The Purple Dawn is a 1923 American silent romantic drama film that was produced, written, and directed by Charles R. Seeling. Starring Bessie Love, Bert Sprotte, and William E. Aldrich. The film is presumed lost.
St. Elmo is a man who killed his romantic rival in a brawl. Traveling the world as a confirmed misogynist, St. Elmo returns to home and hearth only to fall in love with the daughter of the local blacksmith. The film is based on the 1867 novel of the same name written by Augusta Jane Evans. Today, St. Elmo is a lost film.
The Lure of Jade
When Granny Nichols' daughter heads to go to the city in search of a job she meets and marries a wealthy man. The husband is falsely arrested and before he can prove his innocence, his wife, believing herself deserted returns to her mother with the babe. Freed he finds only a note from his wife upon his return saying that he will never see them again. Returning to the farm with her dying breath, the mother entrusts baby Lena to the care of Granny. When Lena, never knowing her father’s name, is sixteen her Uncle John decides to take Granny and she to live with him in the city. Lena's father, a frequent visitor to John’s home unaware of his connection to his dead wife, Meets Lena and espying a locket worn round her neck containing the picture of her mother, he recognizes her as his daughter.
The president of a state bank, guilty of malfeasance bribes the District Attorney to suppress the case. The DA’s secretary takes a photograph of the moment when a considerable sum of money changes hands extorting his employer. The dissolute secretary makes advances on a friend’s wife and as the husband rushes the roue a lamp is upset, plunging the place into darkness. A flash and a shot and the young blackmailer falls to the floor dead. The wife thinks the husband fired in anger, the husband believes the wife shot to protect herself. The District Attorney, the guilty man, is called upon to prosecute and accuses them both. An unexpected witness appears at the last moment and the pair are set free.
Paul and Virginia are two young lovers who have grown up together from infancy on an island in the Indies. When Virginia is sixteen, her mother receives a letter from a wealthy aunt in Paris, who offers to make Virginia her heir and give her a good education, providing Virginia will, in the future, make her aunt's home her own. Virginia goes leaving Paul brokenhearted at her departure. Virginia tries to be a dutiful niece, but when her aunt insists that Virginia marry a rich nobleman she refuses, and her aunt disowns her sending her back to her island home. Virginia's ship arrives during a hurricane, and despite being only a cable's length from shore, it sinks before help can reach it. Paul almost loses his own life in a vain attempt to save her, but Virginia is lost.
A Lord weds a Lady despite discovering that she is a substituted village child. Based on the poem Lady Clare by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
British bank cashier Eldred Caldwell lives with his wife on the edge of the Arabian desert. One day a man named Richard Manners appears at their doorstep. He has some incriminating information about Eldred, who is so devastated he disappears, an apparent suicide. His wife flees into the desert, with Manners in hot pursuit. She is taken in by an unlikely rescuer and years later, after she becomes a nurse when World War I ends, she makes a startling discovery.
An adventuress traps Norroy into her apartment, then, with the aid of several men, gets the new secret code from him. He turns the laugh on all of them by staging their capture and proving that he had only a fake code with him.
Lost silent melodrama was actress Florence Hackett's final film.
Sordid story of an abusive husband who beats his pregnant wife so badly that the boy, Sonny is born with a disfiguring birthmark and abandoned. Growing up on the streets he is taken under the wing of safecracker James Carleton, who arranges for the kid to have a decent home and a good education. In time Sonny becomes a football hero at college, meeting and falling in love with Mary Kayne. When a nasty detective reveals to the girl that her sweetheart is the "foster son" of a notorious crook, Mary declares that she doesn't care and intends to love the hero to the end of her days. But there's still one obstacle to overcome when it turns out that Grey's own father may well be the no-good slug who gave the boy his permanent birthmark.
Farmer's son David Wingate marries city girl Vianna Courtleigh over his parents' objections. Her father gives him a job with the company; a baby is born to the young couple; but their happiness is marred by David's desire for a quiet domestic life in opposition to Vianna's love of excitement. David's mother comes to live with them when her husband dies. She observes their unhappiness and, after deciding that Vianna is at fault, determines to teach her a lesson. Eventually Vianna sees the folly of her ways and seeks forgiveness from David.
Novice businessman Curtis Jadwin is introduced to the world of grain speculation by veteran broker Charles Cressler. At a performance of Faust, Curtis meets and falls in love with Laura Dearborn, the sweetheart of artist Sheldon Corthell. Curtis pursues Laura and finally convinces her to marry him, but soon after their wedding, he neglects her for his business. In her loneliness, Laura renews her relationship with Sheldon and the lovers plan to elope. When Curtis is ruined on the market, however, Laura rejects her lover and comforts her husband.
Drama written by the film's star Linda Arvidson, under her married name Linda Griffith, was her both her final screenplay and film appearance.
Young marrieds Paul, the Viscount De Sallure, and his bride Florence are in financial straits. Florence’s inheritance is available to her only if she separates from her husband so the pair concoct a scheme to give that appearance. Problems emerage when Paul seems to be taken the ploy to heart with Mlle. Fifi but all turns out well in the end.
The old gardener, attracted by the ducks' antics, goes to the lake to find a basket with a baby in it. He becomes her guardian but passes away when she is fourteen, leaving her the house and garden. Beloved by the woodsman Jean, one day Lionel, a famous painter, approaches her to be his model, and she accepts. Eventually she finds herself torn between the two men.
When young Mary Carpenter and wealthy Peter Cooper, both carrying luggage initialed with a large “C,” check into a seaside hotel they end up with each other’s bags. Mary, an astronomy fan, has several volumes by Prof. Carl Von Munsternberg mixed in her bag which Peter takes note of before also slipping in a bestseller, "The Road to Love," before returning it to the desk and retrieving his own bags. Peter, trying to avoid a widow who pursues him but still meet Mary, disguises himself as Prof. Von Munsternberg so that Mary will take notice of him. Gaining her acquaintance all is going well until the real professor shows up! Becoming convinced Peter is the thief who stole the widow’s jewels a madcap chase begins that ends with Mary and Peter united at last.
Little Joyce Reynolds’ parents are estranged with Joyce living with her mother. Distressed Joyce, her friend Eddie and the local doctor devise a plan to bring the couple back together.
Mr. Bretton's wife decides she would rather pursue an opera career, so they separate, leaving him to raise their young daughter Daphne (Mildred Harris). She is expelled from boarding school after Richard Wiltoner is found in her room under innocent circumstances. Her father sends her to the Adirondacks, where she meets a rogue and soon elopes with him. When her father discovers that he is a bigamist, he has their marriage annulled. Happily, Mrs. Bretton returns to her husband and Daphne and Richard fall in love and marry.
Vera Souroff, a young Russian girl, is kidnapped off the street and raped by one of three officers of the Czar's guard. The crime is brought to the attention of the Czar, but Vera cannot tell which of the three officers is the guilty man. The Czar orders Count Nicho, the eldest of the three, to marry the girl, turns over the trio’s fortunes to her and imprisons the men. When the revolution breaks out, at the risk of her own life, Vera saves her husband knowing he holds the key to the identity of her attacker.