Cinematic Discoveries Resonating with the Themes of Bolla di sapone...

Dir: Maurice Elvey

A lady marries a horse trainer but withholds herself until her crippled brother is cured.

Dir: Dallas M. Fitzgerald

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Blackmail perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Confidence artist Flossie Golden attempts to fleece foolish but wealthy James Venable with a breach-of-promise suit. Venable's shrewd attorney, Richard Harding, outwits Flossie by proposing that she marry Venable and live on an allowance of $3,000 per year. Flossie is determined to get even with Harding for ruining her plans. In an attempt to con him, she poses as Innocence Page, but falls in love and marries him instead. Larry, Flossie's former accomplice, endeavors to blackmail her with her errant past, but Harding is already cognizant of the facts and Larry fails.

Dir: Harry Southwell

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Robert N. Bradbury

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Kelly Gang perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A simple country girl, brutally mistreated by her stepfather, awakens first the sympathy, then the love, of The Boy. The Spider, who lusts after The Girl, makes a bargain with the stepfather and takes her to the city where, kept prisoner, she is soon broken in health and spirit. Cast out and near death, she is taken in by The Boy. Following the demise of The Spider, The Boy takes her to church, where he prays, and after many hours she is restored to health.

Dir: Harley Knoles

Jim McDonald, the foreman of a shipbuilding plant and head of the labor union, strives to combat the anarchistic propaganda being put forth by Klimoff, the leader of a Bolshevik gang whose goal is to disrupt the country with strikes and anarchy. Despite McDonald's efforts, a strike is called, resulting in chaos. McDonald's child is knocked down by runaway horses abandoned by their striking driver, and dies. Mob scenes take place in America, as well as in Russia. Eventually, the unrest is quelled with an armistice called between Capital and Labor for a year, during which time wages are to be increased to reflect the cost of living, and leaders are to work out a common plan for their mutual advantage. The strikers now realize that they have been pawns of the Bolsheviks and call off the strike, agreeing to the plan.

Dir: Charles Krauss

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Into the Light perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Jacques Collin, a convict at the penitentiary of La Rochelle, known to his associates as the King, succeeds, despite a strict watch, to escape. A boat, manned by his accomplices and hidden among the rocks, carried him to safety. Changing his costume and assuming the name of Vautrin, he puts up at a boarding house, inveigles himself into the good graces of the inmates and seeks among them creatures who are likely to help him. In one of his visits to a strange café he is recognized by a noted detective, one Corentin, who, going up to him, grasps his shoulder and bluntly shouts, "Good day, Jacques Collin." The latter, on his guard, does not move a muscle. Corentin leaves furious, but not convinced. He keeps on his trail and, through an indiscretion, Collin is thrown into his hands and as he is arrested, shouts, "In six months I shall be free, then beware." He is as good as his word, and escaping, assumes the name of Councillor Don Carlos Heriera and is once more in the whirl. One day he follows the handsome Lucien De Rubenpre, who, tired of life, contemplates suicide. Collin, arriving on the spot, fascinates him, makes a tool of him, and fills his head with a dream of the conquest of Paris. He and Esther, another tool in the hands of Collin, are thrown into one another's society constantly, and Esther falls in love with Lucien. Collin gets angry. Esther is not rich; she must have money. The banker, Baron De Nucingin, can give that to her. Collin arranges to have her seen in the box of a theater and the banker immediately falls into the trap. Corentin has not abandoned his quarry, but is still hot on his trail. Esther is now in the swim. Nucingin has presented her with a regal mansion, which she has accepted through sheer fear of the Master Criminal, who holds her in his power just as he holds Lucien. Maddened by grief, she seeks solace in death. Collin has been advised by his aunt, who is Esther's housekeeper, to come to her at once. On the way she is accosted by Corentin brandishing a warrant. As he approaches to serve it, Collin upsets him by a blow in the stomach and again makes his escape. Rushing into the house, he seeks refuge on the roof, the detectives in close pursuit. A struggle takes place, and Collin, who is as strong as an ox, takes hold of the detective and hurls him into the street below. Lucien in the meantime is arrested and as justice always triumphs, so Collin eventually is incarcerated. Lucien, fearing the penalty of his crime, ends his life, and when Collin is informed of the fact, he is thunder-struck and falls to the ground limp and powerless. The Master Criminal is brought before the magistrate, having in his possession valuable and incriminating letters against three of the first families of France and offers a compromise that he go free and be appointed Chief of Police, in exchange for the letters which he holds. The compromise is effected and Collin, turning over a new leaf, becomes Master Criminal Hunter instead of Master Criminal.

Dir: Colin Campbell

Zora, a girl of French origin, is raised by a wealthy Bedouin family after her mother Valerie dies while eloping with another man. Zora feels such great longing for the French artist Adrien that she accepts the offer of another artist, Raoul, to take her to Paris with the stipulation that if Adrien rejects her, she must give herself to him. Jan, the chieftain's son who is in love with Zora, follows the two to Paris. There Zora realizes that Adrien does not love her and discovers her real love for Jan. However, she feels bound to honor her pact with Raoul and is about to succumb to his advances when her father appears and recognizes Raoul as the man who destroyed his home years earlier. In the ensuing fight between the two men, Raoul is killed, thus freeing Zora to accept Jan's love.

Dir: Wilfred Lucas

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Great Shadow perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Brian O'Farrell (Snowy Baker), is an English 'new chum' who takes a job at an Australian cattle station. He is teased by station hands because of his appearance (including spats and a monocle) but he soon impresses them with his skills at riding and boxing. The station manager, John MacDonald (Wilfred Lucas), takes O'Farrell to Sydney to meet his daughter Edith (Kathleen Key) who is working in the slums. Edith is kidnapped by criminals after witnessing a crime but O'Farrell rescues her. It is later revealed he is the owner of the station.

Dir: Eduardo Notari

A crime drama in the Gennariello-series. The police detective in Naples that is confronted with modern gangsters and crime events.

Dir: Perry N. Vekroff

While in New York seeking work, Cynthia, a young English girl, meets Bruce Crittenden and George Rhode who introduce her to Madame Savarin, a wealthy woman seeking a companion for a sea voyage. She hires Cynthia, and while at sea, Cynthia discovers that Bruce is the ship's purser. Cynthia's father was a famous wireless expert who taught her how to read code, which enables her to overhear a plot to sink the ship and steal Mrs. Savarin's jewels. Soon after, the crew mutinies, and while Rhode and Bruce fight the crew, Cynthia sounds the alarm. As he is attempting to foil the jewel thieves, Bruce falls overboard, and Cynthia swims to his rescue with the jewels strapped to her back. They are rescued by a government patrol boat and taken back to New York where Cynthia and Bruce are married.