Summary
The narrative unfurls around Neila Pendleton, whose world abruptly crumbles into financial desolation following her father's demise. Cast into penury alongside her mother, Neila becomes a pawn in Mrs. Pendleton's relentless pursuit of solvency, a pursuit tainted by an unyielding avarice. The mother, devoid of ethical compass, swiftly barters her daughter's reputation, accepting a clandestine payment from the elderly broker Wilbur Simons, a transaction that irrevocably stains Neila's standing. This initial foray into mercenary matchmaking escalates into a more profound betrayal when Mrs. Pendleton attempts to coerce Neila into a matrimonial alliance with the dissolute, superannuated millionaire, Hale Faxon. Despite her heart's true allegiance lying with the earnest, youthful Steele Minturn, Neila, burdened by a misguided sense of filial obligation, contemplates this loveless union, a sacrifice for her mother's perceived well-being. The plot thickens dramatically when Mrs. Pendleton, her moral fabric utterly shredded by covetousness, pilfers a substantial sum newly acquired by Steele. In a desperate, nocturnal attempt to rectify her mother's perfidy and restore Steele's funds, Neila, clad only in her nightgown, ventures into his chamber. Her innocent, albeit ill-advised, endeavor is catastrophically misconstrued by a startled Steele, who, awakened, nearly perpetrates an assault, his trust shattered by her apparent transgression. This harrowing ordeal serves as Neila's stark awakening to her mother's profound selfishness. Emancipating herself from this toxic domestic sphere, Neila seeks refuge and independence in a distant town. Fate, however, orchestrates a reunion; Steele, his path unexpectedly converging with hers, finds them both imperiled on a blazing rooftop. Amidst the inferno's terrifying embrace, Neila finally unburdens her soul, revealing the unvarnished truth of that fateful midnight intrusion. The revelation shatters Steele's misconceptions, clearing the fog of misunderstanding, and in a moment of profound reconciliation, he draws her into his arms as the arriving firemen herald their deliverance.
Synopsis
After Neila Pendleton's father dies, leaving his wife and daughter penniless, the avaricious Mrs. Pendleton decides to marry Neila to the highest bidder. At the cost of her daughter's reputation, Mrs. Pendleton accepts money from elderly broker Wilbur Simons, and later tries to force Neila into a marriage with a dissolute old millionaire named Hale Faxon. Even though she loves young Steele Minturn, Neila decides to consent to Hale's proposal for her mother's sake. One evening, however, Mrs. Pendleton discovers that Steele has won a large sum of money, and unable to resist the temptation, she steals it. Clad in her nightgown, Neila enters Steele's room hoping to replace the money, but he awakens and, misunderstanding her intentions, nearly attacks her. Finally convinced of her mother's selfishness, Neila accepts a job in another town, and later Steele encounters her again. While the two are trapped on a burning roof, Neila tells Steele the truth about her midnight visit, and he takes her in his arms as the firemen appear to rescue them.
Review Excerpt
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A Soul for Sale (1918): A Luminous Glimpse into the Silent Era's Moral Compass
In the annals of early cinema, few narratives articulate the complex interplay of familial obligation, societal pressures, and personal integrity with the raw potency of A Soul for Sale. This 1918 silent drama, a poignant creation from the pens of Evelyn Campbell and Elliott J. Clawson, thrusts its audience into a world where virtue is a commodity and love an unforeseen luxury. At its core lies the a..."
