William Sydney Porter, better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer known primarily for his short stories, though he also wrote poetry and non-fiction. His works include "The Gift of the Magi", "The Duplicity of Hargraves", and "The Ransom of Red Chief", as well as the novel Cabbages and Kings. Porter's stories are known for their naturalist observations, witty narration, and surprise endings.
San Francisco is a 1936 American musical-drama disaster film directed by W. S. Van Dyke, based on the April 18, 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The film stars Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald and Spencer Tracy. MacDonald's singing helped make this film a major hit, coming on the heels of her other 1936 blockbuster, Rose Marie.
Cleo Madison was a theatrical and silent film actress, screenwriter, producer, and director who was active in Hollywood during the silent era.
Jonathan Frank Glendon was an American actor in films and on the stage. He appeared in more than 70 films between 1915 and 1936. Also known for his writings and lectures on economics, Glendon was closely aligned with the technocracy movement from its inception.
The Brat is a 1931 American pre-Code comedy film directed by John Ford, starring Sally O'Neil, and featuring Virginia Cherrill. The film is based on the 1917 play by Maude Fulton. A previous silent film had been made in 1919 with Alla Nazimova. This 1931 screen version has been updated to then contemporary standards i.e. clothing, speech, topics in the news.
Agnes Vernon was an American film actress of the silent era. While still in her teens, she experienced a meteoric ascent from obscurity to box-office sensation. After turning twenty-three and a movie career fading away, she abandoned the silver screen forever. Vernon performed in over 90 films between 1913 and 1922. She completed most of her roles under contract with Universal Pictures.
The Incorrigible Dukane is a 1915 silent dramedy and farce produced by Daniel Frohman and released by Famous Players Film Company. Directed by James Durkin, it stars John Barrymore in his fifth feature film. Adapted from the novel of the same name by George C. Shedd, it is the earliest known surviving John Barrymore feature film.
"The Last Leaf" is a short story by O. Henry published in his 1907 collection The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories. It first appeared on October 15, 1905, in the New York World.
Susannah of the Mounties is a 1939 American Western film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Shirley Temple, Randolph Scott, and Margaret Lockwood. Based on the 1936 novel Susannah of the Mounties by Muriel Denison, the film is about an orphaned survivor of an Indian attack in the Canadian West who is taken in by a Mountie and his girlfriend. Following additional Indian attacks, the Mountie is saved from the stake by the young girl's intervention with the Indian chief.
Sundown is a 1924 American silent Western film directed by Laurence Trimble and Harry O. Hoyt, produced and distributed by First National Pictures, and starring Bessie Love. Frances Marion, Marion Fairfax, and Kenneth B. Clarke wrote the screenplay based on an original screen story by Earl Hudson. This film was the only production cinematographer David Thompson ever worked on. This film is presumed lost.
The Dawn of Understanding is a lost 1918 American silent Western comedy film produced by The Vitagraph Company of America and directed by David Smith. It stars Bessie Love in the first film of her nine-film contract with Vitagraph. It is based on the short story "The Judgement of Bolinas Plain" by 19th-century Western writer Bret Harte.
A Kentucky Cinderella is a 1917 American silent drama directed by Rupert Julian and featured Rupert Julian and Ruth Clifford, and a cast including child actress Zoe Rae. It was released June 25, 1917 by Bluebird Photoplays, a subsidiary of Universal Studios.
Night Life in Hollywood, called The Shriek of Hollywood in Europe, is a 1922 American silent comedy film directed by Fred Caldwell. It starred J. Frank Glendon, Josephine Hill, and Gale Henry, and featured a number of cameo appearances of celebrities with their families.
Shoes is a 1916 silent drama film directed by Lois Weber and starring Mary MacLaren. It was distributed by the Universal Film Manufacturing Company and produced by Bluebird Photoplays, a subsidiary of Universal based in New York City and with access to Universal's studio facilities in Fort Lee, New Jersey as well as in California. Shoes was added to the National Film Registry in 2014.
The Beautiful Lie is a 1917 American silent drama film, directed by John W. Noble. It stars Frances Nelson, Harry S. Northrup, and Edward Earle, and was released on May 21, 1917. It tells the tale of a woman whose reputation is sullied, and then recovered. It received mostly positive reviews, and the performances by the three stars were all given high marks for their work, particularly Nelson. As of 2024, it is considered a lost film.
The Adopted Son is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Charles Brabin and starring Francis X. Bushman, Beverly Bayne, and Leslie Stowe. It was released on October 29, 1917.
The Right to Be Happy is an American silent film from 1916 that draws inspiration from Charles Dickens' 1843 Novella, A Christmas Carol. This film was Universal's first attempt at making a Feature film based on Dickens' novella. Throughout the silent era, it stood as the first and only feature film adaptation of A Christmas Carol by an American or foreign film company. The movie was directed by Rupert Julian and supported by a cast of Universal Bluebird players, including Rupert Julian, Claire McDowell, and Harry Carter.
Barriers of Society is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Lloyd B. Carleton. Universal based the film on the story written by Clarke Irvine and adapted for the screen by Fred Myton. The feature film stars Dorothy Davenport, Emory Johnson, and an all-star cast of Universal contract players.
Two Mothers is a 1916 American silent short film directed by Lloyd B. Carleton. The film is based on a story by I.A.R. Wylie. Calder Johnstone developed the adaptation for the screen. The drama's features Dorothy Davenport, Alfred Allen and Emory Johnson.
The Unattainable is a 1916 American Black and White silent drama directed by Lloyd B. Carleton. The film is based on the story by Elwood D. Henning. The photoplay stars Dorothy Davenport and Emory Johnson.
