Masterpiece Selection that Capture the Essence of The Awakening of ...

Dir: Edward H. Griffith

Childhood friends Mary Lee and Vera receive two different versions of the 'birds and the bees' from their mothers: Mary Lee gets the facts; Vera gets a prudish fairytale version. Their lives separate after graduation, Mary Lee becomes a nurse who falls in proper love with a Doctor, whereas Vera follows her mother's advice and seeks to marry a rich man, but falls for the unlawful, syphilitic charms of a wealthy cad. Mary Lee and her Doctor rescue Vera and help her get proper care after a series of revelations showing actual patients of the loathsome disease. Finally, Mary Lee and her new husband volunteer to help our boys fighting the Huns in France.

Dir: Edward H. Griffith

Soon to become a mother, Beatrix Franklin (Lois Wilson) persuades her husband Pelham (Holmes Herbert) to go on a cruise. He becomes acquainted with May Beamish (Flora Le Breton), who tries, unsuccessfully, to capture him. Upon hearing of the attentions paid to her husband, Beatrix provokes a quarrel and separation by staying out with Alec Greenwood (Allan Simpson), a former admirer. The vamp seeks to force Pelham to divorce, but she is triumphantly outsmarted by Beatrix.

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

Dir: Edward H. Griffith

Babs Marvin loves David Darrow, a young lawyer. Babs' father, the powerful Senator Marvin, is supporting Eben Sprague for a seat in the State Legislature. Darrow discovers that Sprague is a crook and threatens to expose the candidate unless the senator agrees to switch his support to him. Babs opposes Darrow's decision, fearing that it will ruin his promising law career. Determined to defeat Darrow, she promotes the candidacy of the village pauper, Hank Dawes, and contrives an elaborate campaign based upon the slogan that Dawes' election would remove him from the welfare rolls. Dawes wins the election, but Darrow is consoled with Babs's love and the senator's support of his law career.

Dir: Edward H. Griffith

A hot young rookie pitcher on the New York Giants baseball team is having personal problems that are affecting his game. His father disapproves of both his career choice and the woman he recently married and has basically disowned him.

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

Dir: Edward H. Griffith

A film on venereal disease made by the United States government.

Dir: Edward H. Griffith

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: Edward H. Griffith

Bill Peck is discharged from an army hospital and goes in search of a job. Cappy Ricks hires Bill, but gives him an seemingly impossible test of finding and buying a particular blue vase to prove he can handle a challenging job in China.

Dir: Edward H. Griffith

A schoolgirl elopes with a young man, but her father has the marriage annulled and takes the girl off to Europe to forget the boy. A couple of years later, the girl and the man she now hopes to marry encounter her ex-husband and his new wife at a society party, and difficulties arise.

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

Dir: Edward H. Griffith

Maurice Travers attends college through the self-sacrificing efforts of his mother. However, his love for sports and consequent neglect of his studies prevent his graduation. Madeline Marshall, an orphan living with Mrs. Travers, is in love with Maurice, but he marries wealthy socialite Donna Wayne instead. Their carefree life in New York City is interrupted when Donna's father insists that Maurice support her. When the young man proves himself incapable, Donna elopes with a rich suitor. Maurice endures the blindness and death of his mother, after which he finds happiness with the faithful Madeline.

Dir: Edward H. Griffith

When Marion Roger's love affair with Cameron West is broken up by her disapproving mother, Cameron develops an infatuation with flirtatious debutante Diana Spaulding, while Marion still harbors an unrequited love for Cameron. Cameron marries Diana, who retains her flirtatious nature, and while at a party one night, Marion overhears Diana plotting to run away with playboy Granville Wingate. Determined to protect Cameron, Marion hastens to the lovers' appointed rendezvous before Diana arrives and persuades Wingate to abandon his plan. Returning to the house, Marion attempts to shield Cameron from his wife's disgraceful behavior, but Cameron, finally realizing his wife's nature and his love for Marion, obtains a divorce and is thus free to marry the woman he loves.