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Dir: Travers Vale

Richard Chanslor is about to be disinherited by his rich grandfather who objects to his association with chorus girl Lily Lorraine. In order to please his grandfather while still maintaining his present standard of living, Chanslor decides to marry Lois Page, a struggling young sculptress from a good family. Lois accepts his proposal on the condition that they continue their separate ways. The marriage in name only is a success until Richard begins to fall in love with his wife and breaks with Lily. Lois, unconvinced of her husband's sincerity, however, continues her close relationship with her instructor, Bob Hildreth. One day, Hildreth takes Lily for a ride to a country inn where he attacks her. Richard follows them and arrives just in time to rescue his wife who drives away with him. Both husband and wife then realize that their trial marriage has developed into a real marriage.

Dir: Travers Vale

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

Ralph Semple already has a wife, but marries rich Beatrice Raymond, and then deserts her after cheating her out of $10,000. Later, when Beatrice hears that Ralph has died, she marries Jerry Trainer, a widower, but keeps her past a secret. Ralph, who started the rumors of his own death, then returns to blackmail Beatrice, who is determined to keep Jerry from finding out about her first marriage. Meanwhile, Ralph makes plans to elope with Jerry's daughter Edith, but when Beatrice learns of the impending wedding, she decides to stop it, and so goes to see Ralph in his apartment. Jerry walks in on them, however, and assuming that they are secret lovers, he throws Ralph out and denounces Beatrice. When Edith arrives at Ralph's, however, Jerry realizes that his wife was only trying to save his daughter, and so he and Beatrice are reconciled immediately.

Dir: Travers Vale

The Grand Duke Alexis has been happy with his wife, Lola, formerly the queen of the St. Petersburg ballet, and their baby daughter, Vasta. But the lowering cloud that has always hung over them through the refusal of the Russian Court to recognize their marriage breaks when the Duke learns there is an intrigue against his wife's life. She makes her escape at midnight and, powerless to do anything, Alexis is forced to see his wife pass out of his life. The baby is given to Marta Antonovitch, in charge of the girls at the Imperial Ballet School. Years later Vasta is the most apt pupil at the school. Her father comes to see her often and is deeply affected by her resemblance to her mother. The relationship is kept secret, but when he is ordered to the south for his health he gives last instructions that she be well cared for. Michael Pavloff, the impresario for the Russian Ballet, who has discovered the duke's secret, goes to the school to choose the dancers to be sent by the government to Paris. He takes a liking to Vasta, but Marta refuses to allow the girl to go when he chooses her for deportation. The girl frets over the refusal, disguises herself as a boy and changes places with a youth who had not wanted to go. In Paris Lola, despite the sorrow of the changing years, holds sway over men's hearts. Pavloff is an ardent admirer of hers, but lately he has been thinking more of Vasta. Richard Moraino, a young artist commissioned to paint the portraits of the Russian Ballet, is attracted by Vasta. Their courtship progresses and one afternoon while they are having tea together, Lola and Pavloff are seated at the next table. Both women feel an interest in the other and Lola is startled when Pavloff tells her he has discovered she is the daughter of the Grand Duke Alexis and that he intends to get her for his own. One night during the performance the electrician is killed and the stage darkened. When the lights are turned on again they discover Vasta has disappeared. Pavloff has taken the girl and locks her in his apartment. To divert suspicion he gives a dinner party. During the revelry Lola, who is a member of the party hears a half-smothered cry and, guided by it cornea to the locked door behind which Vasta is concealed. She stays until the last guest has departed and then appeals to the liquor-dazed Pavloff, She secures the key to the room and hurries back, cautioning Vasta to make haste, but Pavloff comes upon them and seizes Vasta in his arms. Lola then shoots him. Then Lola reveals her identity. Alexis, who is passing through Paris, stops to see Pavloff. He discovers Lola and the dead man and accuses her of having been his mistress, but when Vasta comes forward and tells all, Alexis begs her forgiveness. He says he will take the responsibility of the killing knowing he will be vindicated when he says it was to save the honor of his wife. Richard and Vasta are once more brought together and Alexis asks his wife if she is willing to brave the Russian Court with him after all these years. Her happy smile is sufficient answer.

Dir: Travers Vale

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

Told by her aunt Annabelle that she will be disinherited unless she earns her own living for a year, party going Sybil Drew sets out for New York, armed only with $125 and a sincere determination to succeed. Relaxing in the Plaza Hotel lobby, Dr. Ross Alger catches sight of Sybil at the registration desk and is strongly attracted to her, but because of her faltering manner, he begins to suspect that she is a crook. Following a difficult search for work, Sybil becomes a companion to the eccentric Oleander Berwick, who lives in the apartment above Ross's quarters. Although Ross's attraction has turned into love, circumstantial evidence convinces him that Sybil is a thief, and the situation becomes even worse for her when Miss Berwick's nephew Paul tries to seduce her. Miss Berwick dismisses Sybil, who soon afterwards is hit by a taxi. Mistaking her identity, a nurse has the girl taken to the home of Mrs. Alva Penfield, who operates a disreputable gambling establishment. Following several more adventures, Ross rescues Sybil and finally, realizing that she is not a crook, proposes to her.

Dir: Travers Vale

Betty Fairchild decides to follow the advice of her mother and marry for money. Thus, when Tom Connolly arrives from the West with his fortune, she accepts his proposal even though she does not love him. The idealistic Tom is completely disillusioned when he learns why his wife married him and promptly leaves her. Rupert Brantley, a wealthy cad, seizes this opportunity to win Betty, but she gradually realizes that she has been wrong and repulses him. One day a letter from Tom's mother arrives and Betty innocently opens it. It contains letters and a photograph of a man who betrayed Tom's sister, with a plea to Tom to avenge the family. Recognizing the man as Brantley, Betty rushes to his apartment to warn him and thus prevent her husband from becoming a murderer, but Tom follows her and accuses her of infidelity. To prevent a fight, Betty remains silent. When she returns home, however, she shows Tom his mother's letter, which leads to a reconciliation between them.

Dir: Travers Vale

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

When a woman becomes ill and dies on a journey through Pennsylvania with her little daughter, the girl is adopted by a local group of Shakers. In a nearby village, Scott Mallory becomes paralyzed while trying to save his fiancée, Faith Palmer, from drowning, but she loses interest in him and breaks the engagement, leaving him broken and bitter. Scott and Hopama, the Shaker girl, are brought together when Mrs. Mallory, on a visit to the Shaker community, offers to adopt the girl, whose high spirits and love of music are considered sinful by the sect. Under Hopama's influence, Scott regains his faith in life, and later a famous surgeon cures his paralysis. Because Hopama's background is unknown, however, Mrs. Mallory resolves to thwart the romance and tells her that Scott still loves Faith. Bewildered, Hopama runs away and becomes a famous violinist. Scott finds her and professes his love, and Mrs. Mallory, having learned that Hopama is actually Hope Palmer, Faith's sister, finally blesses her son's marriage.

Dir: Travers Vale

Louis La Farge journeys to a little Alsatian village and there makes love to a pretty shepherdess named Marie Beaupre. Following his departure, Marie is cast out of the village, and, forced to survive in the mountains alone, she goes mad. On a hunting trip, hypnotist Dr. Cochefort and his friend Delaunay meet the "witch woman," as she is called, and take her to Paris, where she is cured and then named the heir to Delaunay's fortune. Her adopted guardian introduces her to Louis's twin brother Maurice, and she, believing him to be Louis, flirts with him while searching for an opportunity to obtain revenge. Andrea Montignac, Louis's mistress, begs Marie to give him up, not realizing that it is Maurice who courts her, and, at a masked ball, Marie announces that Louis and Andrea are engaged. Louis only laughs and seizes Marie, whereupon Andrea shoots him. When Maurice enters, both women realize their mistake, and Andrea commits suicide. Maurice then gives Marie his forgiveness and his love.

Dir: Travers Vale

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

Violet Galloway, in charge of her grandfather's home, was accustomed to bossing things. But when she married Roger Kendall she was petted and pampered and had hardly anything to do outside of looking pretty and being well dressed. So she became discontented. At this time George W. Graham, a former lover, made violent love to her. Graham was district attorney and Kendall was Graham's assistant. Kendall was prosecuting the gamblers, but Graham tried to call him off when political pressure was brought to bear. The gamblers decided to "get" Kendall. Graham knew of the secret and a man who had been befriended by Violet found this out. The man sent a note to Violet. She risked everything by getting Graham to come to her home and was learning the secret from him when the murderer hired by the gamblers shot and killed Graham, thinking he was Kendall. Kendall, being told what his wife had done for him, turns out his maiden aunts, who created much of the trouble, and he and his wife are happy once more.

Dir: Travers Vale

After John Cuddlestone, an officer in the Queen's regiment, is accused by his brother Andrew of cheating at cards, he leaves England in humiliation. In India, he marries a Hindu woman, but shortly after their son is born, John is killed in a tiger hunt. Young Lorin is placed in the care of Buddhist priests, and on his twenty-first birthday, he is released from the temple and given his father's papers. Learning of John's disgrace, Lorin is filled with the desire for revenge and immediately sets out for England. Nan, a girl whom he saved from slavery, resolves to follow the man she loves and steals the sacred eye of Buddha, a precious gem, to pay for her passage. In England, Lorin earns renown in society circles as a swami. One of his clients is Andrew's ward, Lady Elsie Drillingcourt, whose fortune Andrew is rapidly squandering. Lorin catches his uncle cheating at cards, and when the old man realizes the swami's identity, he dies of shock. Lady Elsie recovers her money, while Nan, who has been pursued by angry Buddhist priests, returns the sacred gem and then journeys back to India as Lorin's wife.

Dir: Travers Vale

When a Southern belle chooses one suitor over another, the loser plots revenge on his rival by causing him to desert the Confederate Army during the Civil War.