Cinematic Discoveries Following the Footsteps of The Humming Bird: ...

Dir: Sidney Olcott

Barbara Rand, the daughter of a poor but proud Southern widow, loses her sight after leaping through the window of a notorious roadhouse to escape an assailant. Her sister, Natalie, reluctantly abandons her fiancé, Ned Gardiner, and marries Oliver Landis, who can provide the money needed for Barbara's operation. Unaware that Oliver was Barbara's attacker, Natalie places the blame on his business partner, Howard Pollard, who was with Barbara on the night she was injured. As Natalie holds Howard at gunpoint, her husband arrives and promises to deal with the supposed villain. A struggle ensues between the two men, and Howard falls from a cliff to his death. After Barbara is released from the hospital, Oliver tries to blind her once again by removing her bandages prematurely. Natalie threatens him with a pistol, but Oliver wrests it away from her. He then realizes that he can no longer hide his guilt from Natalie or the police and shoots himself. Barbara has been avenged, and Natalie is free to marry Ned.

Dir: Edgar Jones

A mail-order bride arrives at a Maine lumber camp but doesn't like her prospective husband.

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

Dir: Sidney Olcott

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Sidney Olcott

Financial troubles force Nell Carroll, a thoroughbred, to seek employment in a detective agency which has just taken up the trail of a very baffling jewelry robbery in an exclusive summer colony. In order to work from the inside, she is sent to the place as the Baroness Du Vassey. Suspicion promptly fastens upon Teddy De Veaux, the son of the woman who first invites Nell to her home. Every evidence points to him until the leader of the crooks, suspecting the real identity of the "baroness." decides to present himself as the Baron Du Vassey, her husband. The arrival of the "baron" causes consternation in the heart of Nell, who does not know whether she is facing an impostor or has chanced upon the name of a real nobleman. Trusting to chance to give her some hint as to the truth, she decides to face the man and attempt to outwit him. But more than wits are necessary to defeat the crook, with whom the butler is allied. It comes to a question of a steady hand and quick trigger finger when the thieves are caught red-handed and spring upon the innocent young Teddy.

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

Dir: Harley Knoles

Jim McDonald, the foreman of a shipbuilding plant and head of the labor union, strives to combat the anarchistic propaganda being put forth by Klimoff, the leader of a Bolshevik gang whose goal is to disrupt the country with strikes and anarchy. Despite McDonald's efforts, a strike is called, resulting in chaos. McDonald's child is knocked down by runaway horses abandoned by their striking driver, and dies. Mob scenes take place in America, as well as in Russia. Eventually, the unrest is quelled with an armistice called between Capital and Labor for a year, during which time wages are to be increased to reflect the cost of living, and leaders are to work out a common plan for their mutual advantage. The strikers now realize that they have been pawns of the Bolsheviks and call off the strike, agreeing to the plan.

Dir: Sidney Olcott

Young Victor Morenne is a fisherman in a small Belgian village during World War II, and he has a talent for sculpture. When he's encouraged by a French art connoisseur to leave Belgium for Paris to develop his skills as a sculptor, he takes the man's advice, but before he leaves he tells his sweetheart, Jeanne, that he will return to her. However, while in Paris he falls for the sophisticated Countess de Vries, who is actually a German spy. Complications ensue.

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

Dir: Sidney Olcott

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Wilfred Lucas

Brian O'Farrell (Snowy Baker), is an English 'new chum' who takes a job at an Australian cattle station. He is teased by station hands because of his appearance (including spats and a monocle) but he soon impresses them with his skills at riding and boxing. The station manager, John MacDonald (Wilfred Lucas), takes O'Farrell to Sydney to meet his daughter Edith (Kathleen Key) who is working in the slums. Edith is kidnapped by criminals after witnessing a crime but O'Farrell rescues her. It is later revealed he is the owner of the station.

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

Dir: Sidney Olcott

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Bruno Ziener

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.