Visionary Picks In Alignment with the style of The Courage of Silen...

Dir: William P.S. Earle

Charmian Page has developed a great affection for the child of Sir Richard. When the child is seriously hurt in a car crash that has killed his mother Lady Beverly, who was on her way to see her lover, Charmian persuades her wealthy father to pay for the operation that saves the child. Sir Richard marries Charmian for his child's sake, but remains aloof towards her for the memory of Beverly. When he learns the truth about his late wife's infidelity, he begs for Charmian's forgiveness, realizing she is the better wife.

Dir: William P.S. Earle

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

Hugh O'Donnell, the town blacksmith and leader among the people, is in love with Molly Conway, who shows her love for Hugh in mischievous pranks at his expense. Lord Percival Cheltenham owns most of the village and is hated for his war on poachers. One day, Lady Mary Thorne, who is visiting Cheltenham, stops at the blacksmith shop to have her horse shod and, impressed by Hugh's rugged manliness, invites him to visit. Molly, overhearing the conversation, follows Hugh to the manor, where she is seen by Cheltenham, who has been drinking, and dragged inside. That night, Cheltenham's gamekeeper shoots a poacher, and the peasants storm the manor in revenge. Hugh holds them at bay and promises to turn the culprit over to the law. Searching the manor for its master, Hugh breaks into the library and finds Cheltenham with Molly. Believing that they are having an affair, the blacksmith attempts to choke the lord until Molly explains that she had flirted with Cheltenham in order to arouse Hugh's jealousy, and all is forgiven.

Dir: William P.S. Earle

Patty Baring will lose the fine old Washington Square house she is to inherit if her scheming stepfather Josiah Wheeler's plan to acquire it for himself is successful. Cruelly abused by Wheeler, a gambling hall owner, Patty runs away to live with a newsboy named Bobby and his grandfather Herman. There, in spite of her shabby dress and humble companions, she arouses the admiration of Edwin Sayer, the district attorney. Ned, a soft-spoken gambler, desires to possess Patty, and at the instigation of her stepfather, lures her into a gambling den that Edwin has been planning to raid. Patty is arrested, but Edwin secures her release and places her in the charge of his mother. Ned and Josiah are imprisoned, leaving Patty free to claim her inheritance and wed Edwin.

Dir: William P.S. Earle

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Little Miss No-Account perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

At a London auction, Princess Sonia bids against her husband, exiled Prince Victor, for a Corot landscape in which incriminating letters Sonia wrote are hidden, but it is bought by Michael Lanyard, who is suspected of being the mysterious, international thief "The Lone Wolf." After Lanyard gives Sonia the letters, she divorces Victor, marries Lanyard, and dies after bearing their daughter Sonia. Years later, Sonia, who thinks she is the daughter of the Princess' maid, is found by Victor, now the leader of an underworld gang of Asian crooks and Bolsheviks. Saying he is her father, Victor brings her to his home, hoping to entice Lanyard to make an appearance. When Sonia discovers the gang's plan to pump poisonous gas into Buckingham Palace and the homes of the wealthy so that Victor would be England's dictator, she tells Roger Karslake, Victor's secretary, whom she loves. Lanyard, who has been posing as Victor's Asian butler, and Karslake, both Scotland Yard agents, capture the gang amid fire and fights.

Dir: William P.S. Earle

Stewart, an art student in New York City's "bohemian" Greenwich Village, lives next door to his girlfriend Hedda, who wants to be a singer. One night while they are dining at their favorite cafe', wealthy Mrs. Trask comes up to them with a proposition: she knows he is an artist and wants to go to Paris to study and develop his talent, and she will pay all his expenses. He refuses because he doesn't want to leave Hedda, but she eventually persuades him to agree. It turns out that she has an ulterior motive--as does Mrs. Trask.

Dir: William P.S. Earle

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

When Keene McComb, a young explorer on an expedition to the North Pole, is given up for lost, his fiancée, Hester Thorpe, is coerced by an ambitious aunt into marrying Martin Ward, a man of reputed wealth. McComb survives, however, and returns to New York a few hours after the marriage. Later, Hester seeks his protection when Ward strikes her because of her refusal to ask McComb for money, and when it appears that Ward has committed suicide she and McComb are married. Ward is still alive, however, but he meets his death on a rocky precipice.

Dir: William P.S. Earle

To stave off war with a neighboring kingdom, Princess Pat of Paxitania agrees to marry Warburg's King Eric. Still very young and rebellious, the new queen finds it difficult to adjust to court life, and when she accepts an invitation to take a ride with the villainous Count Ladislaus, King Eric's patience gives out and he rebukes her severely. The banished count informs Pat's father, the Grand Duke of Paxitania, that she is cruelly abused, whereupon Pat's three brothers set out to bring her back home. In the end, however, King Eric and Princess Pat come to love each other dearly, and she sends her brothers home reassured of their sister's happiness.

Dir: William P.S. Earle

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

Whispers are heard in the social circle of Daphne Morton because of her constant association with married man Dyke Summers. One night while Daphne is attending the opera with Summers, his wife spots the illicit couple, a clash erupts, and the account of the affair appears in the scandal sheet the next morning. After a quarrel with her aunt, the humiliated Daphne decides to go to Washington to seek out her father, whom she has not seen since she was a child. There she meets Pat Darrick, a young reporter assigned to the Summers scandal. Unaware that Daphne is the girl in the case, Darrick falls in love with her. Summers also follows Daphne to Washington, and when Darrick sees her with her alleged lover, he is hurt and disillusioned. Daphne finally locates her father in a nearby town, to which Darrick and Summers follow her. Learning the truth, Darrick abandons his job on the scandal sheet for the love of Daphne.

Dir: William P.S. Earle

Roger Kendall is sent to Nashville by the editor of his magazine to sign a contract for two cents a word with a woman writer named Azalea Adair. Once there, Kendall realizes that Azalea is very poor and is also the abused wife of Major Caswell, a drunkard who takes from Azalea every cent she earns. Kendall is able to piece their story together by following the movements of a torn dollar bill, which he gives to Azalea's former slave Caesar and which eventually winds up in Caswell's hands. In order to help Azalea, Kendall convinces his editor to increase her stipend to eight cents a word and also to advance her $30. At his hotel, Kendall meets Virginia Rodney, the semi-invalid daughter of a local judge and a good friend of Azalea. Later, Caesar, seeing Caswell violently take Azalea's advance from her, strangles the major. His part in the crime is covered up by Kendall and Virginia's father, however. Now free, Azalea goes to live with Virginia, who becomes engaged to Kendall.

Dir: William P.S. Earle

During World War I, Kervyn Guild, an American citizen who was born in Belgium, is captured with other Belgian refugees by the Germans. Brought before the commanding officer, General Von Reiter, Guild is offered his own freedom as well as that of the other refugees if he goes to London and returns with the officer's daughter, Karen Girard, who actually is his mistress. In the hope of saving lives, Guild consents and is sent to London where he locates Karen. Guild's suspicions are aroused when he notices that they are being protected by the German agents and hunted by the British. His instincts prove correct when he learns that Karen is carrying dispatches to the general. On their journey back, Karen falls in love with Guild and agrees to join the Belgian cause. Before they can escape, the general arrives and demands both Karen and the papers. Guild duels to defend both and fatally wounds the general. In a breach of military ethics, the dying general then gives the lovers his blessings, and grants them a pass to go through the German lines.