemnity of the occasion before entering the battle. The correct incident of the hoisting of the famous signal "England expects every man to do his duty" is splendidly portrayed and carried out in every detail, and we note the pathetic touch in Nelson's life in bidding farewell to his captains having at the time a presentiment of his own death. We now get to the little human touch in his life and learn the true character of the man, for, in his last entry in his diary before the battle, he makes peace with his maker. And now we come to that wonderful spectacular picture of the real battle of Trafalgar. We see the ships in action, the firing of the guns, the ships caught on fire and then the camera switches to a close view of the deck of the Victory where human life is sacrificed by the hundreds, the fighting top of the Redoubtable, the fatal shot and Nelson's fall. We then see that wonderful character in his death, the solemnity, the beauty and the pathos of it all being carried out by the Edison players in all its grandeur; his farewell to Captain Hardy, the last kiss, the news of the victory and finally his death.
- A prince among good fellows is John Northrup, who loves his club, but never forgets he has a home and a fond, loving wife. He keeps good hours notwithstanding the jibes and jests of his fellow club members. One night, he is pleased to find his wife preparing a Welsh rabbit for him. After finishing the rabbit he sinks into the old armchair at the fireplace to smoke a cigar and soon dozes off to sleep and has a most remarkable dream. He sees himself about to die, supposedly of having over indulged in Welsh rabbit. The doctor at the bedside pronounces his case beyond hope; he bids his wife and friends goodbye and dies. His spirit is transported Heavenward by an angel, who guides him to the golden gates of Heaven. Here he meets unexpected obstacles, and plead as he will, he fails utterly in gaining admission. Finally in despair he inquires for Tom, Dick and Harry, who were his pals at the club and learns that they have been sent to the world of darkness, so sadly he begins his journey on the downward path and finally reaches the domain of his Satanic majesty, who gives him a royal welcome and bids him enter, assuring him that his friends Tom, Dick and Harry are inside. Upon reaching the depths below he finds it uncomfortably hot, owing to the fact that the Satanic stokers are working overtime. He meets his friends, Tom, Dick and Harry and a devilish bartender serves them with fiery drinks after which they initiate him by roasting his feet in a blazing furnace. At that moment he is awakened from his nightmare and is overjoyed to find himself in his own room, so close to the grate fire that his slippers are scorching. At that moment he espies his wife, who looks askance at her chuckling hubby. Describing his dream, she laughs heartily as he declares no more Welsh rabbit at midnight for him.
- In a succession of splendidly enacted scenes, we are led, step by step from the beginning of the dissatisfaction of the Indian troops at Lucknow. Finally the outbreak occurs and we are shown the night of May 12th, 1857, and just what occurred on that memorable evening at Lucknow. At the beginning of the mutiny we are shown the burning of the officers' houses, the news of the outbreak received by Sir Henry Lawrence and also the manner of Sir Henry Lawrence's death, his burial at night, midst shot and shell and, like Sir Thomas Moore. No useless coffin enclosed his breast. Nor sheet nor shroud rebound him, but he lay like a warrior taking his rest with his military cloak around him. Hospital scones are shown giving one an idea of the work that befell the women during the siege. General Havelock is also introduced and he is shown starting for the relief of Lucknow from Cawnpore. This all eventually leads up to that never-to-be-forgotten moment at Lucknow when hopes had deserted them and each moment they thought would be the last. Then comes the shrill notes of the bagpipes. And in the closing events we are shown the fight in the streets of Lucknow when General Havelock forced his way through those narrow lanes to the relief of those heroic men and women.
- A factory hires only children, forcing an immigrant family to put their daughter to work. When the girl brings home a foundling, the family gets sends her to work. Little do they know that the girl's father bought the factory.
- Tom was an expert telegrapher when he married Doris. During the course of their courtship he had taught her how to send and receive, and as a result, at the time of their marriage, she was almost as proficient as her husband. Six months afterward Tom became very ill. The doctor ordered him to go to the mountains to recuperate. To raise the money which was so badly needed to restore Tom to health, Doris began to look about for some means of livelihood. An advertisement in a newspaper, offering a position to an unmarried telegraph operator seemed to offer the best chance. So Doris presented herself at the office of the division superintendent. When he asked her if she were married she replied defiantly in the negative. The superintendent engaged her. and assigned her to a wild station on the mountain division of the railroad. Jake Mills, the operator Doris relieved at the station, was very indignant at his summary dismissal to make room for the girl. He left the station sullenly, muttering vague threats. A few weeks later Tom was allowed to leave the sanitarium. He came directly to the station and Doris took him to the little home she had prepared in the woods. Jake Mills saw them together. Knowing that Doris must have been unmarried to get her position, he jumped at the obvious conclusion. On the morning after Tom's arrival Jake came to the station and attempted to kiss Doris. Her furious resistance angered him beyond measure, and when he discovered from a dispatch that the division superintendent was coming to the station that afternoon, his mind was in exactly the right condition to prompt him to attempt a terrible revenge upon the man who had discharged him. Accordingly, he set fire to the trestle across which the train must pass. Doris discovered the fire, and while Tom held Jake at the point of a revolver, rushed down the track and made her way over the blazing timbers on the trestle. Arrived at the other side, she staggered up the track, and flagged the train just in time. The rescued party reached the station just in time to rescue the weakened Tom from Jake's clutches. The grateful superintendent readily forgave Doris for her deception, and appointed her husband and herself to a far more important position, carrying with it a very comfortable salary.
- Dyspeptic Daniel is seated in a restaurant where he proceeds to make it uncomfortable and disagreeable for the rest of the diners. Magazines and papers which are handed him as temper emollients, are thrown aside by the irascible Daniel. Finally a copy of "The Animated Grouch Chaser" is placed before him. One glance at the cover serves to supplant clouds with sunshine and Daniel begins to delve into the book. The first cartoon series which meets his gaze is "Jones' Hair Tonic will Grow Hair Instantaneously." We are at once made acquainted with a congenial bald-headed man, who, in his youth, had never been warned against patent medicines, hair restorers, and bust reducers, and our new friend rubs his shining pate generously with the restorer. The result is prodigious. Hair immediately crops out, and following a second application, the hair grows out and down over the victim's face. He resembles the wild man from Borneo under a circus tent when his wife sees him. She shears the hair off with difficulty. By this time Dyspeptic Daniel is convulsed with laughter, He turns a page and finds another series, "A Duckling's Repast." A curious duckling, knowing that it was a cat and not a duckling that was at one time killed by curiosity, swims around a cake of soap which has been left on a stone in the lake. Little Ducky eats the concentrated bubbles and the agony she goes through is cleverly depicted on the screen. Finally, the duckling starts to blow out soap bubbles. Mother Duck is alarmed and to prevent her charge from getting into more trouble, makes a meal of her. Of course, this is only a cartoon and the little duckling will be regenerated soon and entertain us some more. At the conclusion, Dyspeptic Daniel is so elated that he eats everything in sight.
- Col. Prescott, one of the heroes of Bunker Hill, is busily engaged drilling his company of Minute Men. Among them is Jack Harrow, who shows such enthusiasm and ability that Prescott singles him out and promotes him to lieutenancy. .lack is delighted and on the way home tells his sweetheart Jane of his good fortune. He pleads for a promotion in her eyes also and after a few moments' hesitation she consents to become his wife. The wedding takes place in due time, but scarcely are they pronounced man and wife when Prescott bursts into the room with the news that the men are needed to fight. Hastily calling his men to arms he is confronted by Jane, who passionately declares that she will not let her husband go to war. Prescott finally persuades her that it is her duty to let him go. After bidding him a tearful farewell she collapses in her mother's arms. We next see Prescott and Jack under the direction of General Warren, throwing up the earthworks on Bunker Hill, in the middle of the night, while the British across the river are sleeping peacefully. The morning of the 17th of June, the Britishers moved forward to the attack and charged the hill in marching order. The command went down the American line, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes." They waited and when the volley belched forth the British fled down the hill leaving their dead and wounded on the field. A second time the British regulars fled before the deadly fire of the Americans. A third time they formed, this time with Gen. Howe at their bead, and charged the hill. But the Americans had but one volley left, their ammunition was exhausted, and fighting with whatever weapons they could muster, such as spades, picks and even stones, they slowly gave way before the British. Jack, in capturing a British flag, was severely wounded and taken to a friendly cottage, where Jane soon arrived to nurse him back to health. General Washington arriving to take charge of the American army, and hearing of Jack's bravery, took occasion to thank him in the presence of his staff, to the great gratification of his charming little wife.
- Mary Wilson, an orphan, has inherited all of her father's money; when her unscrupulous lawyer, Samuel Kingman, tells her that all her investments have turned out badly and that she is ruined, she immediately suspects Kingman of dishonest dealings. She consults another lawyer and is told that she really has no redress. Mary is compelled to sell all her possessions and goes to a boarding-house. Then she starts out to look for employment. Unsuccessful and embittered, she is finally compelled to take a cheap room "with meals" in an East Side house. This house is the home of many noted underworld characters, and here Mary meets Dan Reedy. a crook, and Lilly, an all-around thief. One of the gang has, stolen jewelry and brings it to Dan, who is at the gambling den. The place is raided by the police. They help their leader to make his get-away. Hastening to the boarding house, Dan rushes into Mary's room and begs her to take the jewels out and pawn them for him. She objects, but finally agrees to help him. She passes the police at the door, pawns the jewels and returns just after the police have left. She eventually becomes one of the gang. Meanwhile Samuel Kingman's son Ralph, has been given a position of cashier. Although handling large sums of money each day, he draws only a moderate salary. One night Ralph meets Mary and Lilly, and Mary prevents Lilly from picking Ralph's pockets while in a semi-intoxicated state. This leads to further conversation, during which Mary discovers that the young man is the son of a man who has cheated her out of her fortune. She obtains her revenge upon Ralph's father by getting the son infatuated with her, and by having him steal a lot of money. Mary agrees to go with Ralph to South America when the shortage is discovered, but before boarding the boat, she tells him that she has forgotten something at home and leaves. Mary does not return to the ship and Ralph goes in search of her. He finds her in her apartment, and upbraids her. Mary then makes it known to Ralph that, with the aid of her lawyer, she will make good his shortage, and shows him papers to this effect. Being in love with Mary, Ralph proposes. Mary does not love him, and tells him so. She is later confronted by Dan, who pleads his love for her. Having been impressed by his manliness, she consents, and together they seek "the way back" to upright living.
- Jennie, a coquettish housemaid, flirts with the grocer's delivery boy and thereby incites the jealousy of her sweetheart, Frank, the butler. Frank goes to his station in the hall and, in his anger, tells the marble statue that is a part of the furnishings of the handsome home, that his sweetheart is as cold as the stone of which it is made. He quiets down, and as he is not very busy, soon becomes drowsy, and dreams that the statue comes to life and goes with him to a ball. While they are walking along the street, a policeman meets them and questions Frank. He gets frightened, they run and as they rush back into the hall, the statue falls and breaks into a thousand pieces. His sweetheart comes down the steps and wakes him up and tells him to answer the bell. Frank's surprise at seeing the statue whole is plainly shown and his delight that is has all been a dream causes him to make up with his sweetheart.
- A famous painter chances to see one day the lines of Heine's poem, "Die Lorelei." This gives him the inspiration to paint the subject, and his daughter poses as the maid of mystery. But he needs a model for the fisherman who was drowned while trying to reach this maid of the rocks, so he inserted an advertisement in the paper. A young and handsome fisherman sees this and, being urged on by his wife, applies and is engaged to pose for the painter. The artist's daughter becomes interested in the rough but handsome fisher lad, and in the spirit of flirtation proceeds to lure him on. When she realizes that he is falling under her spell she becomes fascinated by the spirit of conquest. Heedless of results, she draws him on into an entanglement of love as the picture progresses. His wife realizes that a great something has taken her husband away from her, and she kneels in prayer, asking for the love that her heart craves for, and the prayer is answered. The daughter falls asleep by her father's painting, and the canvas becomes animated with life. She sees the old legend of the Rhine enacted before her, while she herself appears as the Rhine maiden who lured the men to their death. She awakes and realizes for the first time what she has been doing, and when again the fisherman seeks her out she sends him away, back to his wife. The spell is broken and the sunset finds husband and wife once again united.
- Mrs. Wethersby comes to the police station with the complaint that several thefts have been committed in her house, and Detective Kate Kirby is allowed to undertake the investigation as her first case. Accordingly she enters Mrs. Wethersby's house as her private secretary. She subjects the inmates of the house to a severe scrutiny. Besides Mrs. Wethersby, the household consists of a dissipated son and three servants of suspicious appearance. While writing invitations to a house party in Mrs. Wethersby's room. Miss Kirby discovers a revolver in the drawer of the desk, which Mrs. Wethersby explains she keeps on hand for protection. An inspection of the desk and the wall of the room causes a peculiar expression to pass across Miss Kirby's face. With the aid of a piece of chewing gum, she takes an impression of the key to Mrs. Wethersby's room, and has a duplicate key made for herself. The guests arrive at the house party and go to their rooms to dress for dinner. Miss Kirby, sitting at Mrs. Wethersby's desk as the hostess makes her preparations, is aware of a subtle delicate perfume, which is markedly different from the odor of the cologne with which Mrs. Wethersby is liberally spraying herself. Immediately the girl's suspicions are confirmed, and she sends immediate instructions to the police. That night after the guests have retired, Miss Kirby steals along the dimly lighted hall, and listens with her ear against the wall outside Mrs. Wethersby's room. Suddenly she glides to the door, unlocks it with her duplicate key, and enters. Taking the revolver from the drawer of the desk, she waits quietly. After a few moments, the wall of the room slides out of place without a sound, and Mrs. Wethersby, herself the thief, enters through the secret panel, carrying the jewel boxes of the young heiress, whose room is next to hers. Confronted by the quiet figure of her secretary, Mrs. Wethersby rushes to the desk drawer. The discovery that the revolver is missing leaves her no other alternative than to await the arrival of the police, who quickly answer the young detective's signal.
- On the eve of his marriage to Alice Osborn, Philip Morton realizes that he cannot marry her; he loves her sister, Marguerite, more than he does his bride-elect. Marguerite breaks down momentarily, but upon hearing her sister's voice, commands Philip to go where his honor calls him. She then goes to a lounge at the head of a stairway and writes a letter to Philip, telling him that while she loves him her little sister's happiness must have first consideration. Hearing the approach of someone, she hides the letters in the lounge. Into the drawing room, where the guests have been assembled ready for the commencement of the ceremony, a maid rushes with the terrible news that Alice has been found dead upon the stairs with a stab wound in her back. The chief of police is given the case, and with a number of officers and Kate Kirby, the famous woman detective, he arrives at the Osborn mansion, where a rigid search is instituted. Kate finds the hidden letter, and this, together with the knife that is found to be the property of Philip, cause his arrest. Morton is put through a vigorous third degree and the chief, being unable to get a confession from him, leaves him alone with Marguerite, in the hope that he will confess to her. But he only protests his innocence. The whole matter is cleared, however, by Kate, who discovers finger marks upon the lounge.
- A father and daughter each enjoy their printed "Grouch Chaser" cartoons, which come to life for the audience. Meanwhile, the daughter is secretly planning to elope.
- Pete accidentally picks up a bundle containing a baby. He leaves it on a spinster's doorstep, but a scandal erupts when she's seen with a baby. The baby is passed around to other doorsteps, creating other scandals, until it's finally reunited with its mother.
- A monk tells a tale about a woman who can only surrender her heart to a man who can offer her jewels. A poor man falls in love with her and steals jewels off a statue of the Madonna to give to her.
- Fred Bonsell, a young mining engineer, is sent to Georgia to investigate some mineral property. In a little backwoods settlement he meets Pinkie Floyd and her brother, Bub, who have had very few advantages and readily accept the magazines which Bonsell offers them. The stories and the pictures of the life which they have never seen make them want to improve their condition. Their father won't hear of any improvement and tears one of the magazines to pieces. Yet after much coaxing on Pinkie's part, the father consents to a plan to make some money by raising chickens. The building of the chicken yard is the starting point of a general improvement of the little farm. Fred Bonsell returns to the city with a very warm spot in his heart for the girl and sends books which Pinkie and Bud read from cover to cover. Two years later, Bonsell finds that a remarkable transformation has taken place on the Floyd farm. Neatly painted fences and other improvements have taken the place of the old disorder. Pinkie takes him to see the big chicken yards, but Bonsell spends most of his time looking at Pinkie, who has become a beautiful woman. Bonsell discovers that a hill which was left to Pinkie by her mother has very valuable mineral deposits and informs the girl of her good luck. He informs her at the same time that he loves her.
- A wealthy young American, bred to class distinction and racial intolerance, enters the Marines during the First World War. In the course of his training and his experiences in the trenches fighting, being wounded by, and being hospitalized with Germans, he comes to a recognition of the equality and brotherhood of men.
- Jimmy Carter, a millionaire, leading an idle, indulgent life, gets an urgent message from his friend, Reginald Travers. Travers, who is dying, has been ruined in the stock market by Mortimer Reynolds, and penniless, he leaves his little daughter in care of Carter, who promises faithfully to look after her. After the death of Travers, Carter takes Ruth to his luxurious home and gives her to the motherly care of Mrs. Jenkins, his housekeeper, Mortimer Reynolds, anxious to add Ruth to his list of unfortunates, instructs his mistress, Edna Morris, to make her acquaintance and to gain her confidence. Carter and Reynolds become bitter enemies because of Reynold's sarcastic reflections on the relationship between Carter and Ruth. As time passes, Ruth, by her winsomeness and innocence gradually changes Carter's mode of life. He no longer feels an interest in the gay life of former days, and even loses his taste for the morning nip. Unconsciously, Ruth is transforming his sympathetic dutiful interest in her to love. In a moment of ecstasy he crushes her in his arms. At the Charity Ball, where Ruth is taking part in a tableau, she meets Edna Morris. Fearful of Reynold's wrath should she fail, the unhappy girl works her way into the graces of Ruth. Carter sees this and immediately takes Ruth home, refusing to explain his conduct to her. Meeting Ruth in the park the following day, Edna denounces Carter for his action of the previous evening, "Why should he object to me, pray? Everybody knows that your father didn't leave you a penny, and that you are living on the, shall I say, generosity, of Mr. Carter." Stunned by the revelation that she is looked upon as Carter's mistress, the impetuous little girl rushes to the house, and in a burst of fury, screams her hatred of Carter. In the still of the night, she makes her way out of the house to Edna's apartment. It is here that Reynolds finds her. Impelled by a fiendish lust, he forces her to partake of his wines, and slowly they begin to work their effect. Carter, who, in desperation, has been searching for her, finds her in the apartment, stupefied and disheveled. Disgusted and heartsore, he looks upon her contemptuously and leaves, feeling that she has gone the way of Edna. Mrs. Morris, Edna's mother, prompted by a subconscious feeling that all is not well with her child, comes to the house from her little cottage in the country. She takes both penitents back home with her, hoping that they may forget and begin life anew. Meanwhile, Reynolds, whose financial affairs have taken a turn for the worse, and who is being sought by the police for forgery, attempts to make his escape. He is caught by the police and so made to pay for the misery and misfortune which he has brought upon others. Miserable and despairing because Carter has mistaken her, Ruth can find no peace. But Edna, she who has dragged her to darkness and degradation, succeeds in lifting her once more to the light of hope. The once impetuous Ruth is again folded in the arms of Carter, knowing that there only will she find eternal happiness and peace of soul.
- Farm Alfalfa has a pup that causes life on the farm to be far from dull. Enjoying a quiet smoke one day the farmer lays down his pipe. The pup steals it and, taking it under the stoop, smokes to his heart's content, then retreats to the barn. The farmer takes a mallet and runs to the barn in search of his pipe. There he finds the pup chasing the ducks. In turn he chases the pup. He cannot catch him and returns to the barn. There he buys a wonderful game rooster from a neighbor. The rooster gets into a fight with the pup, which escapes the rooster's attacks for the moment. The rooster springs into the pail where the pup is hiding the moment the pup springs out. Thinking that the pup is in the pail the farmer makes a drive and kills the rooster.
- Ruth Hoagland grows up on an island off the Massachusetts coast with no companion other than her father, a half-witted fisherman who spends most of his time hunting for buried treasure. Vacationing yachtsman Bob Winthrop and Ruth fall in love, but Winthrop returns to New York, and after a year, has forgotten Ruth. After finding two chests in a cave, Ruth locates her father unconscious from a fall. She goes to the mainland for help, but returns with the Reverend Josiah Arbuthnot and Dr. William Strong, to find her father dead. Strong, out of kindness, offers to marry her, but Ruth declines, sure that Winthrop will return. She offers to divide the chests with Strong and Arbuthnot, but after Strong discovers they are worthless, he withdraws his savings, and gives Ruth money to develop her voice in New York, saying that it came from selling the chests' contents. After Ruth learns of Winthrop's affair with a musical comedy star, she returns to the island to prepare for her Broadway debut, where she discovers Strong's sacrifice.
- A brother, a sister, and a friend all battle against the deadly disease of tuberculosis.
- Three bad boys come into possession of the famous Aladdin lamp and without realizing its marvelous power cast it away at the lake side as a valueless article, where it is found by poor penniless Tim, the gardener, who is about to commit suicide because Farmer Jenkins objects to him as a son-in-law. He picks up the lamp and examines it curiously. In trying to remove the sand and dirt he rubs it vigorously when to his astonishment a slave of the lamp suddenly appears coming from nowhere and informs Tim the slaves of the lamp are at his service, and by simply rubbing it his every wish will be granted, then he disappears as mysteriously as he came. This is a delightfully unusual comedy, full of trick work, which is wonderfully well done.
- The forerunner of all serials, "What Happened to Mary" was a series of 12 monthly one-reel episodes, each a complete entity in itself, revolving its immediate dramatic and melodramatic problems within the framework of a single episode and designed more for story and suspense situations than action. Episode Titles (q.v.): #1: "The Escape from Bondage"; #2: "Alone in New York"; #3: "Mary in Stage Land"; #4: "The Affair at Raynor's"; #5: "A Letter to the Princess"; #6: "A Clue to Her Parentage"; #7: "False to Their Trust"; #8: "A Will and a Way"; #9: "A Way to the Underworld"; #10: "The High Tide of Misfortune"; #11: "A Race to New York"; #12: "Fortune Smiles."
- Jean Dutard, a habitant of the Canadian woods, has a beautiful daughter, Annette. It is his ambition to have her marry Philip Boileau, a young woodsman. Annette, despite her dislike for Boileau, dares not rebel against her father's wishes. One day, Gerald Austin, a young American camper, gets off his usual trail and stops at the Dutard's to inquire his way. Dutard gives him the directions, but Austin pays little attention to them because he has suddenly caught sight of Annette. Dutard angrily orders the girl into the house and dismisses Austin coldly. Austin takes every opportunity to grow more intimate with Annette. One day Dutard surprises them together in the forest. He orders Annette home and threatens to kill Austin if he does not leave the woods. Austin follows Dutard back to his house and saves Annette from a whipping. With the assistance of Boileau, Dutard overpowers Austin, carries him out into the woods, and tying him to a sapling, leaves him to the tender mercies of hunger, exposure and the wolves. Dutard sends for the priest and makes immediate preparations for marrying Annette to Boileau. Cowed by her father's will, the girl dares not protest and proceeds with the ceremony until the moment when the priest asks her if she will take Boileau as her lawfully wedded husband. Her love for Austin overcomes her fears, and in a tensely dramatic moment she tells the priest the whole condition of affairs. A powerful scene follows in which the fearless priest completely dominates the two savage woodsmen by sheer strength of personality. Guided by Annette, he effects Austin's release and then marries the two lovers. Later he returns to Dotard, lectures him severely on the error of his ways and persuades him to turn over a new leaf.
- Episode 1: "The Perfect Truth" The day after Dolly Desmond had startled the community with the excellence of her graduation oration, Bobby North, a reporter on the local paper, suggested that it would be a good idea for her to write stories and things for his paper. Dolly was delighted with the idea, and started at once to put it into effect. She decided to write a story, which, although ostensibly fictional, should actually give a truthful picture of life about her as she saw it. After a week of hard work, which involved much burning of midnight oil and much weariness for the fair young authoress, the masterpiece was finished. The editor was delighted with it. It was published under the title, "The Perfect Truth: A Story of Real Life" and, at Dolly's request, the name of the author was omitted. On the afternoon of the publication of the story, the Ladies' Home Sewing Guild was engaged in its customary routine of languid needlework and somnolent gossip. One of the members began to read "The Perfect Truth," but stopped with a gasp of surprise, and called the attention of the other members to the article. In graphic, pitiless bits of description, the essential characteristics of each of the members of the Ladies' Guild were set forth so plainly, that there was no possibility of mistaking their several identities. Dolly had used the pen of a satirist with telling effect. The meeting of the Ladies' Guild ended in a furor of confusion. Mrs. Broome, the hostess of the afternoon, who had been particularly scored by the anonymous author, rushed to the newspaper office and demanded the name of her defamer. The editor refused to give her the desired information, but a note from Dolly on Bobby's desk made all things clear to Mrs. Broome. With the spreading of the news, the storm center shifted to Dolly's home. While indignant citizens waited on Mr. Desmond, and threatened to withdraw their accounts from his bank, the infuriated wives filled Mrs. Desmond's ears with their complaints. Dolly's father commanded her to stop the story and make a public apology, but Dolly, for the first time in her life, refused to comply with her parents' wishes. With the fifty dollars her story had brought in, she left for the city to earn her own living. We shall discover later what happened to her there. Episode 2: "The Ghost of Mother Eve" The first thing Dolly did after her arrival in New York was to try to find herself a job. The fifty dollars she had been paid for her story was practically all she had, and Dolly was wise enough to know that such an amount would not carry her very far in the city. At the very time that Dolly went to apply for a position on "The Comet," Mrs. Yorke, a wealthy society woman, was also on the list of applicants. But whereas Dolly merely wanted a position in order that she might feed and clothe herself, Mrs. Yorke desired a sinecure of a post wherein she might indulge her love for notoriety and scandal. As not infrequently happens, the rich and undeserving succeeded, while the poor and deserving failed. Dolly was politely turned away, while the paper agreed to publish a column from Mrs. Yorke's pen under the name of "Mother Eve." Mrs. Yorke noticed Dolly as she was leaving the newspaper office. Discovering the girl's literary ability, she invited her to lunch, and offered Dolly a position as her private secretary. Dolly, naturally enough, jumped at the offer, and entered upon her duties immediately. The main portion of her duties consisted in writing the "Mother Eve" column. Mrs. Yorke had not the remotest idea how to set about her self-appointed task. All she cared for was the money. For some days Dolly was moderately contented and happy. But one afternoon, while she was collecting news of an approaching ball in the showrooms of a fashionable modiste, she happened to encounter Mrs. Yorke. That estimable lady looked over and past and through Dolly, without the slightest trace of recognition in her face. When Dolly entered her room that evening to accomplish her nightly literary task, she fell, sprained her wrist, and promptly fainted. When Mrs. Yorke returned from a dance in the wee small hours of the next morning, she found a copy boy waiting patiently for the "Mother Eve" material. Dolly, roused from her swoon, was unable to work the typewriter on account of her wrist. So the copy boy wrote it to her dictation, while Mrs. Yorke stood by and fumed. After the boy bad left, Mrs. Yorke was highly unpleasant. Dolly, in a few crisp words, told her employer exactly what she thought of her, and informed her that hereafter she could write her own column. Then Dolly went away. Episode 3: "An Affair of Dress" It will he remembered that Dolly was engaged by Mrs. Yorke, a fashionable member of the smart set, to write a society column for the "Comet." Dolly furnished the brains and did the work. Mrs. Yorke received the money. After she had received a few unpleasant proofs of her employer's unreasonable selfishness, Dolly shook the dust of the Yorke mansion from her feet, and departed. In the course of her gathering of society notes, Dolly had met Minnie, a mannequin in a fashionable tailoring establishment. As luck would have it, there was a vacancy when Dolly arrived to ask Minnie about her work, and twenty-four hours after her quarrel with Mrs. Yorke, the girl was engaged at Browngrass' as a mannequin, with the princely salary of twenty-five dollars a week. Let it not be supposed that she was entirely infatuated with her position. She had come to the city to write, and write she would eventually. This was merely a makeshift, a temporary bar to keep the wolf from the door. There were other reasons too, why her situation did not satisfy her. The proprietor was kind, a little too kind, Dolly thought. One afternoon, he tried to kiss her, and she, quite naturally, slapped his face. In the midst of all her little difficulties, Dolly was not allowing herself to drift out of touch with the magazine and newspaper world. A poem sent by her to the "Jester," brought a gratifying return in the shape of a letter from the editor inquiring into her capabilities for a small editorial position. Later, the editor called, and since he was a nice sort of person, Dolly took dinner with him. In the excitement of the moment, she sailed off to the restaurant in the gown she was wearing. As it happened, the proprietor of Browngrass' came to the restaurant, saw the gown, called a policeman, and ordered him to arrest Dolly. Aid came from an unexpected quarter. Rockwell Crosby, editor of the "Comet," was sitting at the next table. He discovered that Dolly had written Mrs. Yorke's column, showed his card to the policeman, and ordered him to remove the angry proprietor. Dolly, he said, had no connection with Browngrass'. She was his star reporter. After the man had been removed and Dolly thanked Crosby for his kind lie, he told her it was the truth. She was engaged. Episode 4: "Putting One Over" When Miss Mindel, president of the Reform League, received a pathetic letter from certain tenants of the Union Realty Company, complaining of unsanitary living conditions and unjust rents, she wrote a sharp letter to the president of the Realty Company, threatening action in the courts unless improvements were made. James Boliver, the president, had put his company into its position of prominence, largely through his entirely unscrupulous method of dealing with any type of opposition to his plans. Briefly summing up the probable results of any action on the part of the Reform League, he decided that it must be prevented at any cost, so he decided to bribe Miss Mindel. Miss Mindel did not understand the carefully couched letter she received from Boliver, asking her to come and see him. She felt that she was getting into deep water, and decided to appeal to the newspapers, before taking any action. At the office of "The Comet," where she went first, Miss Mindel met Dolly Desmond, and with characteristic impulsiveness, told her the whole story. Dolly immediately hit on a plan, which she confided to Miss Mindel. That good lady, after some thought, consented to it. She was personally unknown to Boliver, and there seemed no reason why the plan should not succeed. In accordance with it, Dolly presented herself at the Union Realty Company's office as Miss Mindel. Mr. Boliver was very nice to her, indeed, and, finding her even more compliant than he had hoped, gave her a check for five thousand dollars, and allowed her to write him a receipt on the typewriter. Dolly made a carbon copy of the receipt, thanked Mr. Boliver, and turned to go. At the door she met Mr. Browngrass, her late employer, who happened to be one of the directors of the company. Since Browngrass recognized her immediately, there was nothing left for Dolly but flight via the fire escape. The enraged directors pursued her, but without result. She got her story in in time to go to press, and we leave Dolly glancing affectionately at the staring headlines of her "scoop." Episode 5: "The Chinese Fan" All newspaperdom was excited over the strange disappearance of Muriel Armstrong and each daily was doing its best to discover the missing heiress first, and thus secure for themselves one of the most sensational bits of news of the day, but no trace of her could be found, despite all efforts. The editor of the Comet ground his cigar and swore impotently and even Dolly, the star reporter, was at a loss for clues. Dolly was pondering over the matter on her way to her evening's assignment: the Chinese theater in Mott Street, where she was detailed to report the play. During the second act a little Chinese pin in the shape of a fan, which Dolly was wearing, unconscious of its significance to the Tongs, started a riot in the theater. As Dolly was escaping down the side street a huge hand protruded itself from a small door, pulled her inside, down a narrow corridor and thrust her into an ill-lighted den. How could she get out? She pounded on the door and called for assistance but all that greeted her was a chuckle and a slushing of soft footsteps down the corridor. She peered around in the gloom and suddenly a frightened bundle of humanity detached itself from the corner and a young girl fell at Dolly's feet, imploring assistance. Dolly raised her gently, looked into her face and discovered that she was Muriel Armstrong, the missing heiress. All fear of the Chinese vanished. Here was the scoop of the year. Fate helped her too, for the half-crazed opium fiend who was Muriel's guard, upset the lamp and set the place on fire. This enabled Dolly and her prize to escape and the next morning the heiress was turned over to her delighted parents. Episode 6: "On the Heights" Dolly's friend, Rockwell Crosby, editor of the "Comet." disagrees with the management and resigned. Dolly was disappointed at the news, but that was as nothing compared to her rage at the attitude of his successor, who was a self-confessed "hustler" and intended to make everybody on the paper "sit up and take notice." The first assignment he gave Dolly was to wander about the streets after dark until she found a story. Dolly was furious. She had made a distinct place for herself on the staff, and was accustomed to being treated with consideration. There was nothing to do but obey, so Dolly started out. To her amazement she ran across Ella Snyder, an old school friend, who was weeping bitterly. She had eloped with a young man named Oliver Allen. Oliver had brought her to a hotel, and had departed in search of a license. Having not come back for two hours Ella concluded that she had been deceived and decided to drown herself. Dolly took the girl home, told her not to be silly, and went to get Allen. She found him at the hotel bewildered at the disappearance of his bride-to-be. Dolly, convinced that his intentions were honorable, took him back with her. They found Ella had disappeared again. She left a note, saying she had resolved to die. In order to repay Dolly, Ella said she was going to jump from the highest building in town, so Dolly could make a scoop of the news. Dolly and Allen rushed to the Woolworth Building, and stopped Ella just in time. Then they repaired to the City Hall, where Ella and Allen were married. Dolly returned to the office and told the editor she had a story, but didn't intend to write it. He was wildly indignant at first, until she had calmly explained she knew perfectly what she was doing. Episode 7: "The End of the Umbrella" The Aqueduct Construction Company has been having a good deal of trouble with certain anarchistic elements, who, anxious to seize any cause of discontent to further the bloody revolution they hoped for, opposed the building of the great pipe which would carry fresh sparkling water to the crowded people of the great city. Finally, after the company had been worried half to death by anonymous threats, a tremendous explosion killed a couple of dozen workmen and completely wrecked the main section of the great work. Dolly Desmond, in the city office of the newspaper, heard of the catastrophe and begged the editor to allow her to investigate it. The editor, who had formed a high opinion of Dolly's character, readily consented, and Dolly set out for the scene of the disaster. As she wandered about the wrecked aqueduct, she came upon a curious umbrella handle in among several pieces of a shattered bomb. Dolly kept her find and said nothing about it to anybody. With some little difficulty, she succeeded in obtaining a position as cashier in the dining room of the little hotel near the works. She had the umbrella handle placed on a new umbrella, put it in the stand where she could keep her eye on it, and settled herself to watch. It wasn't as easy a matter to devote her entire attention to the stand as she had thought at first, for Grant, a young engineer at the works, fell madly in love with her. and insisted on talking to her at every opportunity. At last, when she was on the point of giving up in disgust, a shifty-eyed individual picked up the umbrella, started to go out with it, and then apparently remembering, looked at it, put it down and looked frightened. Dolly recognized him as "Nutty Jim," one of the lodgers in the hotel. That evening Dolly went up to his room to investigate. She had just unearthed several bombs when Nutty Jim entered and sprang at her. She fired at him, but missed. A bomb was knocked off the table and exploded. Nutty Jim was killed and Dolly severely injured. We leave her at the hospital with the anxious Grant at her side, delightedly reading her "scoop" in the Comet. Episode 8: "A Tight Squeeze" When the news came to the Comet office that Mr. Martinengro, the well-known Italian-American merchant and philanthropist, had been murdered, Dolly Desmond was very anxious to have the assignment. To her disgust, the managing editor gave the story to Hillary Graham, the young man Dolly had met in "Mother Eve's" house. Dolly, forced to be satisfied with a Salvation Army wedding. Hillary set off on his assignment in high spirits. He had not made much of a success of reporting yet, but he was confident that his work in this case would convince the Comet management that he was one man in a thousand. Arrived in a dingy little barroom near the scene of the crime, he announced his intention of apprehending the criminals to the interested bartender. As a result, a few minutes later, Hillary was knocked on the head and thrown into the cellar. Dolly, after finishing her report on the wedding, donned a Salvation Army uniform, and accompanied the band about town in search of more material. In the course of her wanderings, she entered the barroom, and saw a necktie on the floor which she had noticed that morning on Hillary. Creeping unobserved into the cellar, she discovered the unconscious Hillary lying on a pile of coal. As she stood in puzzled anxiety, wondering how she could possibly save the young man and herself, she was startled by a sudden rush of coal into the cellar, through the coal hole from the street. Daddy, the copy boy on the Comet, happened to be on the street above, watching the coal men at their task. Hearing a muffled cry, he stopped the men. A moment later Dolly crawled through the hole. She and Daddy rushed for the police. After Hillary had been rescued, the police entered the saloon, and arrested its occupants. A lucky chance resulted in the discovery of the Martinengro murderers. While Dolly was writing her story in the police station, the grateful Hillary proposed. Dolly was non-committal. She was afraid she wasn't quite ready to give up her adventurous life even for so successful a reporter as he was. Episode 9: "A Terror of the Night" Mrs. Winslow, a young widow, owned a piece of property known as "Beach House," for which the Union Realty Company were the agents. The money for the rental of the property meant a good deal to Mrs. Winslow, and when her tenants began to grow few and far between, she naturally called on her agents to inquire into the causes. President Bolivar, of the Realty Company, gravely informed her that "Beach House" was haunted. To substantiate his remarks, he showed Mrs. Winslow some newspaper clippings about the reported ghost at the house. Many complaints had been received from tenants and the property was becoming more and more impossible to rent. In short, Mr. Bolivar advised Mrs. Winslow to accept the Realty Company's very generous offer of $10,000 for the property worth $50,000. Mrs. Winslow thought that her property was worth more and went to consult her friend, Dolly Desmond, the star reporter on "The Comet." Dolly, instantly excited at the prospect of investigating a haunted house, suggested that Mrs. Winslow leave the property to her for the space of a week. Mrs. Winslow made out the necessary papers and then went to Bolivar and told him what she had done. Bolivar, an old enemy of Dolly, immediately planned a trap for her. He arrived at Beach House a little while after Dolly had made herself at home in one of the gray dreary rooms. After his first expression of pretended surprise, he began to make love to her, but the derisiveness of her answer showed plainly that his original plan was useless. So he bowed and took his leave. Dolly slept that night on a sofa in the front hall in the midst of a number of garden implements which had been stowed there for safekeeping. In the middle of the night, she was awakened by a slight noise. Looking up, a terrible sight met her eyes. A shrouded figure, clad in garments of ghastly white, was coming down the stairs toward her. Instead of shrieking and fainting, Dolly turned the hose on the advancing figure. It halted, wavered, and then ran out of the house and into the arms of Malone, who had just arrived to investigate the anonymous letter. The ghost was, of course, Bolivar, who had chosen this means of attempting to get Mrs. Winslow's property at a low price. Episode 10: "Dolly Plays Detective" When Mrs. Cambridge invited Dolly Desmond, and Malone, the managing editor of the Comet, to a dinner party, Malone naturally offered to take Dolly around to the Cambridge's in his car. For in the short space of time in which he had held his new office on the Comet staff, Malone had grown very fond of the clever young girl. When, on their way to the party, Dolly waved her hand to her old friend the policeman on the beat, she noticed a quick frown of displeasure on Malone's face. To tease him, she started to flirt outrageously with all the men present as soon as she arrived at the dinner, among whom was one of society's newest lions, the Count de Rochepierre. In the midst of the dinner, it was suddenly discovered that one of the ladies' necklaces was missing. She had worn it about her neck when she sat down, and it seemed absolutely inconceivable that anybody should have been able to remove it in the brilliantly-lighted room. On the following afternoon, the count called on Dolly, and begged her to accept a beautiful ring as a slight token of his esteem. Dolly, who rather enjoyed leading the count on, told him she should be delighted to wear it. Shortly after he had apparently taken his leave, Mrs. Cambridge and several ladies came to call. At Dolly's suggestion, a game of auction bridge was commenced. As they sat about the table, precisely the same thing happened as on the preceding night. Two of the ladies' necklaces vanished. The fact that Dolly had been present at both occasions when the mysterious occurrence had taken place, seemed a little significant. The ladies left hurriedly, and somewhat coolly. Left alone, Dolly decided to go and see the Count. She was led to this decision by several suspicious little incidents she had observed. In the Count's quarters, she discovered not only the missing necklaces, but absolute proof of how he had perpetrated his astonishing crimes. But even cleverer than her discovery of his method, was the way in which she inveigled the Count into playing a game of '"Forfeits" at the Cambridge's, and at the crucial moment in the game, clapped a pair of handcuffs on him and turned him over to the police. Episode 11: "Dolly at the Helm" When the city editor of the Comet burst into the managing editor's office and told him that his child was desperately ill with diphtheria, Malone, the managing editor, naturally told him to take as much time off as he wanted. Malone himself was feeling very badly at the time, and his resolution to take charge personally of the city editor's department was never carried out. Shortly after the city editor had left, Malone fainted at his desk. Dolly Desmond, the Comet's star reporter, found him there when she came into the room. She revived Malone from his stupor and had him taken home. In nine cases out of ten, both Malone and the city editor might well have been absent without any particular disturbance in the ordinary routine of the office. It was four o'clock on an unusually dull summer afternoon. The likelihood of anything happening seemed extremely remote. However, scarcely had Malone been taken away when things started. A terrible excursion boat catastrophe was the first. Right on its heels came the news that a great hotel was burning. In the excited chaos into which the Comet office was plunged, Dolly showed the stuff of which she was made. Her small hand seized the deserted tiller and with the quick incisive decision which was her chief characteristic, she wearied the legs of messenger boys, and kept the telephone wires hot with the dispatching of her swift Napoleanic commands. When it was all over, and the day was won, Dolly received a letter from home telling her that her father's bank was on the verge of ruin, largely as a result of the hard feeling which had been stirred up by Dolly's story, "The Perfect Truth." Poor Dolly, at her wits' end, went to Malone for advice. She took the manuscript of "The Perfect Truth" with her. Malone' s illness was a blessing in disguise for it gave him a chance to read the story, the first installment of which had had such a disastrous effect. He was amazed by its brilliance of style and theme. In a gush of unwanted enthusiasm he told Dolly that he was willing to publish the story at his own expense as a speculation. So Dolly, with her hopes once again raised, went away with the dim belief growing in her that "The Perfect Truth" might not be so bad a thing for her father as it had at first seemed. Episode 12: "The Last Assignment" When Dolly Desmond left the home of her youth to embark on a journalistic career in the city, she left the town in a state of furor behind her. The story called "The Perfect Truth," the first installment of which Dolly published in the town newspaper, aroused so much resentment against Dolly that the townspeople revenged themselves by withdrawing their money from her father's bank. Two or three months after Dolly went away, the bank was in such straits that suspension of payment seemed only a matter of hours. Then "The Perfect Truth" in its complete form was published as a book. It met with an immediate and startling success. Dolly attained to fame and wealth almost overnight. The echo of her success reached her native town, and people began to sit up and take notice. It was one thing to feel themselves the butt of the joke of an immature schoolgirl, and quite another to know that they had been the material from which a famous authoress had drawn her inspiration. In the midst of the excitement, Bobby, at the newspaper office, suddenly received word that Dolly was coming to town. The news was not an unmixed pleasure for Bobby. He had an evil conscience. He had been madly in love with Dolly before she left town, and believed that she cared a good deal for him. After she left, he fell in love with another girl. However, Bobby's first duty in the matter was perfectly clear. So he wrote up a headline article for his paper announcing Dolly's arrival. The town went wild with excitement. Fame was about to fall upon it again for the first time since Hank Bowers had been lynched for horse stealing many years before. All hatred and jealousy was forgotten and Dolly was welcomed by a tremendous popular demonstration. The first thing she did was to set her father's bank on its feet again, partly with the help of the money she had made and partly by the use of her extremely persuasive tongue. In the midst of the excitement, a stranger arrived in town, James Malone, the enterprising business manager of Dolly's paper. Everybody wondered who he was, and Bobby was the first to find out. For when he went to Dolly's house, with hanging head, to explain how matters stood, she told him that she was going to marry Malone. And that is how we leave Dolly with one career behind her, and another and far finer one ahead.
- With the co-operation of the New York City Cleaning Department the Edison Company has produced a film that will enlighten the outside as to the various methods employed in this city. First there is the ordinary sweeper, who sweeps the streets, brushing the dirt to one side where it is at once picked up and carted away. A recent innovation is the pneumatic sweeper which sweeps and picks up the dirt simultaneously. The latest type of flushing machine now used has a gasoline engine, which forces the water to the pavement under a pressure that wipes it absolutely clean. For wet pavements the squeegee, with its revolving rubber drums, serves both for cleaning and drying. From the refuse of the city has been built an entire island in Long Island Sound, known as Riker's Island. Here when it has reached the proper size the city proposes building a new prison. The garbage is taken down the bay to Barren Island, where it is thrown into huge vats, boiled, pressed, dried and then ground into fertilizer, from which a considerable revenue is derived.
- Young Henry Clay Madison, a clerk, falls in love with Flossy Wilson, a prostitute from New York's East Side. Although she reforms under his influence, Flossy believes that she is unworthy of Madison and rejects his marriage proposal. Seventeen years later, Madison's nephew Bert, a social worker, falls in love with wanton Fifty-Fifty Mamie, reforms her and elicits her help in his work. Bert falls ill, and when Mamie tries to visit him, Madison, who now is concerned only with money, convinces her to give up the idea of marrying Bert. Mamie goes to work in Madison's canning factory to investigate conditions. In addition to employing children, Madison's factory has no fire escape and only one staircase, which catches fire, many children die and Mamie is seriously injured. Madison visits Mamie, who cries Bert's name in delirium. When Madison brings Bert, now recovered, Madison notices a photograph of Flossy, Mamie's mother and realizes that Mamie is his daughter. She dies in Bert's arms, and Madison resolves to toil for the welfare of workers and the end of child slavery.
- Thelma, Mr. Chadwick's little daughter, is not at all agreeably surprised when her father returns from his honeymoon with his second wife. With undue frigidity, Thelma meets her new mother, and then recoils, as if wholly displeased with the selection. She is called into the next room by her father, given a scolding and told to go out and meet her stepmother as any nice little girl should. She goes reluctantly and stands looking at the new arrival doubtfully. As the days go by, Thelma's attitude toward her new mother remains unchanged, despite the fact that the latter has done practically everything in her power to alter the narrow perspective of the child's mind. Thelma and her dog, Jerry, played together and the girl took little or no notice of the sorrowful mother. Occasional trips were made to the attic by Thelma for the purpose of gazing at the portrait of her real mother which had been relegated to the heap of rubbish and antiques. One evening, after a birthday supper in Thelma's honor, she went to the attic to spend a few minutes with her real mother. Jerry followed her, but before he could get up through the trap door, it had slammed, breaking off the strap which was used to lift it. Thelma went to the old couch and took the picture. She soon fell asleep with the picture in her arms. She dreams that her real mother had come back to her and tells her to love her always, but to love the new mother for father's sake and as she deserves. In her dream, Thelma embraces her real mother. In the meantime, the others are frantic not finding her in bed, as expected. They search the house and finally hear Jerry barking upstairs. They go up and find him at the foot of the stairs to the attic. The dog rushes upstairs when he sees them, and soon they are at the couch where Thelma is asleep. The stepmother sits at the foot just where the real mother was in the dream, and when Thelma is awakened, she embraces her stepmother, thinking it is still the dream and that she is her real mother. Suddenly realizing, she recoils and then remembering what her real mother had said to her in the dream, throws her arms about her stepmother and forthwith calls her mother.
- Just before Mrs. Higginbotham dies she writes a letter to Colonel Grandson, her only relative, begging him to take care of her little son Albert. She entrusts the letter to the care of Uncle Ranse, her faithful old Black servant. After the obsequies, Uncle Ranse and Albert start out to the Abbeville Court House, where lives the colonel. Their scant supply of food is soon devoured and Uncle Ranse, touched by the little fellow's pitiful call for food, leaves him and starts out to get supplies. Just as he is about to appropriate a bag of potatoes, he is apprehended and taken to town. Meanwhile, Albert has been picked up by Captain Ransom, who happened to be passing along the road. The captain and Albert later meet Uncle Ranse and his captor and there is instant recognition between the old servant and the little boy. Uncle Ranse's explanation releases him, and the captain sends the pair on to the Abbeville Court House, where they are well-fed for the first time in many days.
- Charlotte Marlin was raised on a Connecticut farm in the shadow of Micah's apple tree, whose fruit, according to legend, changed from pale green to spotted red after a peddler was killed and buried at its base. Orphaned, Charlotte goes to live with her aunt and pretty cousin Margaret. She meets Neil Kennedy, a poor boy who is working his way through college, and they become friends. Margaret, who is engaged to wealthy Willis Hayland, teases Charlotte, who considers herself to be plain-looking. At high school graduation Charlotte's academic achievements are obscured by Margaret's leading role in the school play. Jealous of Margaret, Charlotte resolves to make everybody like her, to be famous, and to marry a millionaire. She learns that to make everybody like her, she must be friendly to everyone. To become famous, she becomes a golfer and wins the world's championship tournament. She nurses millionaire Perry Graham after hitting him in the head with a golf ball, supposedly an accident, but when Perry falls in love with her, Charlotte realizes that she loves Neil, who has become a promising physician.
- Spanish soldiers arrive in Cuba and raid the farm of Dolores' father. Father and brother, attempting to protect their home, are arrested and held for court-martial. Captain Hernandez listens to Dolores' plea for their release and taken by her beauty, promises to set them free. His advances to her are interrupted by the sound of a rifle volley. Through the open window, Dolores sees her father fall before the firing squad. For this she kills Hernandez. Running to his home in the mountain fastnesses, she tells Garcia, Cuba's savior, of her act. Political unrest finds the Maine anchored in the Harbor of Havana. Jose, Dolores' brother, hiding from the troops who have killed his father, seeks revenge. Prowling about, he enters a subterranean vault where he sees an officer exhibiting to some visitors, the switch which controls the mines laid in the harbor. The officer and his friends depart, and Jose throws the switch which sends the Maine and its crew to the bottom. Garcia's whereabouts are unknown and President McKinley seeks a man who can deliver a message addressed: General Garcia, Somewhere in Cuba. Of the many who are called, Lieutenant Rowan alone is chosen. Mme. Gonzalles, a spy in America, employed by the Spanish government, is instructed to ascertain the attitude of the United States government, after the sinking of the Maine. She discovers that Rowan is sailing for Cuba with a message for Garcia. Determining that the message must not reach its destination she follows Rowan on his trip across, arranging by wire for his arrest upon his arrival in Havana. A soldier, stopping at a well near Dolores' home, drops a message addressed to Captain Gonzalles, Mme. Gonzalles' brother, informing him that she has arranged for the American's capture. Dolores rushes to Garcia with the news. On board ship, Mme. Gonzalles makes several efforts to get the message, but each time is foiled by Rowan. He learns of the fate that awaits him and when the boat docks, escapes the pursuing soldiers by jumping overboard. Rowan swims ashore and eludes the pursuing Spaniards. Meeting one of the soldiers single-handed, Rowan overpowers him. exchanging his own wet clothes for the man's uniform. Thus, clad as a soldier of Spain, Rowan sets out to roam the wilderness for Garcia. He meets Dolores who, at first frightened because of the uniform he wears, shows her relief and joy when she learns that he is "Americano." He manages to make her understand that he is seeking Garcia. "Butcher" Weyler, Governor-General of Cuba, upbraids Mme. Gonzalles for her failure in effecting Rowan's arrest. Fearful lest Weyler wreak his wrath upon her, Captain Gonzalles, her brother, offers to assume personal responsibility for the immediate capture of Rowan. From the brow of a hill, Rowan and Dolores sight the pursuing party. Capture is imminent and Rowan entrusts his message to Dolores. They part ways and soon Rowan is made a prisoner. Dolores, however, manages to set him free. Again, they start on their journey, but the pursuers soon take up the trail and before long they find themselves ambushed. All hope seems lost. Dolores parts the bushes and reveals in the distance, the house of Garcia. She returns the message to Rowan and bids him hasten on, while she remains behind with his rifle, holding off the attacking troops. Rowan delivers the message, but on his return he finds the bullet-riddled body of Dolores, mute witness to her great heroism. As a sacred memory of the one who made the delivery of the message possible, he takes back home with him Dolores' lace scarf. Back in the barracks the boys are rejoicing at Rowan's success. He is greeted amid wild shouts and cheers, and when the lace scarf comes to view his friend turn to him with an all-knowing smile. But the story of Dolores' sacrifice soon makes them understand and when the call to arms is sounded they march away cherishing the name of the unknown "little Cuban."
- This tale is filled with human love and tenderness of the hearty frontier man for his girl wife and shows the tender struggle of the woman to be a helpmate to the man she has followed into the wilderness, where together they build their little home and fight that awful struggle of isolation and loneliness, where it means miles and miles to their nearest neighbors. Together they fell the first log of their little home and so on with patience and love each one carries out his daily work, and at eve by the campfire with the wife's head resting upon the husband's knee they talk and plan of the future of their little home, which is in the building. At last it is finished and the rough interior is made beautiful in a simple way, by the hands of the woman. Never a cloud has entered their lives until one day the cows go astray. The husband comes home wearied with his daily toil, harsh words are spoken, supper is eaten in silence; it is their first quarrel. What a tragedy it is to those who love. So through the long night and at the breakfast table the silence between the two continues and when John leaves with never a good-bye kiss the wife's heart is wrung and it is little that John knows that it is the last chance that he will ever get to kiss the woman he loves in life. That eve when he returns from work he finds a tender little note saying the cows have gone astray again and that she had gone to bring them home. A fire breaks out in the forest and so through smoke and flame and burning brush she searches and finds the stray cattle and brings them home, but when he finds her she cannot answer to his call, nor feel the kiss that she so longed for at the morning hour. The flames had done their work; the cattle were safely home and the dead body of his young wife lay cold and still in his arms and so the picture ends with the First Settler telling his tale of tender human pathos.
- Vance Coleman had landed his canoe when suddenly his eyes were greeted with the remarkable sight of a beautiful gypsy girl strutting around under the trees, while in her hands she held the very volume of Tennyson for which he was searching. His advent upon the scene startled her and she sprang away like a young wild thing, but quickly returned when he picked up her mandolin and began to play. Repeated meetings caused something more than mere friendship to spring up between the two young people and this sentiment was made fairly evident a short while after, when Vance rescued her from the embraces of Drew Martin, his cousin, and forced the young reprobate to make proper apologies for his conduct. This incident took place when Drew was on his way to meet Judge Stone, who had been summoned to the city to draw up General Coleman's will. Realizing that the general was wrapped up in his son, Drew saw a chance to get even with Vance, and at the same time feather his own nest. A slighting remark about Vance caused the general to ask for more details and on hearing of his son s infatuation for Olive, the gypsy girl, he faced him with it, and being unable to make him change his plans, he furiously demanded of the judge to change the will so that it would read in Drew's favor, completely disowning Vance. The general's outburst culminated in a complete collapse, and the doctor being summoned, he informed them that the old gentleman was in a very serious state of health. Judge Stone returned to the city and Drew was left in charge of his uncle, with a warning, under no circumstances, to give him more than three drops of medicine. It was during the period that news reached him of the discovery of his having forged his uncle's name, and fearing disclosure, he deliberately gave the general an overdose and fled from the cabin. Olive, in the meantime, had decided not to accept her lover's sacrifice and was on her way to the cabin when she came across the general's body. Quickly summoning Vance, she ran to the gypsy camp, and returned with an antidote for the poison, which saved the general's life. Gratitude quickly caused the general to view her in a different light, and won his consent to their marriage.
- The romantic escapades of two couples at the beach form the framing story for four animated cartoons.
- All I Need Is You is the sixth song on Rob Cantor's album Not a Trampoline. The music video was directed by Randall Maxwell, and features cameos from Ross Federman and Bora Karaca.
- After primping most carefully, the Flirt started out for a day of conquest, thoroughly impressed with the power of his charms and convinced that no woman could withstand them. Meeting Grace, he proposed a walk through the autumn woods, and they no sooner reached a dell watered by a rustling brook when, suddenly, the Flirt caught sight of Gracie as she crossed the meadow on the way to tend her cows. His sudden decision to follow this new attraction caused Grace to lose her balance, and fall into the brook. Her cries for help helped to attract him as he sped, intent upon the milkmaid's charms. Grace was quite flattered at the Flirt's attentions, when again his watchful eye spied Grace More, and started off in her direction. Here again his attention was only momentary, for Grace Full appeared on the scene, and on he scurried in her wake. Finding that she was desirous of learning how to swim, he volunteered his services, but just as she jumped into deep water he happened to catch sight of a smartly-clad figure in a roller chair and off he rushed to the bath house, leaving his charming pupil to the tender mercies of the waves, from which she was rescued by a gallant lifesaver. By this time the several Graces, reinforced by a policeman and the lifesaver, were hot upon the Flirt's trail, and they caught sight of him just after he discovered his latest charmer to be Dis Grace, a lady of pronounced color. Off he flew with the whole crowd at his heels. Finding all avenues of escape held by his pursuers, the Flirt ran out on a dock and thought to put them off of his trail by feigning suicide. A length of hose and a big stone served his purpose, as by blowing into the hose he caused most nautical bubbles to appear upon the surface of the water. He came out of his hiding place under the dock too soon, however, and was captured by the policeman, and placed in the roller chair, and trundled through the village to the merriment of the onlookers.
- Count Giuseppe Rizzo, pressed by his creditors, marries June Baxter, heiress to a large fortune, for her money. As the wedding party emerges from the church, Phillipa Garrie, once mistress to the Count, but now cast aside, attempts to stab him. Humiliated, and realizing a. side of the Count's nature unknown to her, June secludes herself in her home and orders him out of her sight. To avoid notoriety, she leaves town to take up her home near the site of the plant left her by her father. Together, with Clay Foster, superintendent of the plant, she devotes her time to the welfare of her workmen. By threats of creating public scandal, the Count blackmails June, compelling the payments of large sums of money. As their work at the plant draws them closer together, the seeds of love take root within the breast of Clay Foster and with them a deep hatred for the Count, who refuses to give June a divorce. After a while, however, hard pressed by his creditors, and a heavy loser at gambling, the Count agrees to grant her a divorce if June will make a settlement upon him. June, determined, leaves for New York, and registers at the Count's hotel. Unbeknown to June, Clay Foster follows her to protect her from harm. The Count's demands upon June are staggering and she refuses to comply with them. The Count is enraged and June saves herself only by her presence of mind. Clay Foster enters the scene, and threatens to kill the Count if he does June any bodily harm. Adventure and complication follow each other in quick succession. Thirteen, the number on the door of .the Count's room in the hotel, has begun to cast its spell about. That night, the Count is murdered. Suspicion falls upon Clay, and he is arrested for the murder. Yet, as the numerous complications begin to untangle themselves, we find that the Count was killed, not by June, because of her fear of him alive; not by Clay, because of his hatred for him; not by Phillipa, because he had blighted her life; nor by Antonio, her father, who had sworn to take vengeance, but by one with no personal ties, urged on merely by the sight of the Count's winnings that night, and cursed by the awful spell, unable to escape the talons of number thirteen.
- The old keeper of the lighthouse and his daughter have lived together peacefully year after year tending the lights on St. David's Island. The old man has come to believe that his daughter's after life will be spent near to him when she marries John West. Little they dream that the ways of a woman's love must follow the dictates of her heart and when she steals away from the lighthouse and marries another man sadness falls upon those two who are left behind. Six months later Jeannette bids her husband good-bye as he goes on a fishing voyage. The great ship never comes back, her heart grows weary of waiting and she returns to her old home. The dawn of a new hope is just about to break into bloom in the heart of John West when the lost husband is rescued from a lonely island and is brought back to his wife.
- In the first scene we see a group of children at a window waiting for the arrival of their father. Following this we learn that the little family lacks a mother. The next scene brings us to a theater-box party. The father of the little family meets another woman. It soon becomes evident that he intends to marry again and at last he brings this other woman to the house. While he is present, she seems to be fond of the children, but once he is out of the room we see that her fondness is hardly skin-deep. Soon the mother's picture is removed from over the fireplace and evidently the new wedding will take place. Little Margaret, taking care of the children, finds them hard to amuse one day, and going up into the garret, finds some old clothes, in which they all dress. By chance she puts on the very costume which was used when her mother posed for the big portrait, now absent from its place over the mantel, and so it happens that when the father comes home at night, there comes down the stairs into the light, apparently a vision of the little wife he loved. We can almost feel with him the sudden awakening and realization that she was his only love, and that her daughter need be his only sweetheart now.
- The beginning of the film deals with the love romance of a deep-sea diver and the daughter of an old curio collector, whose past life takes up a good part of the film and reveals to the spectator his younger days as he tells them the story of his romance and marriage. The dramatic situations, showing how his young bride was stolen from him by buccaneers, his heroic rescue of her, the casting overboard of the treasure chest and the burning of the vessel, prepare the spectator for the climax of this dramatic film when the deep-sea diver goes in search of the sunken treasure. Here is introduced a wonderful scene of the bottom of the ocean with the diver at his work. The frantic struggle for air when the pumps are stopped, the finding of the treasure and the saving of his sweetheart's father are all intensely interesting.
- The small son of wealthy young parents is left to the care of a governess while the father and mother enjoy themselves. One day in the park, a little mischief entices the boy away from his governess and after a long walk they arrive at the foot of the Palisades, and take off their shoes and stockings to go in wading. On the top of the cliff above them, workmen are engaged in some blasting, and while the children are playing they are suddenly startled by a cry from above. Looking up they see a huge boulder dislodged and rolling down the declivity toward them. Not being used to action, the boy hesitates, but only for a second; then the real spirit of the man within him awakens and he dashes forward, pulling the little girl aside just in time to save her from the huge boulder, which dashes over the spot where she had stood a half-second before. The boy delivers her safely to her father and starts to leave, but she tells her father what happened during their walk. The man takes the boy home to his parents. The little girl's father tells what the boy really did, and for the first time the parents realize that here is a son worth having.