The story of a ruddy-cheeked rural postman who dabbles in poetry-writing on the side. He utilizes his hobby to spread a bit of sunshine throughout the village, at one point reuniting a long-estranged family.
Jim Skinner
The story of a ruddy-cheeked rural postman who dabbles in poetry-writing on the side. He utilizes his hobby to spread a bit of sunshine throughout the village, at one point reuniting a long-estranged family.
1915-01-14
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Ida May Park started in the film business as a scriptwriter, but in 1917 Universal announced that Park would direct films with actress and producer Dorothy Phillips for the company’s Bluebird brand. Park’s films often had a strong female perspective and The Risky Road is no exception. The story of a country girl who comes to the city to work, but falls for a rich man and undeservedly gets a bad reputation, the film was marketed as “the drama every woman should see”. The surviving fragment, showing the despair of Phillips’s character, is a real cinematic gem that leaves one yearning for more material of the film to be discovered. In 2008, a tinted nitrate fragment, with Swedish intertitles at the opening of the second reel, was deposited at the Archival Film Collections of the Svenska Filminstitutet. From the fragment, a 35mm B&W duplicate negative was made, from which this print was struck using the tinting of the nitrate as color reference.
On the eve of her wedding Lady Kay Rutfield runs off aboard her sloop. A storm carries her out to sea and she is rescued by a passing rumrunner bound for the Long Island Sound. Once they arrive in the States, Kay makes her escape and hides in the deserted mansion of Jimmy Winter. Jimmy is due to marry the following day. He comes home to the mansion unexpectedly, and finds Kay, who persuades him to let her pose for a night as his wife.
A nobleman seeks to rescue his bride, who has been kidnapped by his former lover and a bandit.
During World War I, Francine D'Espard, a young French woman, meets William Holliday, a U.S. Army officer at the front, and they become engaged. Returning to America, William finds his father at the mercy of his business rival, Ezekiel Bates. Shortly after, when Francine arrives in America to marry her fiancé, she is informed that her lover is about to marry Bates's daughter Susan. Her love now turning to hate, Francine devotes herself to the task of destroying her former suitor.
When circus aerialist Polly Fisher is injured, she is taken to the nearby home of minister John Hartley. The two fall in love and marry secretly. But when the news leaks out, the minister loses his pastorate over disdain by the parishioners for Polly's background as a performer. Polly must decide whether to stay with the man she loves or leave him for the good of his calling.
In a prologue and four acts (the prologue and the first act are lost so is necessary to describe what happens with title cards) the film depicts the terrible dream of Asmus wherein the devil joins the human world disguised as a tinker. He meets Frau Ane, Asmus' wife; Ane yearns to have a baby but in vain so the devil takes advantage of Frau Ane's motherly inner desire by making a deal with her but for his own purposes. As a result, the farmer's wife comes under the devil's spell and then seduces the local priest, giving the devil to chance to build his own church to replace the old church that has burned down.
House detective of the Hotel Omigosh, Cyril Fromage and his hotel switchboard operator sweetheart attempt to thwart a dastardly thief, "The Weasel," who is on the loose in the hotel, assisted by a sultry vamp. Plenty of hilarious gags along the way; including the operator taking a call from an irate lodger, so hot that it makes the switchboard steam. Taking advantage of the situation, she pulls out the offending plug and curls her bangs. The MGM lion even puts in a guest appearance.
Mrs. Abbott, an elderly newspaper vendor in dire straits, is taken in by Rupert Dodds, an art dealer, and Dick Foster, his young companion, who see in her transparent honesty an excellent shill for illegal activities in their art shop, where they remold gold and silver articles. Mrs. Abbott grows fond of the young man playing matchmaker for him and Trixie, the bookkeeper. Soon she becomes suspicious of Dodds and Dick’s activities and discovers that they are planning to rob the home of Lady Broderick, a wealthy customer. Attempting to prevent the crime she is arrested, tried and convicted but Dick confesses and clears her of the crime but there are more surprises ahead.
The son of a wealthy farmer loves a simple maid, for which he's booted out of the house by his father.
A man recalls his earlier days when he was married and his wife cheated on him.
A doctor is called to the home of a young man who wants to enlist in the Army.
The story of a young woman living in the wilderness.
Dr. Hugh Annersley, on the trail for a cure for cancer, is framed for murder by Dr. Appledan, who had accidentally killed a patient. Hugh’s sister Julia pleads with the fatally ill and suicidal Frank Sargeant to take the blame which he does only to discover that the insane Dr. Appledan had lied to him as well and he is healthy. As his execution looms Julia races to exonerate him.
Ellen McHugh, a poor Irish immigrant to America, finds work in a carnival and is thus able to send her son Brian to a fine school. But when her position is found out, the school expels Brian. Mrs. McHugh feels compelled to allow the school principal and his wife to adopt Brian. The widow McHugh becomes a housekeeper and raises her employer's daughter Edith, who grows up to fall in love with Brian McHugh.
The story of the military unit organized by future U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt and its adventures in Cuba during the Spanish-American War of 1898. This film is lost.
Film star Ruth Breton has a habit of falling in love. When dating Walter she meets Von Zornhorst. When Zornhorst discards her, she pines away. As a last token of his love for Ruth, Walter writes a play for her, but during the final act of "Pierrot's Death", Ruth expires.
Khokhlova, a girl-reporter on a Moscow newpaper, falls in love with factory manager Petrovsky. To her he's the epitome of manliness--virile, decisive, strong-minded. Conversely, she rejects the sensitive, diffident editor Vasilchikov, who's in love with her, as unmanly. Her infatuation affects her work, and she is fired.
In this partially lost silent film, a man working as a motion picture extra in Hollywood westerns impresses a visiting sheikh with his boxing skills and is engaged to go to Arabia, where he becomes involved in warring and falls in love with a beautiful princess.
Wally and Ray are cousins intent upon getting the fortune of their Scots grandad, an aviation nut. They become mixed-up with the U. S. flying corps and are wafted over the enemy lines in a runaway balloon. Through misunderstanding they are honored as heroes of the enemy forces, and sent back to the U.S. lines to spy. Here they are captured and almost shot, but everything ends happily. Only 20 minutes of this 6 reel comedy are extant.
Herbert Pomeroy's wife Juanita spends his money extravagantly and irresponsibly, finally driving him to bankruptcy. Desperate, he sends his son Frankie to live with his friend Henderson, a South Seas trader, then commits suicide. Although Juanita spends years searching for her son, she finally gives up and takes a world cruise on the yacht of wealthy Jules Lennox. One day the yacht docks on Henderson's island and Juanita, meeting Henderson, persuades him to let her be Frankie's governess. Complications ensue, involving a poor physician, a jealous island woman and a witch doctor.