The Divine Decree

Based -- loosely -- on Leo Tolstoy, this film starred feted stage star Nance O'Neil but is rather better remembered as Theda Bara's follow-up to the sensational A Fool There Was (1914).

Estrella

When her cotton crop is burned, Barbara Pelham, a beautiful southern girl, comes to New York to find work as a fashion designer, staying with Mrs. Kemp, a woman she meets on the northbound train. In Mrs. Kemp's house, Barbara encounters Peter Heffner, a wealthy stockbroker, and discovers from him that she has taken up residence in a whorehouse. There is a police raid, but Barbara escapes arrest and returns home. Heffner's son, Neil, goes south to inspect some family property and there meets Barbara, with whom he falls in love. They decide to be married, and she accompanies him to New York, where she meets the elder Heffner for a second time. He denounces her as a whore, but Barbara goes to Mrs. Kemp, who explains the misunderstanding to everyone's satisfaction.

Five-episode adaptation of the eponymous Russian novel, directed by Pyotr Chardynin et al.

A group of wealthy men try to corner the cotton market and force the price. They succeed in their plans and the market panics. To be completely successful, they must incorporate John Osborne, who controls a large amount of cotton, into their group. They approach him with their plan, but he refuses to accept it.

US secret service agent Mr. Grimm is hot on the trail of spy Rosa Morini and her brother Prince Morini who are planning to sell a remote-control wireless bomb apparatus which if it falls into the wrong hands will make its possessor the master of the world's power. Rosa manages to elude capture at first but after the death of her brother sees the error of her ways and a crisis is averted.

Ruined by Charles Wainwright, George Garrison commits suicide but begs his son Henry to avenge him before expiring. Henry goes West makes a fortune, then returns to New York. Assuming the name of Henry Thompson he becomes Wainwright's protégé and through his machinations is elected mayor of New York. For his support Wainwright wants a franchise binding the city to the financier's railway, but Henry refuses. Attempting to frame Henry on an old murder charge fails when the “victim,” Henry's partner Joe Standing shows up. Finally, Henry confronts Wainwright exposing his evil deeds. Wainwright’s daughter, Dallas, proclaims her love for Henry.

Harry Horton, a spoiled son of a bookie, is prone to gambling and allows a weak character to influence him. His beloved father looks upon his son's character with more pity than anger in his heart. Harry mingles with a crowd of gamblers and loses money. Finally, in a big game, he loses every cent, and when he draws a check the bank tells him that there are no funds.

Suspected of smuggling, Eileen Caverly boards the Connecticut Limited where she befriends Helen Raymond who is traveling with her new husband Bob Guerton. Helen confides they had recently married impulsively, the service performed by a justice of the peace. Shortly after their talk the train is wrecked, Helen is killed and Bob injured. Seizing the opportunity Eileen poses as Bob's wife to avoid capture. Bob’s mother visits him, learning that they were married by a Justice of the Peace, insists they be married by a minister. Bob becomes successful with Eileen’s support, and they have a son. All is well until Cromwel Crow, who knows of Eileen's past, is released from jail. Demanding $5000 for his silence they struggle, Bob enters and in the ensuing fight, Crow is killed. Eileen's secret dies with her adversary, freeing her to continue her life.

A girl reared in luxury is forced by circumstances to adapt herself to poverty.

Civil engineer George Castleman leaves his wife Mildred in the city and goes South to supervise the construction of a railroad. Not one to be alone for long, Mildred quickly begins an affair with the wealthy and dissolute Arnold Morgan, while George becomes friends with Zell, who lives in the mountains. When George tells Zell about his unhappy marriage, she goes to Mildred, hoping to bring about a reconciliation between her and George. Mildred, however, views Zell's relationship with George as the grounds for divorce that she has been trying to find for so long. She and her lawyer follow Zell back to the mountains, but they die in an accident en route. Zell and George then realize that they love each other and make plans for their life together.

Ever since Henry Falkins had caused Newt Spooner to be sentenced to prison, Newt has nursed a red-hot hatred for him and a desire to see Henry dead. That is until he meets and falls in love with Minerva Rawlins who makes him reevaluate his obsession. When fate throws the two men together in the Philippines during wartime and the opportunity to slay Henry occurs Newt realizes that he has resolved his inner torment. He returns to Minerva a man at peace with himself.

Kindhearted Charles Wendel, who has built his pushcart grocery business into a prosperous enterprise, adopts little eight-year-old Mary Brian after her mother dies in poverty. The little girl becomes the angel of the house, beloved by all. Wendel's dream is that his son Ralph will carry on the business, but when Ralph graduates from college, he decides that he is too good for the grocery business. Instead, he goes to work in a bank where he falls prey to swindlers who convince him to forge his father's name on a $100,000 check. When the forgery is discovered, the old man covers the check at the cost of his own financial ruin. Ralph, chagrined, leaves home to make good and soon after returns, prosperous, to wed Mary and restore the fortune and happiness of the Wendel family.

Romantic melodrama of musical comedy star Juliette La Monde's thoughtless pursuit of love and pleasure with various men until her ultimate redemption through sacrifice.

Successful, but financially struggling architect Robert Crewe is devoted to his wife Marion and daughter Emily. Unknown to him, his Uncle Abner harbors a spite for him because Robert's father stole Abner's fiancée, who died in childbirth after their marriage. Mad for revenge Abner hires a beauty to break up Robert's home, but she fails. When Abner dies, he leaves Robert his fortune hoping it will lead to Robert's downfall. He is almost proved correct but when Robert and Marion are threatened with Emily's death, they finally decide to change their lives and bring the family back together.

A young man, pressured by his father to choose a wealthy bride over his true love, dreams of marrying the rich girl. The dream vividly depicts the unhappiness and financial ruin that follow. Upon awakening, he resolves to marry the girl he loves. His father, seeing the dream's truth, relents, and the young man marries his beloved, leading to a happy ending.

Marty Reid, the star quarterback at Sanford College, is constantly singled out by the opposition for punishment, and he swears to his pal, Honey Smith, and to Coach Wilson that he will quit the game forever. Ed Kirby, who dislikes Reid, calls him yellow, and Wilson gets Patricia Carlyle, the college vamp, to induce Reid to play. At a sorority dance, where only football players can cut in, Kirby persecutes Reid by dancing with Pat, and as a result Reid does apply to play in the game.

Author Gibbons sitting on the porch with Silas Hawkins says there is a story in everything, but the landlord disagrees. He says there is no story in the passing funeral of Good-for-Nothing Gallagher. Silas Hawkins spins a tale of lost love, bravery and betrayal, and that is the story of the funeral of Gallagher.

Rose Jorgenson, a poor tenement dweller who lives with her daughters Rose and Norma in a slum and whose husband is in prison, finds out that he is to be electrocuted. Distraught, she commits suicide. The children are adopted--Rose by the wealthy Judge Keith, who brings her up in the lap of luxury, and Norma by a poor neighbor, who raises her in the squalid tenement she was born in. After they reach adulthood Norma is hired as an assistant to the shady hypnotist Caistro, who also knows Rose and notices the strong resemblance between the two. Complications ensue.

Maida Carrington goes to the city with gambler Jack Morgan but flees after witnessing him stealing money from Steve Boyce. Joining the Salvation Army, she meets a now destitute Steve in need of help. In time they fall in love and Steve proposes, but Maida feels guilt that her past association caused his downfall. She determines to find Morgan and reclaim Steve’s money, but when she does, he refuses, and a struggle follows resulting in Maida accidentally shooting Morgan with his own gun. The sheriff, aware of the gambler reputation, releases her and she and Steve marry.