The Auteur's Selection In the Shadow of Tragödie im Zirkus Royal: C...

Dir: Alexander Butler

In Alberta, Canada, a Cornish emigrant unmasks a rustler posing as the girl's "blind" father.

Dir: Colin Campbell

Zora, a girl of French origin, is raised by a wealthy Bedouin family after her mother Valerie dies while eloping with another man. Zora feels such great longing for the French artist Adrien that she accepts the offer of another artist, Raoul, to take her to Paris with the stipulation that if Adrien rejects her, she must give herself to him. Jan, the chieftain's son who is in love with Zora, follows the two to Paris. There Zora realizes that Adrien does not love her and discovers her real love for Jan. However, she feels bound to honor her pact with Raoul and is about to succumb to his advances when her father appears and recognizes Raoul as the man who destroyed his home years earlier. In the ensuing fight between the two men, Raoul is killed, thus freeing Zora to accept Jan's love.

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

Dir: Robert N. Bradbury

A simple country girl, brutally mistreated by her stepfather, awakens first the sympathy, then the love, of The Boy. The Spider, who lusts after The Girl, makes a bargain with the stepfather and takes her to the city where, kept prisoner, she is soon broken in health and spirit. Cast out and near death, she is taken in by The Boy. Following the demise of The Spider, The Boy takes her to church, where he prays, and after many hours she is restored to health.

Dir: Alfred Lind

A little girl seemed to have disappeared into thin air. Fifteen years after, the true reason comes into light. Her cousin Henri makes up his mind and decides it is time for action.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Into the Light 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: 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 Jockey of Death perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Maurice Elvey

A lady marries a horse trainer but withholds herself until her crippled brother is cured.

Dir: Edward LeSaint

When famous opera singer Elinore Duane undergoes an operation on her throat, she has a series of ether-induced visions. In one, she is transported to ancient Rome where she appears as a much-admired woman in love with Paul, a young heretic, and at odds with Lutor, the high priest. To save her love, she poisons Lutor with her ring. After several other visions which involve variations on this love triangle, Elinore awakens to discover that Lutor is actually her doctor, Sascha Jaccard, and that Paul is the son of a friend who has come to visit the recovering prima donna.

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

Dir: Alfred Lind

The Flying Circus was the largest traveling artist band in the country, and among its favorite artists were the rope-dancer, Laurento and the snake tamer, Ula Kiri. The hot blooded gypsy snake tamer is passionately in love with the attractive young man, hut he does not quite return her feelings. She is hasty and ill-tempered, and not far from being cruel to those depending on her. For the first time the Flying Circus pitches its tents in a small country town. The daughter of the mayor attends. The rope dancer meets her and for him it is a case of love at first sight, and he decides to do all in his power to win her. That night a great fire breaks out in the town, and the flying embers ignite the home of the mayor. The townspeople strive to deflect the flames, but all in vain. The mansion is doomed to destruction and it seems that the mayor's daughter must perish. At this juncture Laurento beats his way through the flames and scales the wall, and, picking up the frantic maiden, jumps to the mesh of telegraph wires outside the window. Carrying his burden over the fragile wires, he saves her amid the frantic cheers of the populace. The grateful mayor makes him a welcome guest, and he soon wins the heart of the young girl, but he has yet to obtain the father's consent. He worries continually about this problem, and not even at home can he rest in peace, for Ula Kiri, who feels that her beloved friend is sliding away from her, keeps tormenting him with jealousy and mockery. At last he plucks up his courage and goes to the mayor. The latter is friendly to the young man, but he compels the rope dancer to leave with a vague promise for the future. If circumstances, should alter. A capital idea strikes the young man to obtain money. He arranges to do a rope dance to the church tower. The circus director is delighted with the idea. The great day arrives, and the people of the town gather around the church. The rope dancer cannot forget Erna's sorrowful eyes and pale face as he walks along the flaccid rope towards the dizzy height. A snake has escaped and its body bars the way to the entrance to the tower. The snake tamer has, in her mad jealousy, forgotten all about her duties, and this negligence now proves fatal. Erna implores her in vain to call back the reptile, as she is the only one that can do it, but Ula Kiri will not listen to her in her storm of jealousy and hatred. But Erna overcomes all difficulties. Her great love teaches her what to do, and thus she saves her sweetheart. The mayor can no longer withhold his consent to the marriage and the same evening the Flying Circus goes away to the other regions, leaving a happy couple in the country town.

Dir: Eduardo Notari

A crime drama in the Gennariello-series. The police detective in Naples that is confronted with modern gangsters and crime events.