The Eternal Question

Mary Alden and her brothers Matthew and George have extremely different political views. Matthew is a committed pacifist, and is constantly giving speeches against war. George is notified that his draft number, 258, has been called and to report for induction, but he refuses. Mary, on the other hand, is intensely patriotic and comes up with a plan to shame him into reporting for induction. Meanwhile, Matthew is being set up for a patsy by a gang of German secret agents, led by Van Bierman, who are planning to blow up an airplane factory.

Wicked Russian Grand Duke Bagroff becomes infatuated with Thanya, but she loves American artist Vance Holden. When Thanya's revolutionary brother Boris tells her that he plans to kill Bagroff, she agrees to help. The plan fails and Boris and Thanya are captured, but they soon escape to Paris where Thanya rejoins the struggling Vance. Bagroff finds Thanya and tells her that he will make Vance famous if she consents to be his mistress. Thanya agrees and Vance becomes an overnight success. Then, as Bagroff and Thanya prepare to spend their first night together, Boris appears and kills the duke, thereby allowing Thanya and Vance to spend a peaceful, successful life together.

After years of service, the Captain of the Setuckit Life Saving Station on Cape Cod retires, Calvin Homer, the second in command, Calvin Homer expects to be promoted; but the appointment goes instead to Bartlett, a religious fanatic who has been the recipient of a good deal of favorable newspaper publicity. Calvin hands in his resignation.

Rich club-man Kirk Rainsford, attends a charity bazaar at the home of Marjorie Vail, the society girl he hopes to marry. A fire breaks out among the booths and everyone is pulled to safety except little Peggy, Marjorie's kid sister. Marjorie pleads with Kirk to save the child, but he lacks the courage, and Randolph Sherman, Kirk's rival for Marjorie's affections, plays the hero part. For Kirk's public display of cowardice, he is disowned by his father and rejected by Marjorie, who soon marries Sherman. Kirk drifts to the South Seas, eventually landing in Manila, where he becomes a derelict. When Lillie, a fellow drifter, is roughly handled in a bar, Kirk goes to her assistance; she expresses appreciation for his bravery and soon effects his regeneration through her faith in him. Kirk and Lillie journey to the interior, and they obtain work on a plantation recently purchased by Randolph Sherman. During a native uprising, Sherman is killed, and Kirk saves Marjorie from certain death.

Officer in the Imperial Russian Army, Petroff, is in love with Sonia, a schoolteacher who casts her lot with revolutionaries. During a time of suppression, she is exiled with her brother to Siberia. There Petroff is sent in the discharge of his official duties and secretly renews their romance. When the Bolsheviki overthrow the government, Sonia is freed and aids in the escape of Petroff, who incurs the enmity of Egor, the revolutionary leader, because he is a royalist. Together they escape across the frozen wastes in a sledge, pursued by wolves and Egor, who has used patriotism as a cloak to conceal personal ambitions.

Chorus girl Teena Johnson may be "hard-boiled," but she's no golddigger. Thus, when the father of her wealthy sweetheart Kyle Stannard tries to buy her off, Sally refuses the money. She sticks by Kyle even after he is disinherited and forced to go to work. The financial strain on the young couple's marriage eventually takes its toll, and before long they separate, with Sally returning to the chorus line to square her husband's debts.

Against the backdrop of New York City of the early 1850s, a young woman -- naively seeking to win the love she reads about in the romance novels she devours -- finds one prospect in an earnest denizen of the Bowery, and another in an elegant young aristocrat. Focusing on the bygone era's fashions, the novelty of the bicycle-built-for-two, and an inventor's quest for the horseless carriage, the film gently stirs the audiences' nostalgia for simpler times.

Vera, a woman of questionable character places a wager that she will be able to destroy a happy marriage and inveigle the husband into becoming her lover. She succeeds to the extent of a midnight tryst in the family's home, witnessed by the couple's 12-year-old daughter. Her resolve weakened by the child's piteous pleas, Vera deliberately loses the wager, freeing the sadder-but-wider husband to return to his forgiving wife.

Pretty Patience Thompson, a "girl with a singing soul," lives with her cold-hearted and avaricious father, Jeff Thompson, on their Indiana farm. Her life of drudgery is brightened by John, the hired hand, but when he asks for her hand in marriage, the old man flies into a rage and discharges him. Soon an aged but wealthy widower courts Patience, and although she still loves John, "Old Jeff" orders her to marry the widower, claiming that a father's will is the law.

Gloria, the daughter in a wealthy family, has finally spent most of her father's money. She marries Tony, whose as much of a reckless spendthrift as she is, and they continue indulging themselves. Tony's wealthy grandfather Adam Patch dies, but to their surprise he leaves Tony nothing. The couple try their hands at actually working for a living, but they don't like it and return to their spendthrift ways. Something has to give, and it soon does.

East Side gangster Buck Leslie attempts to stop a fight between chemist Gregory and a tough and is pursued by detective Phil Hoyt to a tenement roof where he takes refuge. On the roof he meets crippled Hilda Shea, who shelters him, and they eventually fall in love, the appeal of her innocence causing him to reform. Buck antagonizes the gang, however, and they try to frame him. Hoyt finds Buck on the roof, and during the ensuing fight the tenement catches on fire. Buck rescues Hilda, and she miraculously regains use of her limbs. The detective abandons his pursuit, leaving the lovers happy.

In a wealthy society family, the mother is forced to sit by and watch while her husband and son both compete for the affections of a pretty young temptress.

A german film released in 1917 starring Pola Negri.

'The Yellow Pass' An early version of Der Gelbe Schein (The Yellow Ticket).

Katherine Nevin and her brother Jack are given positions on the newspaper of James Osborne following their father's death. Osborne's city editor, Charles MacLaughlin, who is hated and feared by his business associates, is strongly attracted to Katherine, who accepts his mother's invitation to dinner. In spite of his ruthless manner Katherine tries to change the atheistic views of "Mac" and his embittered crippled brother, Angus.

Discouraged with life, Michelo throws his daughter Lucia into the sea, but she falls into a fisherman's boat and is taken to a fishing village. Francisco kidnaps her and takes her to the headquarters of smuggler Dr. Chong Foo, located in a studio occupied by Pietro Savori, an unwilling partner. Chong Foo kills Savori to gain the girl for himself, but Bevani comes to the rescue and saves Lucia for her sweetheart, Guido.

Twin brothers are serving in the French army during the Great War. Jacques, a private, leads his brother's company to attack when Honoré, a lieutenant, panics and flees. Jacques, dressed in Honoré's coat, wins a vital victory, but he is mistaken for Honoré and decorated for gallantry in his brother's name. Jacques assumes Honoré's identity and goes to Paris where he meets Honoré. Honoré, after a serious disagreement, plots to have Jacques murdered but is himself killed by mistake. Jacques finds happiness with Moira, Honoré's wife from a loveless war marriage of convenience. 'Honor First' was the first film Adorée and John Gilbert made together.

What is more miserable than love-blighted life? For the heart that truly loves can never forget. Such is the sad fate of the hero of this Biograph story.

A royal princess gives her time to the Red Cross, and works alongside a young American doctor.

The brute is a gambler,boxing manager and underworld boss who mistreats a young woman, who is forced into marriage with him for money after her original fiance is thought dead. When that man returns, he attempts to rescue her.