Compare Films

The Idol of the Stage Synopsis

Proud of his Knickerbocker descent, the Elder Van Kortland is ashamed of his son, Philip, for having adopted the stage for a profession. Although Philip is famous as a Broadway Star under the name of Edwin Hargrave, his father begs him to give up the stage and marry the daughter of an old friend. Hargrave refuses to give up his life-work or to marry a girl whose name he does not even know, much less a girl whom he has never seen. He departs on a western tour. While playing a week in a western city he meets and falls in love with Doris Morton, not knowing that she is the girl his father hoped he would marry. Her father, not knowing that Hargrave and Van Kortland are one and the same, tells Doris he would rather see her dead than married to an actor. Philip and Doris elope and are married. Philip and his wife go to Chicago, where he is booked to play several weeks. Here she falls ill, and the actor learns that long and careful nursing will he required to restore her health. He watches over her until his own health is wrecked from his stage work and sleepless nights nursing her. While building up his own constitution, he becomes a victim of narcotic drugs. Leaving Doris in charge of a nurse, Philip continues his tour. When this ends he accepts a position as leading man of a southern stock company to get money to pay the expenses of his wife's long illness. Marion, daughter of the manager, falls in love with him, not knowing that he is married. His mind clouded by a drug, Philip wanders into a Chinese Opium den masked as a curio shop. Here Marion follows him. Philip pretends he is buying a bracelet. This he gives her to allay suspicion, but later she finds him smoking in a back room. Trying to get the actor away from the den, she puts her diamond ring on his finger, coquettishly telling him it is in exchange for the bracelet. Finally curiosity overcomes her, and despite Philip's objection she tries opium smoking. Philip's senses are deadened by the drug and he does not know the effect it has on her until he awakens the next morning to find Marion in a nearby bunk. Realizing the situation, Hargrave resigns from the company as soon as he has safely led Marion from the opium den. Marlon sees the note to her father which says Hargrave, as he is known, must rejoin his wife in Chicago. Her love turns to hate. When Philip reaches Chicago Marion has him arrested for stealing her diamond ring. Mentally irresponsible because of his drug habit, Philip cannot make the fight that he should. He weakly pleads guilty, despite his duty to his wife, so that Marion, whom he considered had been kind to him, should not be compromised because of her visit to the opium den in an effort to save him. The convicted man is sent to a convicts' camp. Here Doris visits him. She arouses the passion of Clark Porter, a "Trusty" who secretly supplies Philip with morphine when told that Philip will be free as soon as he is cured of his craving for narcotics. Through trickery Porter gets an account of Doris' visits to the camp into a blackmailing society paper, making it appear that she is coming to see him. Doris is thereafter refused admittance and Porter thinks to win her when his short term expires. Doris disappears and leaves no trace of her whereabouts, her story not having been believed. When her baby son is born she does not communicate with her husband or her family. Because of the story in the society paper, Philip thinks his wife has deserted him. When he leaves prison he goes into business forsaking the stage. Finally he establishes himself in the city where Doris is living, her son now old enough to contribute to her support by selling newspapers. On the night of a benefit performance of "Ingomar," the hero is taken ill. The elder Van Kortland, who is visiting his son, suggests that Philip play the part. He does so on short notice. Doris is in the audience and recognizes him. Already Philip has been drawn to the little newsboy, his own son, and it is through giving the lad tickets that Doris happened to be present at the performance. On the way home from the theater, Doris is recognized by Porter, now a tramp. He follows her and forces his attentions upon her. The boy, seeking help, appeals to Philip and the elder Van Kortland. They rush to aid the boy's mother, and are overcome with surprise to learn that the woman is Doris. Philip forces a confession from the tramp, thus learning of his wife's innocence. The two are reconciled, and Philip's father is so softened that he even agrees that his grandson may follow the stage as a profession without protest.

The Drifter Synopsis

Despite the fact that Harold Derwent is a senior at a Divinity School and in love with Faith Willis, a co-ed, he cannot overcome his passion for gambling. He is a fortunate racetrack gambler and pretends to himself that when he becomes a minister he will justify his conduct by giving part of his earnings to the poor. The gambling phase of his character is betrayed to the college authorities by a fellow student, and Harold is forced to leave college. Despite Faith's hope that he will redeem himself, he believes that he is unworthy of her, and goes out into the world alone. Several years later Harold's success in "beating the bookies" has made him one of the spectacular figures of the American turf. He is found at all the race meets, accompanied by Madge a scheming woman, who pretends love for him while he is on the crest of his gambling wave. However, fortune turns against Harold, now known as "Pittsburgh Pa.," and his fortune ebbs away. Madge leaves him. Harold gives the last horse in his string to his faithful jockey and announces that he is through with gambling. At the railroad station he hands all his money in at the window, asking for a ticket for as far as his money will take him. Securing a ticket for Royalton, on the train he meets William Ashton, who is just going to take charge of the "Church of Our Faith" at Royalton. The men are struck by their remarkable resemblance to each. When the train is wrecked the minister is killed. Tempted by the opportunity to get back into the ministry Harold takes the name of William Ashton and becomes pastor of the Royalton church. He receives a letter from Ashton's wife, who had hurried to the bedside of her dying father. Later Faith, who had married Ashton, comes to join her husband, and of course recognizes Harold. For his sake she remains silent, seeming his wife in the eyes of the parishioners. A thief confesses to the minister that he has committed a burglary. Harold goes with him to the hiding place of the jewels and finds them strangely familiar. When he returns the plunder he discovers that the jewels are Madge's. Madge immediately recognizes her former lover. Proceeding to blackmail him, she secures all the money he possesses. Finally she persuades him to bet $15,000 held as a trust fund on a race at the Royalton meet. Harold turns the money over to the jockey, not recognizing his old boy, Eddie. Madge produces a child, which she claims is the son of Harold. The minister does not know what to do, but hones that he will be able finally to purchase Madge's silence by his winnings from the race. His horse loses, the jockey being injured and taken to a hospital. A minister is sent for and Harold responds. He now recognizes Eddie, who tells him that he did not bet the money, but hid it in a stall. Harold recovers the money, and at the same time Eddie's mother comes to ask for the baby which she had lent Madge, the child being Eddie's little brother. Thus Madge is foiled just when she saw her scheme successful. She plays her final card, declaring that the minister and the notorious "Pittsburgh Hal" are one and the same. Faith stands by the man whom the church knows only as her husband, and her word is believed against that of Madge. Faith and Harold go to a distant city and are quietly married. Then they return to the Church of Our Faith at Royalton and continue their good work. Harold having been forever cured of his passion for gambling.