Rare Cinematic Gems Sharing the Atmosphere of The Battle of Gettysb...

Dir: Charles Giblyn

Irresponsible young heiress Beatrix Vanderdyke creates a scandal with her indiscreet visits to artist Sutherland Yorke. To extricate herself, Beatrix claims that she was actually visiting Pelham Franklyn, who has an apartment in the same building and to whom, she states, she is secretly married. Pelham, an old friend, is dumbfounded by the news but continues the ruse for Beatrix's sake. That night, he accompanies his new bride to her bedroom, but after alarming her, announces that she is quite safe and retreats. After the marriage announcement is published in the paper, the couple is compelled to continue their deception, finally taking an enforced honeymoon cruise on Pelham's yacht. Meanwhile, Yorke has been sending anonymous letters to the family which cast doubt upon the marriage. Upon returning from his honeymoon, Pelham, who has fallen in love with his bride, discovers this and goes to Yorke's apartment, arriving just as the scoundrel has been shot by a jealous husband. Before dying, Yorke writes an apology to Beatrix. Pelham then kidnaps Beatrix, and the two are married at sea.

Dir: Charles Giblyn

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

In Italy, Sister Beatrice becomes the confidante of the Contessa Angelica de Vecchio, whose brother, Prince Candoni, has placed her in a convent for having an affair with Carlo Parodi, a young radical. Angelica soon dies, and Beatrice, suddenly aware that she needlessly has shut herself off from the real world, leaves the convent and joins a group of revolutionaries. She marries Guido Perli, one of the leaders, and tries to temper his radical fervor with some religious tolerance. Finally, however, he calls on the people to rise against Candoni, and a horrified Beatrice alerts the prince. Candoni sends out his guards, and during the fighting, both Carlo and Guido are killed. Before he dies, however, Guido forgives his wife for betraying him to the prince, after which a remorseful Beatrice returns to the convent.

Dir: Charles Giblyn

Alice Chesterton (Olive Thomas) is described as a "Baby Vamp" by the social set and engaged to boring Tom Carey. She flirts with many of the male guests idling at the Ives' Long Island house party, then encourages Terence O'Keefe, a playboy polo player from Ireland in New York to purchase horses for the British army, to rendezvous with her in the city, they are seen together at the "Midnight Frolic." Because of this, Mrs. Ives convinces Alice's newly-arrived sister Betty to look after Alice. Betty arranges for Terence to find her in an auto wreck where he revives her with a kiss. Genuinely in love with each other, they plan to marry, until the jealous Alice tells Betty that Terence "ruined" her. When Betty accuses Terence, he makes Alice confess her to her lies. Tom, encouraged by Terence's advice, overwhelms Alice with his "caveman" tactics. At the end, the servants, who have observed the upstairs activities, emulate their masters' flirting mannerisms.

Dir: Charles Giblyn

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

Having to support her impoverished family, Grace Tyler poses for artist Michael Arnold, who seduces his new model and then leaves her. A few years later, after Grace has married the wealthy John Marshall, her sister Ruth, repeating Grace's mistake, becomes involved with Michael. Grace tries to break up the romance, until Michael threatens to expose their own affair to John, who has already become somewhat suspicious. Determined to learn the truth about his wife and Michael, John goes to the artist's studio while Grace and Ruth are also there, then, after a brief struggle, Michael dies from a knife wound. John is accused of the murder, but just before a jury convicts him, Ruth confesses to the crime and the court quickly acquits her because she had been defending her honor against Michael's advances.

Dir: Charles Giblyn

"Phantom" Farrell was known as one of the cleverest crooks in the world, with a penchant for jewel robberies. He planned to attend the Bereton ball and steal a famous necklace which he knew the daughter would wear. Chance makes it possible for Farrell to gain admittance to the Bereton mansion before the night of the ball, in the guise of a detective, and it happens that he meets the young woman whom he has planned to rob. Farrell is so attracted by her beauty and winsomeness that he falls in love and decides not to steal the necklace. At the ball the necklace really is stolen and Mr. Bereton, the owner, immediately asks "The Phantom," whom he knows only as a detective to find the thief and locate the jewels. "The Phantom" has observed the intimacy between Bertie Bereton, the son of the household, and one of the guests, a Dr. Ratcliffe. He finally forces Bertie to confess to him that Dr. Ratcliffe is really a noted race track gambler who has forced him to aid in the theft of the necklace in order to square certain gambling debts which he holds against him. Dr. Ratcliffe has already made his escape from the house, but "The Phantom" overtakes him at the railroad station and compels him to return to the house where, with the assistance of his valet, he recovers the valuables. In addition, he forces the gambler to give up all claims on the young man. The arrival of the real detective whom "The Phantom" is impersonating and three others, complicates matters for that worthy, and he would have been caught immediately had not Bertie warned him of their approach. The escape of "The Phantom" and his valet is effected only after a series of stirring adventures, but it is finally accomplished and as the pursuers dash off down the road, "The Phantom" and his faithful valet emerge from behind a hedge and start a long walk back to town. The valet upbraids his master for his weakness in not actually stealing the jewels himself, but "The Phantom" remembers the beautiful girl whom he has made happy by his success in restoring the necklace and he walks along the dusty road perfectly happy with himself.

Dir: Charles Giblyn

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Not My Sister perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Tessa Doyle, an innocent country girl who has come to New York and joined a vaudeville sister act, becomes embroiled in a scheme to earn money at her partner Trixie Dennis' insistence. When millionaire Billy Swayne is jilted by his fiancee, Millicent Lee, he and his friend Rodney Dolson get drunk and decide that Billy must get married that night. Tessa agrees to marry Billy so that Trixie can use the money to obtain a divorce. After the marriage, Trixie tries to blackmail Billy. Tessa becomes angry and leaves without accepting any payment. Later, after she has become the private secretary to a woman who turns out to be Billy's mother, Tessa meets Billy again. They fall in love and get married again.

Dir: Charles Giblyn

Theodore Whitney, Sr. commissions his son Theodore, "Ted" Jr., to retrieve a missing stock certificate. On the road, Ted meets and falls in love with Betty Blake, the beautiful but elusive niece of Major Blackburn, whose home was recently robbed. When a detective disguised as British nobleman Lord Roxenham arrives to investigate the case, Ted bribes the officer to let him play the role for one night so that he may be near Betty. As the love struck young man is romancing his sweetheart, Lady Roxenham suddenly arrives, alienating Betty and throwing Ted into a panic. Lady Roxenham agrees to participate in the deception, but later Ted spies her breaking into the major's safe. After he alerts the household, she and the butler are revealed as notorious thieves. Betty, who had been trying to purchase Whitney's stock, accepts Ted's marriage proposal, and the profits are shared between the two.

Dir: Charles Giblyn

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

Mabel waits on the residents of a local boardinghouse, but her fondness for pranks finally leads to her dismissal. By a strange turn of fortune, Mabel finds herself in the possession of a traveling corset saleswoman's suitcase, whereupon she adopts the profession herself. While passing through a small town, Mabel decides to take a swim in the ocean, but as she frolics, her suitcase, which contains all of her clothing, is stolen. Forced to wear only her bathing suit, Mabel sets off in search of her clothing and learns that the police, having identified the suitcase as belonging to a jewel thief, are in search of her. Following several adventures, she discovers that the jewel robbery, which involved her friend Lena, was only a publicity stunt.

Dir: Charles Giblyn

Marie Chaumontel, a spy for the Germans during World War I, vamps her way through the French high command, accumulating state secrets as she discards lovers. Captain Henry Ravignac commits suicide because of her, after which his brother, Lieutenant Charles Ravignac, vows revenge. As a result, he pretends to be a German spy and then becomes an assistant to Marie, all the while gathering evidence against her. Finally, he accumulates enough to hand her over to French authorities, after which he is hailed as a hero for so damaging German espionage operations.

Dir: Charles Giblyn

Bored by the slow pace of life in her little home town, Helen Drayton rebels when her friends and relatives assume that she will marry her friend and escort, Chet Vernon. Helen is so anxious to experience life in the big city that she falls in love with visiting New York architect John Galvin almost immediately after his arrival. Several weeks later, the two marry and move to New York, where, after a series of painful experiences, Helen finally realizes John's selfishness. In the end, she gratefully returns home and becomes Chet's wife.