Self-made man Emerson Boyd of Every-town owns the Boyd Mills, which uses child labor and disregards health regulations, and the Boyd Chemical Company, which manufactures harmful patent medicines. Crooked politician David Duncan, the mills's general manager, misinforms Boyd about factory conditions. After Boyd's beloved daughter postpones accepting the proposal of Matthew Brand, an unambitious rich young man, until he does something for humanity, Matthew reads an exposé of the mills by editor Clifford Cole. He buys Cole's newspaper when Boyd attempts to stifle it and supports the National Tuberculosis Society's proposal to build a sanitarium in Every-town to combat the rise of tuberculosis.
Jun 1915
A lost film. John Crawford, an honest mechanic, and Wilbur Robinson, a young man of leisure, both love the same girl. She marries Crawford and they have a baby. Crawford is engaged in perfecting an invention and money is short leaving the wife dissatisfied. Robinson notes this fact and lures her away. She goes with him deserting the baby, leaving a note for her husband. While awaiting the train to leave the city they visit a picture house. The story thrown on the screen is identical to their own experience. Unable to witness the closing scenes and filled with remorse, Mrs. Crawford begs to leave and hurries home, hoping she may get there before her husband returns.
Mar 1912
Wilfred of Ivanhoe (played by King Baggot), son of Sir Cedric (played by Wallace Bosco), returns to England from the Crusades in the Holy Land. As Ivanhoe, disguised, discovers that his beloved Lady Rowena (played by Evelyn Hope) has remained faithful, two weary travelers, Isaac of York (played by Herbert Brenon) and his pretty daughter Rebecca (played by Leah Baird), are admitted to Sir Cedric's castle, but after the knights learn that Isaac has money they abduct the visitors to the Norman stronghold of Torquilstone Castle.
Sep 1913
Unbeknownst to Jim Donovan, his friend and business partner Dan Morgan admired his wife, and one day, when he heard that Jim was in the office, he visited his grandmother and told her that he loved her. She was shocked. Disgusted by her rejection, he planned cunningly. On his way from his home, he sent a fake telegram to Jim, pretending to be from his uncle Frank Foster and asking him to come immediately, as he was seriously ill.
Jan 1917
A young Spanish couple want to be together, but are hindered by the girl's parents. They try a ruse to get a chance to be alone, but it is discovered. The young man then decides to resort to more daring methods.
Mar 1911
A lost film. A young lieutenant is sent to the Philippines and is erroneously reported dead. His devastated fiancée ( Mary Pickford ) enters a convent and takes the vows. Problems transpire when the very much alive lieutenant returns.
Feb 1911
A lost film. Gerald Kinney is a man with plenty of money and wild excesses. one day he leaves his club and motors out into the country. In a pretty wooded dell he meets pretty Myrtle Edgar, a simple country maiden. She is a revelation to him, unlike any woman he has ever seen. Endeavoring to take liberties with her, he is repulsed, kindly but firmly. This is a new experience for him, seeing in her only the pure and holy. Roses grow in profusion in the pretty spot and she plucks one and fastens it on his lapel. The rose acts as a talisman. Whenever he is tempted to do wrong, he regards the flower. His friends rail at him and wish to learn his secret, but he guards it jealously.
Oct 1911
A lost film. Dan Gardner, a young man, is down and out. Arrested as a tramp, he is thrown into jail. He is released with but a single coin in his pocket. Arriving at a bridge, he gazes into the water and his thoughts turn to suicide. He reaches in his pocket, extracts the coin and flips it up. Heads he dies and tails he lives. Farmer Barton, drives onto the scene keen to hire a man to assist him in his farm work. Dan is more than anxious to secure employment and accompanies the kind-hearted farmer home. Alice Barton is the farmer's daughter, and while working on the farm Dan begins to fall in love.
Aug 1911
The story opens with a pretty love scene between the Lieutenant and his betrothed, Kate Stanley. Hammond is ordered to join his regiment in Cuba and Kate is heartbroken. He tells her they must part, and the girl decides to be brave. She exacts from him a promise that he will be true to her, and not indulge in any flirtations with the dark-eyed senoritas she has been told lure men from their vows of constancy in the land of flowers. Hammond is only too willing to swear eternal constancy. Kate places in his watch case a photograph of herself, kisses her manly soldier, and the leave-taking is very affectionate. The scene reverts to Cuba, Lieutenant Hammond arrives, and is impressed with the country. Kate, having relatives in Havana, receives an invitation to pay them a visit and eagerly accepts, thinking she will meet her lover. She is apprised of his arrival at Havana, and, knowing the predilection of soldiers to flirt, resolves to investigate.
A lost film. Jose Almedo is a cattle thief. Marie, his wife, endeavors to assist him. Jose and his band plan to run off some cattle belonging to a rancher. Marie goes to warn them, carrying her little girl, Nello. In her desperation, she struggles across the range but is in the path of the cattle which are being pursued by the thieves. Marie is trampled to death but the child is unharmed. Years elapse and Nello has grown to be a woman.
Apr 1911
A lost film. Claude Marlow, Eugene Wilson and Fred Strong pose as a trio of mashers whom women cannot resist. However, They soon find have have met their match with the arrival of Edith Morton, the new dentist.
May 1911
A lost film. Gertrude Edgar is loved by Tom Moreland and Owen Jackson, and Gertrude, being a woman, is inclined to a mild flirtation with Jackson, while loving Moreland devotedly. Very soon Moreland is invited to join a party to discover the headwaters of the Amazon River. After reading reports of Tom's supposed death Gertrude promises Owen that she will marry him he if he can find and bring back Tom safely to her.
A rejected suitor rebuffs the woman he loves after the death of her husband.
Aug 1910
When fate intervenes to prevent a pair of desperate young people from suicide they realize their love for each other and forge ahead together to rebuild their lives.
Aug 1915
A lost film. Henry Jenkins, just released from prison visits his old confederate in crime, Basil King, who is living in affluence. King is not overjoyed to see him, but Jenkins comes just in time as King's butler has left and he is about to entertain lavishly. King loves Elsie Graham, who has given her heart to Ralph Webster and both are guests at the reception. Ralph takes advantage of an opportunity and asks Elsie to marry him and she consents. He has forgotten the ring and announces he will leave the party to get it. King cannot resist the temptation to steal an expensive neckless from one of the guests but the act is noted by Jenkins. The loss is discovered and suspicion falls upon Ralph, who had just left the party.
The Awakening of Bess is a silent short film of 1909 directed by Harry Solter . The protagonists of the film are Florence Lawrence (wife of the director) and King Baggot , a well-known theatrical actor, here in his cinematographic debut.
Dec 1909
A lost film.
Jul 1911
A young wife instigates a duel between a dashing count, with whom she has been having an affair, and her elderly husband. In the duel, the husband is mortally wounded and his now repentant wife chooses to join him in death.
May 1910
A lost film. Louis Perry is discharged from the penitentiary, having served his sentence. He immediately resumes relations with his evil companions. One day he happens to meet Lillian Garvey, a Salvation Army worker. One of his companions insults her and Louis resents it and incurs his enmity. Lillian is the only good woman he has known for years and he learns to love her. Her influence tempts him to abandon the life he is leading, and he attends the services and becomes converted. Just at this juncture Madeline Raymond, a woman of the underworld, who was his sweetheart before he was arrested, again comes into his life.
A lost film. Lieutenant Shannon ( Owen Moore ) finds himself shipwrecked on an island and throws a bottle with a message into the sea, hoping it will reach civilization. His brave spirit impresses the islands savages and the King offers him the hand of his daughter in marriage. A rescue party suddenly disrupts the wedding already in progress, and the lieutenant is reunited with his sweetheart Louise Spencer ( Mary Pickford ). The heart-broken maiden stands alone, like a statue on a rock as she watches the boat carry away the man she loved.