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A Romance of the Underworld Synopsis
Doris Elliott, who has grown up in a convent, moves to New York to live with her brother Richard, who belongs to a drug trafficking ring controlled by unscrupulous ward boss Michael O'Leary. Unaccustomed to life in the Lower East Side, Doris remains ignorant of the pervasiveness of crime and corruption in the area until her friend, Mamie Bronson, whose brother, "Dopey Benny," is addicted to drugs, confesses that O'Leary has raped her. Later O'Leary enters Doris' home and attempts to rape her, and in the struggle that ensues O'Leary is shot when her brother unexpectedly arrives. Finding O'Leary dead and Richard unconscious, the police arrest Doris, and she is tried for murder. Defense lawyer Thomas McDonald, who has been working to expose the politician, is losing his case when Dopey Benny testifies that he killed O'Leary to avenge his sister's assault. Doris, who had thought Richard the killer, is acquitted, after which she marries Thomas.
The Dawn of a Tomorrow Synopsis
A young girl who lives in the London slums is in love with a cunning thief and persuades him to give up his life of crime. Meanwhile, an eccentric millionaire who has been diagnosed with an incurable dementia becomes so despondent that he decides to commit suicide. He disguises himself as a vagrant and wanders into the slums. As he tries to find the courage to kill himself, the young girl encounters him and rationalizes him out of his cowardly act. Her genuine sweetness and strong faith affect him to such an extent, that he begins to believe recovery is possible. Now the girl's sweetheart has been falsely accused of murder, and only the millionaire's licentious nephew can give him an alibi. The girl pleads with the nephew to help prove her sweetheart's innocence. He refuses and tries to take advantage of her. The millionaire arrives in time and shames his nephew to testify correctly. The millionaire now pledges himself to a life of service and charity, and the girl and her sweetheart are happily reunited.
"The Dawn of a Tomorrow" is currently leading in ratings, making it a stronger choice for newcomers to the genre.
Suggested Watch:
A Romance of the Underworld