Masterpiece Selection Resonating with the Themes of From the Valley...

Dir: Frank Powell

Mrs. Balfame is the social leader of the small town of Elsinore, and David Balfame, her husband, is the political leader, a drunken loutish man his wife has hated during their sixteen years of married life. While attending a club meeting Mrs. Balfame listens to a speech by Dr. Anna Steuer, her friend, stating that many of the women on the other side are glad to be rid of their beasts of husbands who made war possible. Later in her home Dr. Steuer shows Mrs. Balfame an untraceable poison. With these two facts in her mind, and urged on by a disgraceful scene at the Country Club caused by Mr. Balfame's drunkenness, Mrs. Balfame decides to kill her husband. Meanwhile, Mr. Balfame has wandered into Old Dutch's saloon and insults the proprietor and his son, Conrad, and also arouses the ire of a tough young man who is dancing with a girl. Discovering that he must go to Albany on political business he phones Mrs. Balfame and asks her to fix him a bracer and pack his grip. She replies that a glass of lemonade and aromatic ammonia will be left on the table for him. Mr. Balfame, still drunk, then starts for home, followed by the young man from Old Dutch's. Mrs. Balfame make a glass of lemonade, putting in the poison, and places it on the table. Then, discovering a man lurking on the grounds, she takes a revolver and hurries out to scare him off. Frieda, the maid of all work, sees Mrs. Balfame leave the house. As Balfame nears the house there is a shot and he falls. Mrs. Balfame rushes in and, still watched by Frieda, pours out the lemonade and rinses out the glass. On the testimony of Frieda and Conrad Mrs. Balfame is arrested, charged with her husband's death. Dwight Rush, a young lawyer who has long been in love with Mrs. Balfame, represents her. Mrs. Balfame does not love Rush, but promises to marry him if he obtains her freedom. Alys Crumley, a young artist, is in love with Rush, and through her jealousy of Mrs. Balfame tells of the conversation she overheard in which Dr. Steuer told Mrs. Balfame of the poison. Dr. Steuer is called as a witness, but is sick in a hospital, and from her dying bed makes a confession that she shot and killed Mr. Balfame because she could no longer see her dear friend abused by the brute. Rush finds his love for Mrs. Balfame has been diminishing as his interest in Alys is strengthened, but goes to claim Mrs. Balfame after the acquittal. Realizing the disparity in their ages, she sends him to seek happiness with Alys Crumley.

Dir: Frank Powell

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

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Frank Powell

Travers Gladwin, a young millionaire, returns incognito from abroad with his Japanese servant, Bateato, after cabling his chum Whitney Barnes to meet him that evening at the Gladwin mansion. Al Wilson, a picture thief, arrives from Europe the same afternoon. He has obtained keys to the Gladwin mansion from a dismissed servant of Gladwin's and, parading under the other's name, wins the love of romantic Helen Burton with whom he plans to elope at ten thirty that night. Bateato goes to the mansion at once and excites the suspicions of Phelan, "Officer 666," whom he finally satisfies as to his identity. A few minutes later Whitney Barnes reaches the home, followed shortly after by Travers. This visit is interrupted by the arrival of Helen Burton and her friend, Sadie Small, and Helen explains that she intends that evening to elope with her sweetheart, Travers Gladwin. Amazed at first, Travers scents trouble and then pretends an intimate friendship with Gladwin. Barnes, under the influence of a brilliant idea, takes Sadie aside and advises that she tell her aunt of the proposed elopement. Both girls leave, promising to return at 10:30. Gladwin at once determines upon a plan, brings in "Officer 666," borrows his uniform and, sending Phelan to the kitchen with Bateato, goes into the street, where he purchases a false mustache and returns. Sadie and her aunt call and Gladwin hides, leaving Phelan and Barnes to face the music. After threatening to have them arrested, the two women leave in high dudgeon, the house is darkened and Barnes and Phelan go into the kitchen to entertain themselves in anticipation of Wilson's visit. Promptly at ten, Wilson slips into the house and begins cutting valuable oil paintings from their frames. He is surprised by the sudden appearance of Gladwin in Phelan's uniform and immediately puts the pseudo-policeman to work helping him pack the canvases. Helen arrives and does not recognize Gladwin in his false mustache and policeman's uniform, but when Wilson goes upstairs for a moment, Travers quickly explains the situation, advising Helen to be quiet to avoid scandal. In the meantime the excitable Japanese, Bateato, alarmed at the strange doings, brings a captain and two patrolmen toward the house. Phelan enters the parlor and demands the return of his uniform, explaining the matter to Wilson. Travers dares not tell the truth for fear of implicating Helen for whom he has already formed a strong attachment. Thus Wilson easily brands Gladwin as the real thief. Meantime at Phelan's approach, Helen hides herself in the hallway clothes closet. At this juncture the police enter with the Japanese and Phelan denounces Gladwin. The captain praised Phelan and sends him on his beat. The Japanese, seeing a door partly open, reaches in and drags Helen into the parlor. Barnes, attracted by the noise, enters from the kitchen and a patrolman promptly claps the handcuffs on that unfortunate gentleman, much to his subsequent misery and woe. Helen takes advantage of the confusion to slip into the closet. The situation is further complicated by the arrival of Sadie and her aunt with a half dozen policemen. One of them takes a long look at Wilson, recognizes him as an old offender and steps forward to arrest him. Instantly Wilson throws the room into darkness and jumps unseen into a large chest. The police scamper in all directions, leaving Gladwin alone in the parlor. A moment later Wilson emerges, revolver in hand, and exchanges some pleasantries with Gladwin, who for Helen's sake is anxious that the thief should escape. A fresh wagonload of police arrive and among them Phelan, who, seeing Galdwin at liberty in the parlor, promptly leaps upon him. The captain enters and upbraids Phelan and leaves with Gladwin to search the roof. Wilson takes advantage of the opportunity to step from behind the portieres, chloroform Phelan, don his uniform and toss him into the big chest. Then he calmly walks into the street, informs the wagon-driver that he is wanted inside by the captain, and coolly makes his escape on the driver's seat of the empty patrol. Meanwhile in the library Barnes, still handcuffed, after failing in his desperate effort to embrace Sadie, brings her into the parlor where Travers and Helen are engaged in rescuing the unhappy Phelan. And when Sadie makes a promise to Barnes and Helen to Travers, that wealthy young gentlemen makes another to Phelan, that uniform or no uniform there will always be a job waiting for "666."

Dir: Frank Powell

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Officer 666 perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Princess Fedora Romanoff, a wealthy, beautiful St. Petersburg widow, is betrothed to Vladimir Boroff, a young man of high social position in the Russian capital. On the eve of their wedding, Vladimir is murdered and Princess Fedora, transformed by the tragedy from a gentle, loving woman into a tigress, vows to devote her life to finding and punishing the slayer of her beloved. Her quest takes her to New York City.

Dir: Frank Powell

The husband and wife of a typical American family read the story of Albert and Louise, European peasants. Albert, called to war, is able to come home but once during the conflict. The captain of the enemy takes up his headquarters in Albert's house and forces his attention upon Louise. War over, Albert returns home rejoicing in the news of the birth of a son. He is told Louise has never looked at or touched the baby. Demanding an explanation Louise tells of the visit of the captain. Albert would kill the child, but Louise's motherhood asserts itself and she saves its life. The American family rejoice on completing the story that America is at peace.

Dir: Frank Powell

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

Alaire Austin runs a cattle ranch along the Texas-Mexican border with her corrupt husband Ed. After Texas ranger Dave Law saves her from dying of thirst in the desert, the two fall in love. Mexican bandit Longorio, who longs to possess the beautiful Alaire, orders his men to kill her husband and take control of the ranch. The bandit captures Alaire and forces an old priest to marry them, but before the ceremony can be performed, Dave arrives and secretly marries her himself. The couple escapes and seeks refuge in a little house just inside the Mexican border, but Longorio's men pursue them and set the building on fire. Just in time, a force of United States cavalrymen arrives and conducts the couple across the Rio Grande to safety.

Dir: Frank Powell

Stevens, the bank clerk, is ambitious. His great desire is to become a lawyer. He stays at the bank at night to study, but is unable to take a course at college owing to his poverty. He handles immense sums of money every day and is strongly tempted to steal some, but fights off the desire till one evening when a belated customer comes late to the bank with a deposit of several thousand dollars. He sees a way for his ambition to be gratified and takes the money. His wife refuses to go with him, so he deserts her and his small daughter and goes away. Some time later we see him in a strange town living under an assumed name. His ambition has been gratified and through the good will of the political boss he has been made a judge. He falls in love with the daughter of his friend, the boss, but is deterred from marriage by the thought of his wife whom he had deserted. In the meantime Mrs. Stevens has become destitute and unable to support her daughter. She takes her daughter to an orphan asylum and releases all claim on her. Mrs. Stevens is unable to obtain work and at last is found unconscious and taken to a hospital. Her handbag, containing her identification papers, is lost and picked up by another woman who is in the last stages of exhaustion. The woman succumbs to the cold and on being found is thought to be Mrs. Stevens. Her death as Mrs. Stevens is reported to the papers. Judge Harding (formerly Stevens) sees the report of the death and marries the daughter of the boss. The boss decides to run Judge Harding for governor of the state, but his choice is attacked very strongly by a young lawyer, Norris. The boss and Harding try to buy Norris, but finding that he cannot be reached they decide to "frame up" his sweetheart in order to break his determination to prevent the election of Harding. They get her into trouble and Judge Harding is appointed to try the case. He is conducting the case in a very severe manner with a decided feeling against the prisoner. The superintendent of the orphan asylum has followed the course of the little girl's life and comes to the city to see her. She recognizes Mrs. Stevens as the woman who left the child at the orphanage and takes her to see the trial. As Mrs. Stevens enters she recognizes in Judge Harding the man who deserted her so many years ago. While the jury have retired to settle the case Mrs. Stevens accuses Judge Harding. The sudden excitement causes an attack of heart failure just as the jury return with a verdict of "Not Guilty."

Dir: Frank Powell

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

A married diplomat falls hopelessly under the spell of a predatory woman.

Dir: Frank Powell

Farmer Leo Bannister is crazy about his neighbor Auriole Praed, but she finds him to becoming on too strong. She travels to Paris to see her brother, and there falls in love with and marries Otto Bettany, a young painter. When the couple return home, Bannister--still carrying a torch for Auriole--plots to claim Auriole for himself by using a beautiful young actress to work her "charms" on Otto and then showing Auriole how untrustworthy her new husband is.

Dir: Frank Powell

A reception given by the Count to celebrate his daughter Ann's engagement to Baron Moreno is disrupted by the news that a mine in which the whole village has invested is worthless. When the Count, who persuaded the townspeople to invest their savings in the venture, commits suicide, the baron jilts the now-destitute Ann. She marries Slater, an American promoter, and they move to the United States, hoping to earn enough to pay off her father's debts, but the baron follows Ann and forces his attentions on her. This provides Slater's mother, who is insanely jealous of her son's love for his wife, with the opportunity to break up their marriage. Slater orders his wife from the house and the baron offers her sanctuary. Ann's baby's incessant crying for her mother forces Slater to attempt a reconciliation, and when he looks for her, he finds her with the baron. In the ensuing fight, both men are mortally wounded. Ann returns to her child; she finds her mother-in-law repentant, and the three return to France to repay the debt.