Learning to Love

Lessons in Love

May 1921 •English

Lawyer Hanover Priestley plots with his friend Henry Winkley to marry off young heiress Leila Calthorpe to Winkley's nephew, John Warren. When John refuses, preferring to select his own wife, they lure him east by a false report of Winkley's death. Indignant at his rebuff, Leila disguises herself as Perkins, a maid, and romances him, leading him to believe that Aunt Agatha is the heiress. Complications develop, and after saving her from a fire John discovers her identity and agrees to marry her.

Mama's Affair

January 1921 •English

Eve Orrin is at the mercy of her possessive mother, who has a case of "nerves" every time her daughter tries to show a mind of her own. Mrs. Orrin and her friend, Mrs. Marchant, have determined that Eve will marry Mrs. Marchant's milquetoast son, Henry, and Eve is willing to go along with it just to placate her mother. But Eve herself finally has an attack of nerves, and she falls in love with Doctor Harmon, the physician called in to care for her.

Two Weeks

January 1920 •English

What's Your Husband Doing?

January 1920 •English

Insecure Beatrice Ridley lets her jealousy of her husband get the better of her when he begins receiving letters each morning from the Honeysuckle Inn, a roadhouse frequented by sportsmen. Consulting young attorneys, Widgast and Pidgeon, she finds their wives also suspicious about the goings on at the Honeysuckle Inn. Madcap complications ensue when all the characters meet there before everything is straightened out for all three couples.

Satan Junior

March 1919 •English

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.

A Daughter of the Poor

March 1917 •English

A young girl, Rose Eastmen lives with her lazy Uncle, who works as a janitor in a publishing house. Lacking education, both Rose and her Uncle are susceptible to the socialist ideas of writer Rudolph Creig. One day Rose encounters Jack Steven's the wealthy son of the publishing house, working on his car. She believes he is a common laborer, and begins seeing him. Through her exposure to Jack, Rose begins to realize the rich are not such an abominable people. Rudolph has also reached this conclusion after learning Steven's has published his book. Now with a hefty royalty check and success, Rudolph is able to marry Rose.

Betsy's Burglar

March 1917 •English

Betsy Harlow is a hard-working maid in a boarding house. Her dream. however, is to be a detective, a dream she shares with her boyfriend Oscar, a delivery boy for a local grocer. One day a mysterious character named Harry Brent takes a room at the boarding house. Harry, seeing that Betsy is falling for his rather shady charms, persuades her to help him get a box of jewels owned by the Jaspers, an elderly couple who lives across the hall. It turns out that Harry is not quite who he seems; neither, however, are the Jaspers.

The American Venus

January 1926 •English

A lost film - Mary Gray, whose father manufactures cold cream, is engaged to sappy Horace Niles, the son of Hugo Niles, the elder Gray's most competitive rival in the cosmetics business. Chip Armstrong, a hot-shot public relations man, quits the employ of Hugo Niles and goes to work for Gray, persuading Mary to enter the Miss America contest at Atlantic City, with the intention of using her to endorse her father's cold cream should she win. Mary breaks her engagement with Horace. When it appears that she will win the contest, Hugo lures her home on the pretext that her father is ill, and she misses the contest. Chip and Mary return to Atlantic City, discovering that the new Miss America has told the world that she owes all her success to Gray's cold cream. On this note, Chip and Mary decide to get married.

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp

October 1917 •English

In Bagdad, Princess Badr al-Budur, the daughter of the Sultan, falls in love with Aladdin, the son of a poor tailor, and rejects the suit of evil alchemist al-Talib, her father's choice. Al-Talib consults his Evil Spirit, who advises him to find the magic lamp hidden in an underground cave. Unable to get it himself, al-Talib hires Aladdin, who secures the lamp but keeps it when he realizes al-Talib's wickedness. With wealth obtained through wishes, Aladdin courts the princess. After the lamp changes hands between al-Talib and Aladdin, al-Talib steals it and abducts the princess to the desert. Aladdin follows with only a gourd of water. Suffering from thirst and exhaustion, Aladdin nearly succumbs, but the horsemen of the Sultan, who learned of his daughter's abduction, ride up and rescue Aladdin.

He Comes Up Smiling

September 1918 •English

Jerry Martin quits his dull job as a bank clerk and falls in with a band of hobos. He takes on the guise of Bachelor, the "king of the market," and finds himself pursued by dangerous men who are after the real Bachelor. *Only fragments are known to exist. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.

The Perfect Flapper

May 1924 •English

A 1924 film directed by John Francis Dillon.

The Probation Wife

May 1919 •English

A 1919 film directed by Sidney Franklin.

The Callahans and the Murphys

June 1927 •English

The story of two feuding Irish immigrant families living in a tenement.

Beggar on Horseback

June 1925 •English

Neil McRae, an impoverished composer, loves Cynthia Mason, but, fearing poverty, proposes to wealthy Gladys Cady. Can he compose himself and find the courage to seek love over comfort?

Reckless Youth

March 1922 •English

A cautionary tale for aspiring flappers. Five of six reels survive.

Twin Beds

July 1929 •English

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.

The Cook

September 1918 •English

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.

June Madness

October 1922 •English

Clytie Whitmore (Viola Dana) finally consents to marry Cadbury Todd (Gerald Pring), but while walking down the aisle she runs out of the church and into the passing car of Ken Pauling (Bryant Washburn), a well-known jazz musician. Shortly after returning home, Clytie escapes from her locked room and goes to Pennetti's roadhouse, where Ken is appearing, closely pursued by gossip columnist Hamilton Peeke (Leon Barry). She dances in the show in place of Sonora, then escapes with Ken when the roadhouse is raided. They elope but eventually her family accepts the couple.

First Love

December 1921 •English

The O'Donnells are a typical, everyday family -- Tad (George Hernandez) is a sensible working man, his wife (Fannie Midgely) is a good mother and their daughter Kathleen (Constance Binney) is pretty and innocent to the point of naiveté. Kathleen works in a factory and its owner, Donald Holiday (Warner Baxter), has taken a shine to her. But instead she falls for slick cab driver Harry Stanton (George Webb), who insists, "Honest, kid, you're the only girl I ever loved." Kathleen falls for this, and when her perceptive father makes clear he doesn't approve of Stanton, she moves out on her own.

The Battle of the Century

December 1927 •English

Fight manager takes out an insurance policy on his puny pugilist and then proceeds to try to arrange for an accident so that he can collect.