In a futuristic city sharply divided between the rich and the poor, the son of the city's mastermind meets a prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.
Billie Dove, as Elena, pulls out all stops as a Russian princess and a woman-of-the-streets in Paris in an exotic romance and hand-wringing drama set in two countries and the way-stations in between.
Famous playwright Paul Worden decamps to a country bungalow to work on a new play, rehearsing with his leading lady, Marjorie Sinclair, who is staying nearby. Going riding one day to relax, Paul rescues his neighbor, teenager Diana Ardway when her horse runs wild. The pair clash initially, as she does with Marjorie, but after a series of misunderstandings true love triumphs.
Sir Edward Pelham, married to a Romani Russian, fears that his daughter will follow in her mother's footsteps and arranges a marriage with her cousin, whom she does not love. During a trip to Nevada with her father, she meets engineer Bayard Delavel, who saves her life when she is bitten by a snake; when her father finds her with Bayard in his cabin, he forces them to marry. Believing that Nadine does not love him, Delavel leaves her and prepares to sue for divorce. A lost film.
The last of the impetuous Varicks, Lady Helen Haden is married to Sir Bruce Haden, a brute who treats her shamefully. She falls in love with Ned Thayer, a young American, but refuses to divorce her husband because of the attendant scandal and disgrace. Sir Bruce gains possession of a love letter written to Ned by Lady Helen and divorces her. Ned goes to Africa, and Lady Helen comes to the United States, where she encounters Rudolph Solomon, an art collector who wants her to become his mistress. The noblewoman at first refuses, but when her money runs out, she agrees to the proposal and attends a party at his home. Ned, who has learned of the divorce, comes looking for Helen and meets her at Solomon's party. Lady Helen is so humiliated and ashamed that she rushes from the house and throws herself in front of an automobile.
The incidents of this story are some of those preceding and leading up to the Civil War in 1861 and the Declaration of Emancipation. The central figure in the drama is Uncle Tom, a slave initially in the possession of the Shelbys of Kentucky. A 1927 re-release of this film cut the original runtime in half, and in its extant, fragmentary state, it runs 14 minutes.
In an attempt at greater efficiency, the chef and waiter of a fancy oceanside restaurant wreak havoc in the establishment. Adding to the complications is the arrival of a robber.
In 19th century Paris a hedonistic woman marries an aristocrat but has trouble keeping faithful to him.
A young husband just wants to spend a quiet evening at home with his wife, but her collection of zany friends make hash of his hopes.
Famous Russian screen actors play themselves in this drama about the lives of actors. Thirteen minutes of the film survive.
Teddie Barker, an employee of the Searchlight Insurance Company, falls in love with Clara Brummer. Her father does not, at first, acquiesce to the engagement, but after persuasion agrees and attends the marriage of his daughter, and promises a dowry of £5,000 when the young man attains the position of branch manager in his company.
A popular silent action-adventure film in 8 episodes released from 1914-1916. Directed by Aleksandr Chargonin et al., the series is only partially preserved.
Just as Galeen and Wegener's Der Golem (1915) can be seen as a testament to early German film artistry, The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) symbolizes both the birth of the Australian film industry and the emergence of an Australian cinema identity. Even more significantly, it heralds the emergence of the feature film format. However, only fragments of the original production of more than one hour are known to exist, preserved at the National Film and Sound Archive, Canberra; Efforts at reconstruction have made the film available to modern audiences.
Historical drama which features Gösta Ekman as the dashing rogue who steals the heart of the ethereal Mary Johnson.
The criminal couple Louise Kent and Charles Zukor stages a coup in the luxury restaurant Oriental. In the midst of a dance number goes suddenly all the lights out. In the confusion that arises one of the elegant guests is deprived of her jewelry.
Thomas Graal's a screenwriter, is very fond of his secretary Bessie. Overtaken by a kiss by Thomas she runs away. In his misfortune Thomas writes a screenplay inspired by Bessie. But she has not been really honest with him. 31 minutes of runtime are missing and presumed lost.
Drama in the Futurists' Cabaret No. 13
Theater of Life: Youth Version
Hou Yao wrote, directed and starred in A Poet from the Sea (1927). It was shot in Stanley, Hong Kong. The surviving copy was only 23-minute long, but Hou Yao's romantic side was obvious through the scenic location and beautiful set-up. The love story between Poet (Hou Yao) and his lover (Lee Dan-dan) was pure and lyrical, a gem from China Sun Motion Picture Company (Shanghai) in the 1920s.
A grease monkey discovers a defect in an auto engine being turned out by his employer. But since our hero discovers this only after losing an important race, his boss chalks up the loss to Fairbanks' supposed cowardice.