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Dir: George Melford

The story relates the attempt of a group of machine politicians at Washington to ruin Matthew Standish, an insurgent who has made himself so strong with the people that he is in a position to defeat the Mullins bill, fostered by a corrupt ring in Washington, in favor of certain railroads. The leaders of this ring are Jim Blake, the boss of the party machine, and his son-in-law Mark Robertson. Standish is being hailed throughout the country as the exponent of morals and virtue, and Blake realizes that the only way to defeat him is to find some blot on his record in the past. He puts a detective to work, who, by bribing Standish's former secretary, finds out that some years ago Standish became involved with a young woman of good family, but for some reason he did not marry her. Blake realizes that skillfully handled, this story could be made to ruin Standish's career, but without the woman's name it will look like a campaign lie. So the entire machine bends its energy to discovering the woman's identity to prove the story. To accomplish this, they lay a trap that they think will make Standish try to warn the woman by telephone. He is deceived and does telephone the woman to be on her guard, calling the number Plaza 1001. Wanda Kelly, telephone girl at the Keswick, has been told of the plan by Blake, who believes that she can be bribed to give him the telephone number. After Standish telephones, Blake's son-in-law Robertson comes in to 'phone his home in New York, calling the same number that Standish has just called. Wanda, the operator, sees that the woman in the case is really Blake's daughter and Robertson's wife, and besides refusing to give the number, destroys her record sheet. Mrs. Robertson arrives from New York and is driven to desperation when Standish informs her that, though he has tried to protect her, he needs to give her name to Blake and Robertson if they continue striving to ruin him by this story. The subsequent events leading to the conclusion of the drama and the defeat of the offensive Mullins bill in Congress are stirring in the extreme. Once again the telephone girl interferes in the plot by disconnecting the wires when the "ring'' politicians, driven to their last ditch, are trying to telephone a newspaper to release the story even without the woman's name. She keeps her courage after this, even when threatened with arrest and criminal prosecution. It is the woman herself who finally comes to the rescue and refuses to see the little telephone girl made to suffer further on her behalf. This terrible revelation makes Blake and Robertson see what a veritable heroine she has been and even leads to the happy consummation of a romance between the telephone operator and Jim Blake's son.

Dir: George Melford

Foster sister of the Duchess d'Aubeterre, Madeline, marries Jean Renaud, a French soldier, and has a daughter named Adrienne. Five years later, on a battlefield, Renaud is entrusted by the Count de Moray with jewels and papers proving that Adrienne is his heir. After Moray's death, Renaud gives everything to Madeline and then returns to the battle. Lazarre, who had followed Renaud, then goes to Madeline and demands the jewels. Madeline's refusal awakens Adrienne, but Madeline quiets her by saying that her father is home. When Madeline still refuses Lazarre's request, he stabs her. Later, Adrienne tells the neighbors that her father had just been with her mother. Renaud is sentenced to prison for life, after which the Duchess adopts Adrienne. Many years later, Adrienne re-encounters her father and eventually the true murderer is revealed and Renaud is pardoned.

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

Dir: George Melford

Helen Scott has been left the sole owner of the Scott Canneries by her father's death, but being too busy with social duties, she leaves the handling of the industry's business to her hard-fisted uncle and only calls upon him when she needs money. Harvey Brooks, manager of the canneries' Tampa branch, is a hard-working young man with new ideas of social welfare. He has hundreds of people in his employ working under most unfavorable conditions for starvation wages. He has pleaded with Helen Scott and her uncle to better the working conditions but has always been ignored. During the height of the social season, Helen goes to Palm Beach, Florida with a party of friends for the yacht races. While sailing her sloop one foggy night, it is run down and sunk by a large schooner, a fruit carrier for the Scott canneries. Helen is rescued from the sea by the captain of the schooner. The heiress is stunned by a blow on the head, received at the time her sloop was struck. When she recovers she is unable to remember her name or her identity. The schooner captain takes Helen to his home, and when she has recovered, his daughter, who works in the cannery, secures Helen a position beside her at the cutting table. Brooks, hearing of Helen's accident and loss of identity, takes an interest in her and she is attracted by his kind manner. Labor leaders are urging the cannery workers to strike and place the blame for the conditions upon young Brooks. One night Brooks is slugged and bound to a chair in his frame office building and the plant is set on fire by the excited workers. Helen rushes through the flames to his aid and as she unbinds him she is overcome by smoke and falls unconscious by his chair. Brooks carries her to safety through the burning buildings and returns her to the schooner captain's home. While they are both recovering from their burns a detective, employed by the uncle, locates Helen. The shock of the fire and the burns has slightly restored Helen's memory and the clever detective finally brings her to realize who she really is. Helen is in love with Brooks and he with her, believing that she is a poor factory girl. The heiress realizes that Brooks hates the real Helen Scott for her indifference to the workers. When he has recovered she meets him alone, tells him she is Helen Scott, and breaks down his wall of hatred and together they go to help their coworkers.

Dir: George Melford

Gambler Harvey Arnold is forced to leave San Francisco and winds up in a small country town that is in the midst of a reform movement. He marries local girl May Fielding, who has no idea of his profession. When she finds out, he promises to quit, but it turns out that his profession wasn't the only secret he was keeping from May.

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

Dir: George Melford

Lady Jocelyn, a favorite in the court of England's King James, escapes a forced marriage to the hated Lord Carnal by fleeing to American colonies. There she meets and marries Captain Ralph Percy. Pursued by Lord Carnal, Lady Jocelyn and her new husband eventually find themselves shipwrecked on a desert island with Lord Carnal. A band of pirates finds them there, and Captain Percy convinces them that he is himself a notorious pirate chief. But Lord Carnal casts them all into danger by revealing Percy's true identity.

Dir: George Melford

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Armstrong's Wife perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: George Melford

Ailing King Leopold sends his daughter Princess Alexia of Osia to a exclusive American girls' boarding school as a commoner, so that she can know the meaning of true freedom. When she meets young millionaire Bob Carewe, they fall in love, but Alexia is summoned home because of a conspiracy of the king's advisers threatening to replace him with the Duchess Sylvia. When Bob reads of Osia's financial difficulties, he goes to help with a loan, though he realizes she cannot marry him if she is ever to rule. When the king dies suddenly, it causes a rebellion among the people. Although Bob bravely fights against the conspirators and nobly helps a bleeding rival for Alexia's affections, the duchess is proclaimed queen. She orders Alexia's arrest, but Bob, using one of the conspirators as a shield, escapes with Alexia to the border, now they are happily free to marry.

Dir: George Melford

Anna Granger's husband commits a fraud at the bank where he works and is condemned to pay the penalty of a jail sentence. In the hope of proving his innocence she goes to work, under an assumed name, for the President of the closed bank. This man is now indicted himself, though unjustly, and employs detectives who finally unearth a letter positively establishing the guilt of Granger. In spite of everything, Anna remains faithful until she learns that the theft her husband committed was to get money for another woman. Then comes a sudden climax which puts an end to a situation which she could not possibly endure.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of To Have and to Hold perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: George Melford

Two people working in the same department store pretend to be aristocracy at a fancy resort, intending to pull a wealthy spouse, but end up falling in love with each other instead.

Dir: George Melford

A young man joins the French Foreign Legion and is sent to Algieria, where he becomes a target for hatred by his commander. However, the commander has a change of heart when he realizes who the young man is.