The Curious Conduct of Judge Legarde

The City of Tears

June 1918 •English

Chorus girl Rosa Carillo (Carmel Myers) finds herself in dire straits when the troupe she works with is disbanded and her last fifty dollars is stolen. Artist Billy Leeds (Earl Rodney) offers to take care of her, but she's leery of his proposition. Instead she finds work with an Italian grocer, Tony Bonchi (Edwin August). One of the other ex-members of the troupe has Tony arrested on a trumped up charge. Rosa returns to Billy and offers herself to him if only he'll get Tony out of jail.

The Door Between

December 1917 •English

The Door Between was based on Anthony the Absolute, a novel by Samuel Merwyn. The story begins in Japan, where American musicologist Anthony Eckert (Monroe Salisbury) is busily collecting records of authentic Japanese folk songs. While thus preoccupied, Eckert makes the acquaintance of a drunkard who has vowed to track down and murder his errant wife.

After the Show

October 1921 •English

After the Show was adapted from Rita Weiman's story "The Stage Door." Lila Lee plays Eileen, a starry-eyed young girl employed as a chorus dancer in New York. Eileen can never be certain if the men in her life are sincere, or if they perceive her as mere temporary plaything. Among the "stage door johnnies," "tired businessmen" and "sugar daddies" surrounding Eileen are Jack Holt and Carlton S. King.

St. Elmo

September 1923 •English

St. Elmo is a man who killed his romantic rival in a brawl. Traveling the world as a confirmed misogynist, St. Elmo returns to home and hearth only to fall in love with the daughter of the local blacksmith. The film is based on the 1867 novel of the same name written by Augusta Jane Evans. Today, St. Elmo is a lost film.

Hell-Bent for Heaven

May 1926 •English

Sid Hunt and Jude Lowery are Carolina sweethearts but hired-hand Rufe Pryer also has his eyes on her. Rufe lies to Andy, Jude's brother, and a family-feud is started when Andy goes gunning after Sid. But Sid quiets the drunken Andy, and is taking him home when a shot is fired from ambush and Sid's horse comes home riderless. But he shows up unhurt, and the jealous-maddened Rufe sends him on a ruse to the big dam. Rufe sets off a dynamite explosion to catch Sid in the swirling waters but Jude is the one who is caught.

Babbitt

June 1924 •English

A small-town businessman bumbles into blackmail and a real-estate swindle.

Being Respectable

July 1924 •English

Wealthy young Charles Carpenter is pressured by his family to marry Suzanne, even though he is really in love with young "flapper" Valerie. He gives in to his family's pressure, however, and marries Suzanne, after which Valerie leaves town. Years later, after Charles and Suzanne have had a child, Valerie comes back to town and Charles realizes he is still in love with her, and she with him. Complications ensue.

The Beautiful and Damned

December 1922 •English

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.

The Way Out

January 1918 •German

Such a soul torments young composer Georg von Wergenthin, around whom the author creates a precise picture of the fin de siècle, its neuroses and its politics. Georg starts a relationship with a young singer, but does not confess to her in front of his friends, even when she becomes pregnant by him.

Companionate Marriage

October 1928 •English

Sally Williams (Betty Bronson) marries Donald Moore (Richard Walling) and have trials and tribulations and input from others but they demonstrate that the most successful marriages are usually based on trust and respect, rather than on sex alone. Released in the UK under the title of "The Jazz Bride".

Gentle Julia

December 1923 •English

Gentle Julia is a 1923 American silent romantic drama film based on the popular novel Gentle Julia by Booth Tarkington. Directed by Rowland V. Lee, the film starred Bessie Love.

The Silent Watcher

October 1924 •English

A lawyer (Bosworth) running for Congress decides to end his relationship with a showgirl (Bennett), so that he will be more presentable candidate. When the showgirl commits suicide, the police arrest the lawyer for murder.

The Dark Angel

September 1925 •English

Alan Trent (Ronald Colman), his cousin Gerald Shannon (Wyndham Standing) and neighbor Kitty Vane (Vilma Bánky) have grown up together, as close playmates When World War I starts, both Alan and Gerald enlist in the British Army as officiers, and Kitty sees them off to war. Many months later, Alan and Gerald come back to Kitty, on a short furlow. Alan and Kitty reveal their love for each other. Gerald (who's in love with Kitty, too) congratulates his friends. But before Kitty and Alan can arrange to be married the next day, the furlow is cut short and both men head back to the front lines. Weeks later, Gerald will not give Alan leave to marry Kitty. Still arguing, both men volunteer for a reconiscience raid into enemy lines, where a grenade goes off near Alan and appears to kill him. Gerald and Kitty mourn Alan's death. After the war ends, Gerald and Kitty become engaged to be married.

Men of Steel

July 1926 •English

Jan Bokak is a self-educated steelworker who finds himself in the middle of a romantic triangle. Two different girls -- wealthy socialite Claire Pitt and blue-collar worker Mary Berwick -- simultaneously fall for Bokak. It later develops that Claire and Mary are actually sisters, the first of a series of surprising plot twists leading to Bokak being accused of a murder he didn't commit.

The Prince of Headwaiters

July 1927 •English

Pierre, the maitre d' at the swanky Ritz Hotel in Paris, discovers that he has a son from his former marriage, which was broken up by his wealthy wife's upper-class relatives. His son, now a young man and unaware that Pierre is is father, is in danger of becoming the victim of blackmailer Mae Morin. Pierre sets out to save him from the notorious Mae.

Mother Knows Best

October 1928 •English

A stage-actress mother and her daughter in a battle-of-wills in a "don't do this, daughter" and "don't do that, daughter" story of youthful folly and over-zealous parental devotion.

A Reno Divorce

October 1927 •English

An attractive heiress, Carla (May McAvoy), and David (Ralph Graves), a successful artist, fall in love following an automobile accident. and are married. Their idyll is interrupted by a misunderstanding and she gets a Reno-quickie divorce. Years later a chance meeting brings them together.

The Eye of God

June 1916 •English

Olaf writes his memoirs, before his execution. He tells of his life as a struggling farmer when Renie, stranded in the village, stays one night in his home and Olaf falls in love with her.

The Girl of Lost Lake

August 1916 •English

The Honor of Mary Blake

December 1916 •English