Love's Stratagem

The Case of Lena Smith

January 1929 •English

A peasant girl goes to great lengths to protect her child in 19th century Vienna. The film is considered lost, and only four minutes of footage are known to remain.

The Big Fight

May 1930 •English

Based on the David Belasco stage production of the Max Marcin play in which heavyweight-champion Jack Dempsey played the role of the fighter, Tiger: This "behind-the-scenes look of a heavyweight-championship fight" looks much like all of the other boxing films in which the Champ gets involved in a frame-up and is asked to take a dive.

Adultery Trap Mature

September 1986 •Japanese

Pinku distributed by Million.

The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays

September 1908 •

L. Frank Baum would appear in a white suit and present his live actors, slide shows and films as a live travelogue presentation of his popular fantasies. Highlights include Dorothy being swept to Oz in various ways, such as with back-projection tornadoes and storms in a chicken coop. Lack of financial backing forced the show to fold after appearing in only two cities, despite being a critical and commercial success. This film is lost.

The Glory of Yolanda

January 1917 •English

A Russian peasant girl becomes a member of the Imperial Ballet.

La corsara

January 1916 •Italian

A Lady in Love

May 1920 •English

After Barbara Martin, a naïve young convent girl, elopes with her guardian's degenerate brother, Barton Sedgewick, she discovers that Barton already has a wife and child. Barton then deserts both wives, leaving Barbara to turn to her guardian George Sedgewick for advice. George advises an immediate divorce, but Barbara takes no action until she meets John Brent and falls in love. Upon requesting that George arrange her divorce from Barton, Barbara discovers that Brent is her guardian's lawyer. Panicked for fear of Brent discovering her marriage, Barbara's quandary is resolved when she discovers Barton in his partner Rhodes' apartment. Through Barton's carelessness, Barbara is able to obtain documents which prove that his first marriage was valid, thereby nullifying their marriage and freeing her to marry Brent.

Herzog Ferrantes Ende

November 1922 •German

In medieval Italy, a group of men plot to kill a cruel and despotic duke.

Miss Peasant

February 1917 •Russian

Silent feature film by Olga Preobrazhenskaya and Vladimir Gardin based on Pushkin’s story of the same name. Considered lost. Directorial debut of Olga Preobrazhenskaya.

The Popular Sin

November 1926 •English

Philandering husband George Montfort purchases railroad tickets for a weekend tryst in the mountains with his latest paramour. When his wife Yvonne finds the tickets, George hastily explains that they were bought as an anniversary present for her. Yvonne doesn't believe George, but she decides to use her ticket anyway, while George remains behind in Paris on "business."

Devdas

March 1935 •Bengali

Devdas, the son of a zamindar, and Parvati, his neighbour's daughter, are childhood sweethearts. However, class and caste differences prevent their marriage. Devdas is sent off to Calcutta, while Paro is married off to an aged rich widower. In Calcutta, as remorse drives him to alcohol, Devdas meets Chandramukhi, a prostitute. All Indian prints of this Bengali version were destroyed in a fire that ravaged New Theatre’s studios. Today, only one copy of the film survives which belongs to the Bangladesh Film Archives. Of that copy almost forty percent is destroyed.

The Dancing Girl

January 1915 •English

Drusilla Ives, a young Quaker girl living on an isolated island, leaves to become the servant of the spendthrift Duke of Guisenberry in London, who is the Lord of her village. She finds that she is attracted to the bustling city's night life, and when the duke discovers that she is a fine dancer, he helps her turn professional. In short order she becomes known as Diana Valrose, the city's favorite dancer. Unfortunately, her strict father and her Quaker fiancee, John Christison, back on the island find out about her newfound fame and career and strongly disapprove--her father places a curse on her and her boyfriend marries her sister Faith. Complications ensue.

Back to Liberty

November 1927 •

Tom Devon, alias Reginald Briand, is the mastermind behind an organization of gentlemen thieves, including Jimmy Stevens and Rudolph Gambier. Jimmy falls in love with Tom's innocent daughter, Gloria, after he rescues her from an embarrassing scene in a restaurant. Tom disapproves of the romance and decides to dissolve the partnership. When an embittered Rudolph kills Tom he frames Jimmy, but Gloria is determined to clear him. Posing as a thief, she seeks the truth.

The Knickerbocker Buckaroo

May 1919 •English

A lost film. Teddy Drake is a pleasure-seeking aristocrat who ends up expelled from his exclusive Fifth Avenue club for playing practical jokes and other rambunctious antics. He decides to reform his selfish ways and boards a train heading heading for the Southwest.

Anna Karenina

March 1915 •English

In Imperial Russia, Anna, wife of the officer Karenin, goes to Moscow to visit her brother. On the way, she meets charming cavalry officer Vronsky, to whom she's immediately attracted. But in St. Petersburg’s high society, a relationship like this could destroy a woman’s reputation.

The Age of Innocence

November 1924 •English

Newland Archer is engaged to May Mingott of a prominent New York family. Shortly after the engagement is announced, Newland finds himself attracted to May's older married cousin Countess Ellen Olenska.

After the Fog

December 1929 •English

Millionaire Joshua Barker insists that his daughter, Faith, must marry Phil Langhorne, a man that neither likes, and Faith is in love with and eager to marry her childhood sweetheart, John Temple.

Kismet

October 1930 •English

Hajj, a rascally beggar on the periphery of the court of Baghdad, schemes to marry his daughter to royalty and to win the heart of the queen of the castle himself. This film is believed lost.

Environment

April 1917 •English

In their small-minded New England village Liz and her alcoholic father are rejected by the townspeople. When the new minister, Henry Penfield, comes to town he is attracted to Liz. Also arriving on the same train is young artist Arnold Brice. He takes a fancy to the prettiest girl in town, Mildred Holcombe who is the daughter of a deacon of the church. Mildred and Arnold fall in love, but her brother Arthur threatens to kill the artist if he finds them together. Heedless of Arthur's threats, Mildred goes to Arnold's studio, however Liz sees Arthur following and runs to the studio to warn them. Upon Arthur arrival Liz makes it seem it was she having an affair with Arnold. The deacons plan to banish Liz but Henry discovers the truth, resigns and announces his engagement to Liz.

Billie

May 1912 •English

Billie is the "little mother" of the family and cares for the two smaller children. Her father has fallen under the spell of drink. Billie has become hardened by her struggle against the drink demon in her father and treats him with scant consideration.