Compare Films

Through Turbulent Waters Synopsis

The West is the stamping ground for Paul Temple and his thespian associates. He is talking with his sweetheart Jane Dinsmore as Jane's dear friend Alice Robinson enters with a letter from an erstwhile associate, advising her to go to New York and accept a place in the chorus. A word from Temple, and Alice has made up her mind: She leaves for New York. Temple and Jane have been married some time and are living unhappily, apart from the old folks. Temple's reputation as a serious actor is wide, but drink has degraded him, and Jane dies after years of abuse from him. Shortly before her death she had sent her father a telegram describing the wretched conditions under which she was living, and the information prompts Dinsmore to go to her. when he arrives at the Temples' address, the landlady reports his daughter's persecution and death, and he swears to avenge his daughter. Alice is contented with her place as a member of a cheap stock company. The dissipated Temple has come to New York and is engaged as the lead man of Alice's company. Alice is surprised to see him but he mourns the loss of his "poor wife" and explains that he has changed his name to Delaney for professional reasons, and Alice accepts his explanation. Attracted by her beauty and recognizing in her much latent talent, Temple promises to make her a great actress and she fails under his hypnotic influence. James Montrose, a producer, and Frank Wentworth, his lawyer, see the play in which Temple, now known as Delaney, is starring and choose him for their new Broadway vehicle "The Lesson." Delaney is engaged, and through his influence, Alice is retained to play the ingenue lead. He goes through a sham form of marriage with Alice, hiring a man named Ford to act as a parson Night after night, Delaney coaches Alice until she plays the part almost perfectly. Her big scene is in the last act, when she fires at Delaney as the curtain falls. All this time Dinsmore has been scouring the West for a trace of Temple, not knowing that he has changed his name. The play is a signal success. The first night brands Alice as a star. By chance Dinsmore, who has come to New York, sees a photograph of Delaney with Alice, and after investigation, learns that he is starring in "The Lesson." He thereupon writes a number of notes to the star threatening him. The receipt of these letters has begun to undermine Delaney's nervous system. Then Alice comes upon Ford demanding from Delaney the rest of the money for performing the mock wedding. Discovering that she is not actually married to him, she expresses the wish that real bullets be in the stage revolver at the performance at the theater that evening. After several notes have been sent, Dinsmore conceives a plan to avenge his daughter's death and forges a pass which admits him backstage in the theater where Delaney is playing. He replaces the blank cartridges in the revolver with real bullets, and Alice shoots Delaney to death. She is arrested and held on the strength of a statement from the maid, who heard her express the wish about real bullets in the revolver. Dinsmore, reading of Alice's arrest in the paper, telephones Wentworth, now handling Alice's case, and without disclosing his identity, he confesses he was responsible and Alice is released. Dinsmore, realizing that there is now nothing more to live for, commits suicide. Wentworth, having long since shown affection for Alice, is now accepted by her.

June Friday Synopsis

Samuel Blake, a cocaine fiend, treats his wife so brutally that she takes her own life, after leaving her infant, a girl, on the doorstep of the village general store. Miss Huntley, the storekeeper, finds the baby and decides to adopt it. Since the month is June and the day Friday, she decides to call the baby "June Friday." Blake, meanwhile, has been driven out of the village. Eighteen years later, June is still with Miss Huntley, and helps her in the store. Paul Duncan, a profligate young New Yorker, meets June, and is soon making love to her, she showing that she is drawn to him. He fills her head with stories of the great city. June, resenting the unkind treatment of her foster mother, follows Duncan to New York. He secures her a position in a manicure parlor, and finally gets her promise to marry him. Fate has caused Samuel Blake, after being driven from his native village, to eventually enter Duncan's employ as a valet. He is still addicted to the drug, and knowing this, Duncan persuades him to masquerade as a minister and go through a fake marriage ceremony between himself and June. Not many weeks later, during which time Duncan treats June very badly, one of the men who acted as witnesses at the "wedding" tries to blackmail Duncan. Their conversation is overheard by Duncan's uncle, who immediately dismisses him from the office and cuts off his allowance. Shortly afterward, his uncle tells him that he will reinstate him and look after his future if he will give June up and undertake a business trip to South America. Duncan's "yellow streak" immediately shows itself, and he accepts, leaving a note in which June is told that even the furniture has been sold to a dealer. Reading the note, June realizes her position, and gives the valet her rings and other jewelry to pawn for her. In taking off a locket, it is opened, and Blake realizes the truth at once, and tells June. She is compelled to return to her old position in the manicure parlor. Here she meets Tom Van Est, a friend of Duncan's, but a man of very different character. Not knowing of her past, he falls in love with June, and after much persuasion, induces her to become his wife. Four years later Duncan returns from South America. Visiting Van Est, he is brought face to face with his friend's wife, the girl he has wronged. He tells her that, unless she visits him at his hotel that evening, he will tell her husband. She promises to come to Duncan's rooms, but before leaving tells her father that she is going there to plead for mercy in the name of her child. Blake determines to follow her, and gains entry to the hotel by one of the rear doors. Knowing the number of Duncan's apartment, Blake arrives just as June is kneeling over the body of Duncan. He had attempted to force his attentions upon her and she, picking up a knife to defend herself, killed him in the struggle that followed. Blake drags June away with him and takes her home. Since Blake has been thrown out of the hotel on a previous occasion when he was heard to threaten Duncan, he is suspected of being the murderer. He writes a confession and sends another sealed note to his daughter, begging her to remain silent and so protect her honor and her life. Then Blake commits suicide, after leaving the notes where they will be found by the police.