Curated Recommendations Seeking the Same Brilliance as The Heart Ba...

Dir: Oscar Apfel

Henry Disney, a milkman residing in a small city, is discovered by Phipps, a lawyer, to be the heir to the title and fortune of the Duke of Walshire. Phipps and his sister Laura, being pressed for money and anxious to maintain their social position, conspire to arrange a marriage between the sister and the milkman before he knows that he is the Duke. Phipps has Disney assaulted and arranges to be near in order to rescue him and take him to the Phipps house. In the meantime, however, Disney has met Ethel Hamilton, one of the young social leaders of the town, and has fallen in love with her, although he doesn't dare to speak of his love on account of the great difference in their social positions. His love for Ethel, however, prevents him from falling victim to Laura's wiles, and he finally escapes from Phipps' house, where they are trying to keep him on the pretense that he is very ill. He then discovers that he is the Duke. The efforts of the milkman to be a Duke and to win the girl he loves lead to many humorous complications, and, finally at a ball which the milkman gives in honor of Ethel, his conduct so displeases her that she refuses his love and tells him very plainly that the social snobs who have been fawning upon him on account of his title have been making a fool of him. The milkman then begins to see a great light, and, after resenting an insult to Ethel by one of the snobs, takes occasion to tell them what he thinks of them. The dance breaks up in confusion and the milkman, sore at heart, sees that he is being used by the snobs, while they are making fun of him behind his back. He renounces his wealth and title and goes back to his milk route, where Ethel finds him. He agrees to do this on condition that Ethel will act as his instructor and teach him how to be a Duke. This she finally consents to do and he drives her home in the milk wagon, after an understanding between them which promises a happy ending to his love story.

Dir: Oscar Apfel

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

Lieutenant Bob Warburton is wounded during an encounter with the Indians and taken to the home of Col. Annesley for medical treatment. Recovering, Bob finds that his service in the army has expired and he says he is penniless. However he is rich in romance and becomes fascinated by the Colonel's daughter, Betty. Betty, not knowing who Bob is, offers him a position as coachman, which he accepts. Many and varied are Bob's experiences as "The Man on the Box" of the Annesley coach. Becoming implicated in a plot to defraud the United States Government of important plans, he thwarts the attempts of a Russian Count and saves important plans. Betty, while visiting Bob's sister, who is a dear friend, learns from Bob's photograph who he is, but allows him to continue as coachman. Bob is entirely ignorant of Betty's knowledge of his identity. Betty's father loses his money, then Bob discloses his identity and admits he is the possessor of a large fortune in his own right. However, Betty's and Bob's romance is one of pure love and, after a series of intrigues, plots and counter-plots, all of which "The Man on the Box" foils, the couple are married and live happily ever after.

Dir: Oscar Apfel

A fantasy from Ibsen's verse drama. Ne'er-do-well and braggart Peer Gynt has many adventures in varied countries, making and losing money, gaining fortune at others' expense, until he finds salvation in the love of Solveig.

Dir: Oscar Apfel

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

Thomas Brainerd, Sr., as a prospector, is a dutiful and loving husband and father. Two children, Gertrude and Thomas, Jr., are born while the Brainerds live in a log cabin in the mountains. Brainerd strikes gold, goes to New York, where he becomes a financial power. He neglects his wife, devotes every moment of his time to his growing industries, simply supplies funds to his family, and his wife, alone and melancholy, is fascinated by an artist and consents to "sit" for a painting. Feeling her neglect keenly, Mrs. Brainerd becomes a victim to the wiles of the artist, who, however, is killed by the husband of a former victim before the affair has progressed too far. Brainerd, learning of his wife's affair with the artist, orders her from the house. Thomas, Jr. sides with and accompanies his mother. Heretofore a worthless spendthrift, Thomas now becomes ambitious and joins interest with a penniless inventor, goes west, establishes a factory, makes a go of it, sells out to his father at an enormous advance, convinces his father that his mother is innocent and, as he transfers the invention to his father's firm, sees his mother in his father's arms, which example he immediately follows by proposing to the girl he has always loved.

Dir: Oscar Apfel

Robert Brewster, scion of a well-to-do family, elopes with Louise Sedgewick. Peter Brewster disinherits Robert and refuses to be reconciled to the marriage, and later drives the young couple from their home. A little son, "Monty," blesses the union. When Monty is a full-grown man, Peter Brewster dies and bequeaths a million dollars to him. The newly-acquired wealth staggers young Monty Brewster, and he is about to launch into the new life as one of the predatory rich when he receives a communication from an attorney in the West, advising him that his uncle, George Brewster, has left him $7 million, contingent upon his getting rid of the million dollars left him by Peter Brewster. "Peter Brewster mistreated your mother and father and I do not want you to touch a dollar of his money. If you spend the million left to you by him and can, at the end of a year, show by receipts that you have judiciously spent, not squandered this million dollars, my attorneys will turn over to you my worldly possessions, aggregating seven millions. You must own nothing of value at the end of the year," said George Brewster, and Monty, learning for the first time that Peter Brewster had mistreated his parents, begins to spend the million. He invests the money in a sure losing proposition in Wall Street in an effort to dispose of some of his unwelcome money, and the proposition turns out a winner. He backs a flabby fat pugilist, hoping to lose, and wins. There is a clause in the will of George Brewster which says that Monty must not tell anyone of his desire to spend the million and his friends think he has suddenly lost his mind. Everything Monty touches with the hope of losing some of his money, turns out just the reverse, and he wins. He has a most terrible time disposing of the undesired millions. Finally, in a desperate attempt at magnificent spending, Monty hires a palatial yacht, invites several dozen friends to accompany him and goes on a long cruise. The friends mutiny in mid-ocean, thinking him suddenly insane the way he is squandering his wealth, and threaten to lock Monty up, but Monty, to frustrate them, runs up a signal of distress. It costs him two hundred thousand dollars to be salvaged by a passing steamer, and the end of the year rolls around with Monty flat broke. He has squandered the entire million dollars, possesses a room full of receipts to show for every dollar spent, and his sweetheart, Peggy, believing him to be a pauper, consents to marry him. His friends, believing him broke, endeavor to press money and jewelry upon him, all of which he must not have in his possession or he loses the seven million. He dodges his friends, is met by the attorney and presented with seven million dollars, and everything turns out happily.

Dir: Oscar Apfel

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

Bob Van Buren's rescue of an upper-class Turkish girl and her duenna in Constantinople when they are waylaid by robbers paves the way for a romance between them. The romance progresses rapidly despite the hullabaloo raised by Demetra's father and by the Turk fiancé he is trying to force upon her; but the very thought of a girl, so highly educated, so gifted with needle and loom, so famously graceful as a dancer ending up in a harem instead of a respectable home, drives Bob Van Buren to desperation. At length he persuades Demetra to elope with him to America, where Demetra could be married at his mother's in New York. Getting wind of it, the malicious Osman hires a band of ruffians who make away with Bob Van Buren on the very eve of departure. With her young American mysteriously vanished, and the day of her now-all-the-more-odious wedding to Osman drawing near, Demetra can stand it no longer, and taking her duenna, flees to a cousin's in New York on the P. and O. boat on which Bob had reserved sailings. Osman pursues the little refugee, corners her in New York, and with oriental cunning sets a trap into which Demetra walks blindly. Having her in his toils again Osman summons a second Turkish priest and is just forcing Demetra to her knees before him when the door bursts open and in rushes Bob Van Buren, who had finally escaped the dungeon in Constantinople to which he had been consigned. He routes Osman and takes Demetra to his mother's. Mrs. Van Buren suggested that the lovers wait until September, but their hearts were set on June. And so, as you may very well imagine, June it was.

Dir: Oscar Apfel

Trader Ned Stewart's father Graehme was unjustly accused of adultery and killed. Ned sets out to avenge his father but is captured and send on "la longue traverse," the long journey to death. Virginia saves Ned, and the villain confesses Graehme's innocence on his deathbed.

Dir: Oscar Apfel

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

The defense attorney who was unable to obtain the acquittal of an innocent young man concocts a complicated and diabolical scheme to get revenge on the prosecutor.

Dir: Oscar Apfel

The treasure of the Aragon family has never been found or any trace of it, until one day, while Princess Maria Theresa is looking over her jewels, she drops the casket and a secret compartment flies open, disclosing an old parchment which tells of a locket that contains the diagram describing the location. The Princess goes for the locket and finds it has been stolen. Carmencita, her maid, has stolen it and, being jealous of her rival, Juanita, for Jose's affections, has sold it to Gaines, an American art collector. Juanita, during a fit of jealousy, stabs Carmencita, and Carmencita, on her death bed, tells the Princess and her brother she sold the locket. The Duke D'Alva overhears the conversation and starts in search of it, as does the Princess and her brother. In a southern town a feud has existed between the Jarvis and Markam families, and Markam kills Judge Jarvis. Warren Jarvis, his son, follows Markam to New York. Markam goes along the street and sees the locket brought from Spain by Gaines, the collector, and buys it. The Princess enters and finds the locket has been sold. She starts to find Markam. The Duke enters the store and asks about the locket, and he also starts to find Markam. The Princess gets the locket from Markam, who is at the same hotel that she is staying at. Jarvis, in search of Markam, finds him and kills him. While trying to escape he enters the Princess' room and tells her the story. Her trunk is nearly packed to go on the boat for her return to Spain. She hides Jarvis in trunk and he is taken on board the boat. In the meantime, Jarvis has telephoned to Rusty, his colored servant, to procure tickets. Two detectives enter and search for Jarvis, but fail to find him. He goes to Spain to help the Princess recover her treasure. Before the Princess goes to America, her father, who enters the castle which is supposed to be haunted, but in reality the ghosts are only the tools of the Duke dressed in armor and as ghosts, is killed by the Duke's men who also capture her brother and hold him prisoner. Jarvis, upon his arrival in Spain, starts with Rusty, his servant, to explore the castle. While at the inn near the old castle, the Duke steals the locket from the Princess' bag and tells Robledo, his tool, to keep Jarvis away from the castle. The Princess learns that the locket has been stolen and tells Jarvis. Jarvis starts to go out, when Robledo appears with drawn gun. He and Jarvis both fire. Jarvis seriously wounds Robledo who, on his death bed, tells the Princess about the castle and also about her brother. The brother, who has escaped by diving into the same place where the Duke's tools killed the Princess' father, swims the moat and escapes on the horse Jarvis rode to the castle. He notifies the police, who come to the castle. They are about to seize the Duke when he jumps down the trap and is killed. Jarvis and the Princess then each discover a mutual desire to possess the other and the story ends with the pair pledging their troth.

Dir: Oscar Apfel

A gypsy girl brought up by a Scottish Lord is arrested for rioting escapes jail and refugee with a young Minister who falls in love with her.