The Auteur's Selection Complementing the Tone of Tom's Little Star:...

Dir: George Terwilliger

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: George Terwilliger

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

A peasant girl marries a Russian nobleman against the wishes of her parents. A son is born to them and the husband takes him away from her so he can be reared in luxury. The wife spends two years searching for her husband, intending to kill him. She is known as the "mad woman," her mind being partially clouded by grief. But when she finds the husband, a reconciliation follows his promise to restore their son to her.

Dir: George Terwilliger

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: George Terwilliger

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

A rich artist has never completed a master painting because he could not find a model for the face, sees the wife of a man in hard luck begging on the street so she can buy milk for her baby, and the artist secures just what he desired.

Dir: George Terwilliger

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: George Terwilliger

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

A father flirts with an actress in order to teach his son a lesson and himself falls in love with her.

Dir: George Terwilliger

Myra Fielding, a young country schoolteacher, becomes dissatisfied with the narrow outlook of her home, and goes to the city, despite the protests of her half-accepted sweetheart, Bert Temple. There she obtains work in a cabaret, hoping to attract the attention of some theatrical manager. She becomes acquainted with Al Wayne, a flashy "sport" who, although he is married, insists on paying attention to her. She learns that her father is in urgent need of medical attention, and having no money of her own to defray the necessary expenses, is forced to borrow from Wayne. He gives her $500, securing an I.O.U. for the money, thinking in this way to obtain a hold over the girl. Wayne has taken the money from funds belonging to his wife, Edith, who, when she discovers her loss, accuses him of the theft. Wayne leaves her in anger, and going to Myra, demands that she leave the town with him. Myra refuses, and as they are arguing, Bert Temple enters the room. Temple thrashes Wayne, but scorning the life he thinks Myra is lending, leaves her. Wayne leaves for Chicago, but is robbed of his wallet on the train by a pick-pocket, who is later killed while jumping off a car. The thief is identified as Wayne by the papers in the wallet, Wayne does not correct the error, preferring to start life again under a new name. Arriving in Chicago, he embarks upon a "political career" in a tough quarter of the city. All of his old associates think him dead. Edith, meanwhile, has discovered Myra's I.O.U., and writes her, reproaching her for not only stealing her money, but her husband also. Myra calls on Edith, and tells her that she never knew that Wayne was married, and promises to repay the money. In the course of time, Myra succeeds in her ambition, and becomes a musical comedy star. By a strange coincidence, Temple, her old sweetheart, meets Edith, and falls in love with her. She, thinking Wayne dead, marries Temple, and they go to Chicago to live. Temple eventually becomes District Attorney. He starts to wipe out the political gang that has been grafting on the city. Wayne, who is one of the gang that Temple is after, recognizes him, and learns that Edith is his wife. Wayne goes to Temple's home, and revealing himself to Edith, tells her that she is still his wife, but offers to remain silent if Temple will stop his prosecution of the gang. Edith, half-crazed by the situation, meets Wayne at his apartment to see if he will relent. Myra, playing in a Chicago theater, sees Wayne, and marvels at his being alive. Investigating, she learns the true state of affairs and discovers that Edith is to meet her former husband at his apartment. She remembers the wrong she unwittingly did Edith, and desiring to do what she can to help her follows her. There, from a place of concealment, she sees Edith, attacked by Wayne, shoot and apparently kill him. She leaps out from her hiding place and hurries the other woman out of the room through the fire-escape. Then she returns, in time to be caught by the police, who have arrived, attracted by the noise of the shot. Edith goes to her home all unnerved, and confesses everything to her husband. He loves her well enough to stand by her, and conducts an investigation into the entire affair. The search reveals the fact that, instead of having been killed by Edith, Wayne was shot by a man who had lain in wait for him for that purpose. Myra's sacrifice was therefore made unnecessary and she is released, bearing with her, nonetheless, the blessings of her former sweetheart and his wife.

Dir: George Terwilliger

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

A jealous leading lady does herself out of money and honor, while the object of her jealousy steps in, carries the show and wins the love of the play's author.

Dir: George Terwilliger

Matthew and Reginald Crosby, two brothers, and their cousin, James Thedford, manage an industrial conglomerate. Reginald marries an actress and gives so many lavish and ostentatious parties that one of them leads to a strike after being reported by labor editor Oscar Lackett. The strike leaders are fiery orator Jem Burress, German immigrant Louis Stolbeck, and Stolbeck's feisty daughter Louise, who is also Jem's girlfriend. John Stedman, a labor lawyer, lends moderation to the cause and thus impresses Matthew and Reginald's sister, Grace Crosby, who joins the workers. When Jem, jealous of Louise's infatuation with John, attempts to discredit him with the union members, Louise goes to John's apartment to warn him, but Grace arrives at the same time to accept John's marriage proposal. To prove her devotion to John and the cause, Grace summons her brothers to John's apartment, and when everyone converges, they finally resolve the strike.

Dir: George Terwilliger

A nervous business man is pursued by what he thinks are visions of the same girl in many places. The latter turns out to be an authoress who changes jobs frequently in order to get literary material.