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The Old Folks at Home Synopsis

Senator John Coburn's son Steve, who associates more with gamblers, criminals and drug addicts than with his father's congressional cronies, impulsively murders his mistress' new lover. The senator tries to use his influence to have Steve acquitted, but all of the evidence firmly and correctly implicates him, and so the jury prepares to find Steve guilty without much deliberation. Before the verdict can be announced, however, Steve's mother rises in court to make an impassioned plea for her son. As a result, moved by the mother's grief, the jurors choose to ignore all of the evidence, and declare that Steve is not guilty.

The Wharf Rat Synopsis

Carmen Wagner is an orphan, the daughter of a musician whose career was ruined by the nagging of her stepmother. Her grandfather, also a violinist, hates all women because of his son's ruined career. He tries to save his granddaughter, whom he adores, from the stepmother. He also makes his granddaughter a woman hater and brings her up disguised as a boy. While in this garb she meets Edward Holmes, a law clerk, and the two become friends. The stepmother, catching the grandfather giving Carmen music lessons, drives him from the house. Carmen runs away, joins him, and they become vagabond musicians. They take passage on a ship, and Edward is consulted by the stepmother and delegated to find them. He takes passage on the same ship, identifies an innocent Italian musician and his daughter, whom he arrests. For this false arrest Edward is discharged. And in this plight he meets Carmen and her grandfather, who live on a derelict vessel and who make a living by playing violin in the streets. While protecting Carmen from a drunken sailor Edward is badly hurt and is taken in and cared for in the old hulk. Carmen throws aside her boy's clothes, puts on feminine apparel, imitates the dock watchman's daughter and coquettes with Edward, who at last identifies her as the girl whom he was originally employed to seek. They are in love, but keep it secret from the woman-hating grandfather. Other detectives, employed by the stepmother this time, have located Carmen, and Edward is knocked out defending her, while the stepmother and Carmen take a steamer home. Edward follows in a fast motorboat with a friend, and Carmen jumps from the steamer and is rescued by Edward. The stepmother pursues in a pilot boat, but they finally make their escape to marriage and happiness.