Barriers of Society

Auction of Souls

January 1919 •

A Hollywood biographical film about a survivor's experience of the Armenian Genocide. Arshaluys (Aurora) Mardiganian plays herself in the film which is based on her published memoirs. It is thought to be the first film about made about genocide. All known complete copies of the film have been lost. A restored and edited 24-minute segment of the historic motion picture was released in 2009 by the Armenian Genocide Resource Center of Northern California. It is based on a rare surviving reel of film edited in Soviet Armenia.

Cagliostro

April 1929 •German

Paris, France, 1784. After living many tribulations, Joseph Balsamo, known as Count Cagliostro, an infamous adventurer, enigmatic magician and necromancer, experienced physician and ruthless swordsman, triumphs among the members of the decadent French aristocracy. But a bold foretelling about a very prominent noblewoman causes his fall in disgrace… (Partially lost film.)

The Beilis Case

April 1917 •Russian

Ukrainian silent courtroom drama about the trial on charges of Menachem Mendel Beilis in the ritual murder of 12-year-old Andrey Yushchinsky. Menahem Mendel Beilis was a Ukrainian Jew accused of ritual murder in Kyiv, in the then Russian Empire, in a notorious 1913 trial, known as the Beilis trial or Beilis affair.

The Iron Woman

October 1916 •English

Steel mill owner Sarah Maitland has raised her two children, Blair and Nannie, to be honest and caring, however Blair disappoints her when he seduces the wife of his best friend and breaks up her marriage. No one is happy but it takes a near fatal accident to set things right.

The Tower of Lies

October 1925 •English

After his beloved daughter leaves for the city to pay off his debt, an old farmer goes mad when her letters become less frequent and it is suspected she may be using her body to get the money.

Subway Sadie

September 1926 •English

A New York fur saleswoman falls for a man she meets on the subway and must decide if she wants to accept a much dreamed for work transfer to Paris, or stay and get married.

Peacock Alley

January 1922 •English

A young man brings his new worldly Parisian wife back home to Pennsylvania.

The Lily

October 1926 •English

One Increasing Purpose

January 1927 •English

Stars Edmund Lowe as WWI veteran Slim Paris. Though most of his comrades died in battle, Paris returns home with nary a scratch. This convinces him that his life has a "greater purpose" in the scheme of things, so he sets about to find that purpose.

Tropical Love

October 1921 •English

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, The Drifter, young and educated, and The Seeker, old and feeble-minded, meet and form a partnership. The Seeker meets Rosario, unaware that she is his daughter, left there 20 years previously when his mind was affected by a tropical storm that killed his wife and wrecked his home. Rosario is deeded land belonging to her father and is about to sell it to Clifford Fayne when The Seeker discovers gold there and urges her to desist. Fayne lures her to a cabin and tries to force her to sign the bill of sale; The Drifter and her father rescue her; the father is mortally wounded but lives long enough to learn that Rosario is his daughter and that she will be happy with The Drifter.

He Raised Kane

December 1922 •English

Kane, who does not want his father to know he is a fighter, thinking he objects, nearly loses the fight when he sees him at the ringside. In the end, it is the words of encouragement from his father which causes him to win. It develops that the "Kid's" father has known it all the time and has been getting reports on his son's prowess in the ring. Eighth episode in the first 'Leather Pushers' series of two-reel boxing shorts.

The Chickasha Bone Crusher

January 1923 •English

Kid Roberts, the champion, thoroughly beats a tough Westerner (from Chickasha, OK) who follows him from city to city, determined to get even. The man taunts the Kid, by insisting that he is afraid to fight without gloves. Finally his wife appears and begs the Kid to refuse to fight her husband because he is neglecting his ranch and family. The Kid's sweetheart and the ranchman's wife do some scheming and succeed in ending the fights, but not until the Kid has beaten his opponent with his bare hands. Ninth episode in the first 'Leather Pushers' series of two-reel boxing shorts.

When Kane Met Abel

January 1923 •English

The "Kid" is in the studio playing the star role in a "super-feature." The director gets his cast to put extra snap into the big scene by making each of the fighters think the other is double crossing him. 10th episode in the first 'Leather Pushers' series of two-reel boxing shorts.

Joan of Newark

February 1923 •English

Twelfth episode in the first 'Leather Pushers' series of two-reel boxing shorts.

The Girl in Number 29

May 1920 •English

Laurie Devon is a New York playwright who, having had one success, refuses to work on another play.

The Riddle: Woman

October 1920 •English

Lilla Gravert falls into the clutches of a master blackmailer, Eric Helsingor.

The Widower's Mite

June 1923 •English

14th episode in the first 'Leather Pushers' series of two-reel boxing shorts.

Don Coyote

June 1923 •English

Fifteenth entry in the Leather Pushers series of two-reel shorts.

The First Kiss

August 1928 •English

The Talbots, formerly one of the Eastern Shore's first families, have gone to seed: Pap is a drunk, soddenly decaying in his ruined ancestral home, and three of his sons (William, Carol, and Ezra) are lazy, shiftless young men. Mulligan, Pap's second son who supports the entire family by oyster fishing, falls in love with wealthy Anna Lee, but when he first kisses her, she calls him "white trash."

The Law Forbids

April 1924 •English

Paul and Rhoda Remsen, having marital difficulties, separate; and each is awarded custody of their child Peggy for 6 months of the year. Rhoda and Peggy move to a farm town, while Paul remains in the big city to write a play for actress Inez Lamont, who is in love with him. Peggy knows that her mother still loves Paul, so she flees to the big city to explain the situation to her father.