Duncan Smoking

The Kiss

July 1921 •English

At the harvest fiesta, Don Luis Baldarama, owner of one of California's great ranchos, expects to announce the betrothal of his son, Audre, to Isabella Chavez, the daughter of a neighboring don named Miguel Chavez. However, Audre plans to elope with Erolinda Vargas, the daughter of the ranch superintendent. When Audre confesses to Isabella that he loves another, she joyfully admits that she loves someone else, also. Audre and Erolina slip away during a feast and meet at a cabin, but they are surprised by Selistino Vargas, who, believing that his daughter has been dishonored, shoots Audre.

A Dangerous Game

December 1922 •English

Gretchen Ann runs away from her foster parents but is sheltered first by Bill Kelley, a train brakeman, then by elderly oilman Pete Sebastian. After Gretchen keeps Sebastian from being duped by a medium, he sends her to a fashionable school, asking that she agree to marry him when she returns.

The Prairie Wife

February 1925 •English

While in Europe, Chaddie Green, a society girl, discovers that she has been left penniless. She returns to the United States and meets Duncan MacKail, who is equally broke though he owns grainland in the West. Duncan and Chaddie are married and go west to homestead. Duncan hires Ollie, a Swedish caretaker, who frightens Chaddie. When business takes Duncan away, Chaddie goes to take care of Percy Woodhouse, an Englishman who has become ill at his place fifteen miles away. Her horse runs away, and she is forced to spend the night there. She sleeps under a wagon, but Duncan is nevertheless angry and jealous.

Judgement Of The Hills

August 1927 •English

An Epic Of Passion Swept Lives! The village hero - boasted and popular- yet a coward. Lauded by every loafer- the friend of vagabonds - yet his brother's idol. Then in the crucible of war the coward became a man. Helped by a woman's trust and the love of a tiny boy!

The Rose Of Blood

November 1917 •English

Lisza Tapenko (Bara) is governess in the household of Prince Arbasoff (Charles Clary). After the death of his wife, Lisza and he become involved, but because of the difference in social station he refuses to marry her. Lisza's former lover, Vassya (Richard Ordynski), convinces her to join the revolution and she goes off to the group headquarters in Switzerland. But the prince's little boy begs to have Lisza come back, so he goes after her and marries her.

Mysterious World

May 1916 •Russian

After Five

January 1915 •English

Thinking that he has lost both his money and his beloved Nora's in a bad investment young New Yorker Ted Ewing arranges for his own murder. Suddenly he discovers the money is safe and has in fact doubled and sets out to cancel the contract on his life. But will he be able to do so in time?

The Speed Queen

June 1913 •English

Nellie's father is a judge, afflicted with a species of St. Vitus' dance. When he feels an attack coming on he takes a dose of medicine which always brings relief. One day he forgets the medicine, and feeling the attack coming on he sends Nellie home for the medicine. She jumps into her auto and drives like the wind, pursued by two bicycle cops. One of the cops is a rejected suitor, and he hopes to catch her and arrest her, for spite. The other cop is the accepted lover, and he rides to save her. Amusing situations are shown while the trio are riding at terrific speed. Nellie is arrested, but is released upon the plea of her sweetheart.

Convention City

December 1933 •English

Extra-marital fun and games at a convention of the Honeywell Rubber Company in Atlantic City. President J.B. Honeywell is to choose a new company sales manager. T.R. Kent and George Ellerbe are two salesmen who both want the job. However, they both get into trouble: T.R. is discredited when jealous saleswoman, Arlene Dale, interferes with his attempted seduction of Honeywell's daughter, Claire, and George attempts to seduce Nancy Lorraine. The position of sales manager is bestowed upon a drunken employee as a bribe after he catches J.B. about to visit "Daisy La Rue, Exterminator." Considered a lost film.

The Marble Heart

March 1916 •English

Therese Roger, daughter of a West Indian planter, whose parents are murdered while she is a baby, becomes the adopted daughter of her aunt, Madame Roger, keeper of a haberdashery shop in one of the smaller villages in southern France. She grows up with Camille, Madame Roger's son, a sickly, sexless creature, whom she ultimately marries in deference to her aunt's wishes.

Lonesome Ladies

July 1927 •English

Released on July 3, 1927

Dry Martini

October 1928 •English

Upon hearing that his daughter Elizabeth, is coming from America to visit him in Paris, wealthy Willoughby Quimby, decides to give up dry martinis and women. However, Elizabeth seeks a wild time and ends up leaving France with her father's drinking buddy, Freddie, and Willoughby goes back to his dry martinis.

Say It with Sables

July 1928 •English

In this silent film, now considered lost, Doug Caswell falls for Irene, his wealthy father's mistress. It's up to Doug's stepmother Helen to put things right.

The Serpent

January 1916 •English

Peasant girl Vania is assaulted by a duke who murders her lover and sends her away to London.

Hats Off

November 1927 •German

Stan and Ollie are salesmen attempting to sell a washing machine; they fail constantly after several near misses. One would-be sale has them carrying the machine up a large flight of steps, only to find out that a young lady wants them to post a letter for her. The boys later get into an argument knocking off each other's hats, which eventually involves scores of others. A police van eventually carts all those involved away except Stan and Ollie, who afterwards try to find their own headgear amongst the hundreds of others lying on the street.

A Gambling Rube

June 1914 •English

A comedy short that revolves around a poker game, both above and underneath the table. This is considered to be a lost film.

Courage

May 1930 •English

Belle Bennett plays as the widowed mother of seven children living in Sioux City, Iowa. She moves with them to Cambridge, Massachusetts in order to educate her children with culture and give them every advantage. Bennett, who is unversed in financial matters, soon faces poverty for herself and her children. She takes out a loan from an unscrupulous lender (played by Richard Tucker), who is so impressed by the charm and valiant spirit of Bennett than he neglects to ask her for collateral. Bennett, however, is only able to partially pay her creditors. Marion Nixon, Bennett's eldest daughter, is shocked by her mother's actions and attempts to sacrifice herself to Tucker in order to clear her mother's obligations, even though she is engaged to marry a well to do Harvard undergraduate, played by Rex Bell. This film is believed lost.

The Great Gatsby

November 1926 •English

Nick Carraway, a young Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbor, the nouveau riche Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby's circle, becoming a witness to obsession and tragedy.

His Chum the Baron

April 1913 •English

Smith's chum is a very poor Baron. Smith and the Baron are invited to a ball, and the Baron, not having evening clothes of his own, "borrows" Smith's dress suit. He is having the time of his life when Smith arrives, thoroughly angry, and taking the Baron in a room takes the clothes away from him. The Baron is in a terrible predicament, dodging around from room to room, as people intrude upon his hiding places. He tries to hide his face with a handkerchief, and a lady catches a glimpse of him as he dives under a bed. She screams in terror, thinking he is a mad man, and then the poor Baron is chased all over the house. Someone telephones for the police and they assist in the capture and lead him away.

Time in the Sun

September 1940 •English

Second attempt to create a feature film out of the 200,000-plus feet of film which Soviet film-maker Sergei Eisenstein shot during 1931-32 in Mexico for American socialist author Upton Sinclair, his wife and a small company of investors. The projected film, to be called "Que Viva Mexico", was never completed due to exhaustion of funds and Stalin's demand that Eisenstein return to the USSR (he had been absent since 1929). The first attempt at editing the footage, in the USA, resulted in "Thunder Over Mexico", released in 1934. In 1940, Marie Seton, from the UK, acquired some of the footage from the Sinclairs in an attempt to make a better cutting according to Eisenstein's skeletal outline for the proposed film. This film has apparently been lost.