Underground Favorites Parallel to the Artistry of The Red Lantern: ...

Dir: Albert Capellani

The Archduke Rodolphe d'Illyrie is secretly united to Countess Sarah Mac Gregor and they have a daughter together. The young woman learns that her father-in-law is potting to have the marriage annulled so she writes her brother to ask him to get rid of the old man. When her letter is intercepted, she leaves her child in the care of farmers near Paris and escapes to America. The Archduke finds the whereabouts of his daughter but he finds the house has been destroyed by a criminal fire and figures that she died. He sets out to find his daughter's murderers and meets the evil Schoolmaster and his friend la Chouette. They actually hide the child, that they call Fleur de Marie, and force her to beg for their profit.

Dir: Albert Capellani

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

Marguerite Gautier, known as "Camille" on account of her fondness for camellias, is queen of the underworld. She has a wealthy lover in Count de Varville, whom, though he supplies her with plenty of money, she does not love in return. Her affections are set upon Armand, a young lawyer from the country. She suffers from her excesses, and the doctor warns her that she must change her mode of living, but she laughs at his advice. Armand's love for her renews her interest in life, and she goes with him and lives quietly in the country. But their happiness is short. Camille has had to sell her jewelry and horses in order to pay her debts, and, learning of this, Armand becomes suspicious. Armand's father, hearing of his son's attachment for Camille, demands that the woman should abandon Armand. For the sake of Armand's young sister, Cecile, Camille agrees to sacrifice herself and returns to her former life with Count de Varville. But Armand's love for Camille will not be suppressed. They meet again. He begs Camille to go away with him. She refuses. Armand accuses her of loving de Varville. The two men meet and quarrel. There is a duel, and Armand wounds de Varville. Armand learns that Camille always loved him and that her aim was to please the father by preserving Armand's family's good name. In the end Camille dies with a smile on her lips and expressing her love for Armand.

Dir: Albert Capellani

Orphaned Mimi (Alice Brady) is taken in by a drunken innkeeper and becomes a maid. She meets Rudolphe (Paul Capellani), heir of a upper-class family, who rescues her from the unwanted advances of a drunken hotel guest. They fall madly in love, but Rudolphe's uncle, M. Durandin, wants Rudolphe to marry a family friend, Madame De Rouvre, and writes Mimi a letter, telling her that she is ruining Rudolphe's life. Musette and Marcel, friends of Mimi, also try to break up the romance by introducing Mimi to other men, and Rudolphe becomes jealous and leaves her. Shattered, Mimi declines in health and eventually throws herself into the river but is rescued and taken to the hospital. Realizing it is only a matter of time before she dies, she drags herself back to the room where she and Rudolphe were happiest. Rudolphe is there and she dies knowing that he loves her.

Dir: Albert Capellani

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of La vie de Bohème perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

First feature length French film adaptation of the story of former convict Jean Valjean who is hunted down by ruthless inspector Javert in mid 19th century France. Released in four parts, like a serial.

Dir: Albert Capellani

Lily Bart loves Lawrence Selden, a lawyer of moderate means, but she is also pursued by Simon Rosedale, a wealthy businessman, and Augustus Trenor-Dorset, a married man. When Dorset's wife Bertha announces that she is going to the country (although she really plans to meet Ned Silverton, with whom she is having an affair), Dorset asks Lily to dine at his home. Alone with him at the house, she rejects his advances, but when Mrs. Dorset returns, she publicly insults Lily, forcing her to move to another town. Lily's aunt dies and leaves her penniless, whereupon she reluctantly begins to seek employment. She is about to kill herself when Selden, who has never stopped loving her, enters the room and convinces her to marry him.

Dir: Albert Capellani

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

Jean Valjean, a good man convicted of a minor crime, escapes from imprisonment and spends the rest of his life running from the vindictive and implacable man of the law, Javert.

Dir: Albert Capellani

Jean Valjean, guilty of a minor theft of food, is pursued and hounded for years by a relentless lawman, Javert.

Dir: Albert Capellani

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

During the latter part of the reign of Louis XVIII, in France, Ambrose, an aristocrat, loves Jeanne Mailloche, a peasant girl, but is compelled to marry his cousin, Alice de Fontelles, to preserve their respective estates. Jeanne dies soon after, leaving a son, who is kidnapped and raised by a band of ruffians. Alice's son, receiving every advantage, is raised as an aristocrat. Twenty years later, at the time Napoleon was in exile, the young aristocrat, Victor by name, becomes a captain in the King's army. His half-brother, Rabat, son of Jeanne, has degenerated into a criminal, with a price on his head. Strangely enough, they look exactly alike, though neither knows of the whereabouts of the other. In fact, Rabat is ignorant of Victor's existence. The young Captain is told of Rabat's existence by his father when the latter is on his death bed. Victor is engaged to Lucille, the niece of Munier, who is Victor's father's secretary. Munier becomes associated with the conspirators, who are seeking to place Napoleon on the throne of France. In Munier's endeavor to steal the funds of the conspirators, he becomes associated with Rabat, the criminal. Victor is called to the army, and arranges with Lucile for their final adieu at the diligence office. Being unaware of the existence of Rabat. Lucile believes her lover guilty of the murder which she sees Rabat commit at the meeting place appointed by Victor. Rabat's face in the moonlight almost causes Lucile to abandon all faith in Victor. Victor is arrested for the murder, but before his execution, Lucile learns the truth concerning Rabat and forces her uncle, who has acknowledged his connection with the murder committed by Rabat, to intercede. This stays Victor's execution as a murderer, but as Napoleon has returned to power. Victor is arrested as a political prisoner, and ordered to be shot. Victor's release as the murderer has caused the arrest of Rabat for that offense. He is to be beheaded. Both Rabat and Victor's executions are scheduled for the same day. Lucile, knowing of her uncle's part in the actual murder, forces him to intercede with Napoleon, thus saving the life of Victor. Later, Victor meets Rabat, his half-brother, for the first time, and inspires him with the necessary confidence to face his death. Munier escapes from the country and with Napoleon's pardon for his political offenses, Victor and Lucile are happily married.

Dir: Albert Capellani

The mechanic Etienne Lantier is a competent workman out of a job, whose tempestuous disposition is more than atoned for by a good heart. With bundle in hand he looks for work from town to town and in vain until he comes to the coal mines of Montsou. Luckily for him there is a vacancy because of a workman being absent, and the foreman, Maheu, hires him at the suggestion of his daughter, Catherine, who dressed as a man is wont to work like a man in the mine. Lantier creates an impression on her and she takes his part much to the chagrin of her accepted lover, Chaval, an unworthy and violent man. Lantier fails to recognize her as a woman until after sharing her lunch with him in the depths of the mine, her hair falls from under her miner's headgear. From that moment he devotes his whole heart to her. At the end of the day's labor Lantier, who has excited a fierce jealousy in Chaval, is invited by Maheu to become a boarder at his house and he joyfully accepts. The engineer, Negrel, making his daily descent into the mine finds the shoring timbers holding up the earth in a bad state and ready to fall. He makes a report recommending that the woodwork he immediately and properly repaired so as to avoid accident. The company, however, posts a notice saying that because the woodwork has to be repaired the price received by the miners per car of coal mined will be decreased. This arbitrary and unfair notice causes much discontent and anger among the miners. A mass meeting is called for at the Cabaret Rasseneur; Souvarine, an anarchistic workman, advocates violent measures. Lantier opposes this and suggests concerted action. The anger of the workmen breaks out afresh when they begin to receive their reduced wages and urged on by Lantier, whose influence is growing, they vote to strike. In the meantime Catherine, though in love with Lantier, dares not go back on her word to Chaval and marries him. Chaval treacherously carries full information of the strike proceedings to Mr. Hennebeau, the chief director of the company, and accepts pay for being a spy. The strike is now on amid general enthusiasm. In the meantime, Negrel, the engineer, who is in love with Hennebeau's daughter, pleads with Hennebeau to answer the miners' requests. Miss Hennebeau also pleads with her father, but in vain. The stores refuse to extend credit to the striking workmen and famine soon stalks among them. Lantier discovers to his surprise that Chaval is an exception and that he has plenty of food and money. As yet he has not discovered that Chaval is the paid spy of the company. Catherine brings secretly to her starving relative food and money. Chaval follows her, drives her from the house and strikes her. Lantier seeing it interferes in her behalf, and being attacked by Chaval thoroughly thrashes him. Chaval, taking advantage of the growing misery among the miners, urges some of them back to work. While they are in the mines the other strikers cut the elevator ropes. There is a panic in the mine depths. The imprisoned miners finally escape by ladders, but have to run the gauntlet of the enraged strikers, who still hold out. When Chaval is dragged from the mine Lantier rashes at him, but Catherine steps in between and prevents harm being done to her husband. Blinded by hatred Chaval goes to Hennebeau and denounces the miners' leaders, especially Lantier. The police are called upon to arrest him, but warned in time he escapes to the abandoned shaft of Voroux. The strike becomes violent and the troops are called in to reinforce the police. In the absence of Lantier, Souvarine is called in to head the strikers. Hennebeau's house is attacked and stoned. Seeing the soldiers preparing to fire on the mob, the director's daughter rushes from the house to try and avert the coming calamity. She is caught in the storm of bullets and dies together with many of the miners and their wives, among them Catherine's father. This crushes the strikers' movement and instigated by Chaval they vote to resume work. Lantier, emerged from his refuge, tries in vain to dissuade them, but his influence is gone and bowing to the majority he also goes back to work. Souvarine, alone implacable, determines upon desperate measures. He releases the bolts binding the barriers that hold back water from flooding the mine and the flood breaks loose. He is drowned in the cataclysm that follows. The miners, caught like rats in a trap, run madly hither and thither. Some escape, others, among them Lantier, Catherine and Chaval, are caught. These latter three find themselves imprisoned in an abandoned working pit, where they sit in despair with the water up to their knees. They have little food and when after long hours Catherine attempts to give a little of her lunch to Lantier. Chaval furiously opposes. Chaval finally attempts to deprive his wife by force of her morsel of food. In righteous rage Lantier strikes him and kills him. His dead body, floating on the water, haunts them. Forgetting their animosities, directors and workmen unite in the work of rescue. Through an abandoned pit they come near to Catherine and Lantier. Their signals being answered by the prisoners they redouble their exertions. By imprudence, however, an explosion takes place, which kills many of the rescuers and sets back the work. Among those killed is Catherine's brother. When the workers finally pierce the intervening walls they find only Lantier alive, for Catherine lies dead in his arms. When the unconscious man is brought into the daylight and at last opens his eyes it is the bereaved Negrel who, with a heart of sympathy, comforts him in his grief when he sees the body of his dead sweetheart. Broken in spirit he sees injustice rule and the poor pay the piper.

Dir: Albert Capellani

Virginia Lee, daughter of a United States Senator, meets David Starr, a wounded United States soldier, in a field hospital in which she is serving as a Red Cross nurse. Star returns to the trenches and Virginia's base hospital is moved. Starr is again wounded and invalided home. Virginia has lost sight of him. She returns to America; and in Washington, Starr sees her at a ball at the French Embassy. Feeling her too far above him, socially, he goes West, whither Virginia's father takes her, on a business trip, and there a vital drama is enacted.