The Habit of Happiness

The Habit of Happiness 1916

5.40

Douglas Fairbanks stars as "Sunny" Wiggins, who believes in eternal optimism and good spirits. This places Wiggins at odds with his staid, wealthy family, who decide to get even when he blithely invites a group of derelicts to his sister's coming-out party.

1916

The Devil's Needle

The Devil's Needle 1916

6.50

Renee is a French artist's model who uses morphine as an escape from the dull reality of her life. She recommends it to a neurotic artist because "it kindles the fires of genius." The artist quickly becomes addicted to the drug and the quality of his work begins to disintegrate. He takes on a new model, marries her, and starts her on the same path of moral degradation, until a guilt-ridden Renee decides to intervene in order to save them both. According to silent film historian Kevin Brownlow, THE DEVIL'S NEEDLE was banned by the state of Ohio, but the censor board reversed its decision after recognizing the positive message beneath the film's scandalous surface. This special edition was mastered from a 35mm preservation print of the 1923 re-release version. The only known surviving copy, the element suffers significant nitrate decomposition during some scenes.

1916

The Flying Torpedo

The Flying Torpedo 1916

1

In the future (1921), an alliance of several foreign countries plot to attack the US. American officials, coming to the realisation that the country is basically defenceless, offer $1,000,000 to anyone who can come up with a weapon to defeat the invaders. Winthrop Clavering, a writer and inventor, hears of the reward and tells his friend Bartholomew Thompson, a scientist and inventor who has been working on developing flying torpedo. However, enemy agents have also heard about Thompson's project, and set out to kill him and steal his plans. This film is now considered lost.

1916

The Good Bad Man

The Good Bad Man 1916

6.20

An outlaw calling himself Passin' Through halts his "evil" ways long enough to help out some children in difficulty.

1916

The Social Secretary

The Social Secretary 1916

5.60

An attractive young girl struggles to hold a job as she deals with unwanted romantic advances from her boss.

1916

The Americano

The Americano 1916

5.80

Doug is an American mining engineer. Pres. Valdez of Paragonia wants him to reopen the country's mines. Doug is not interested ... until he sees the President's beautiful daughter, Juana. Valdez returns to Paragonia, but is deposed by Generals Sanchez and Garcia and locked in San Mateo Prison. The Americano arrives...

1916

Martyrs of the Alamo

Martyrs of the Alamo 1915

5.20

The story of the defense of the mission-turned-fortress by 185 Texans against an overwhelming Mexican army in 1836.

1915

Hell-to-Pay Austin

Hell-to-Pay Austin 1916

1

After her father's death, little Briar Rose is taken in by the men at a lumber camp. The girl shows a definite preference for one of the lumberjacks, "Hell-to-Pay" Austin, so he becomes her new "father." Just as much as Hell-to-Pay takes care of Briar, she watches over him, and it is largely through her influence that he gives up hard drinking and needless fighting. Then, when Briar is old enough, she goes away to school and quickly falls in with the wrong crowd. Hell-to-Pay comes after her and takes her away from Doris Valentine, an adventuress who had been teaching Briar the tricks of the trade. When they are reunited, Hell-to-Pay and Briar realize that they are in love, so they decide to change their relationship from guardian and ward to husband and wife.

1916

Hoodoo Ann

Hoodoo Ann 1916

5.60

A teenage orphan (who believes herself to be "hoodooed") is taken in by a childless couple and quickly falls for the boy next door; Her luck seems to have changed. But the idyll is broken up after a trip to the movies-- It seems the 'hoodoo' has returned after she tries to replicate what she'd seen on the screen.

1916

A Love Sublime

A Love Sublime 1917

1

A Greek man falls for an injured French woman. When he is informed of her death, he continues to sing under her hospital window every night.

1917

Jordan Is a Hard Road

Jordan Is a Hard Road 1915

1

A bandit reforms himself and gives up his baby into better hands. Years later, he attempts to reunite with his daughter without revealing who he is.

1915

The Matrimaniac

The Matrimaniac 1916

6.50

A young couple attempts to elope, with the bride's irate father in hot pursuit. The train stops briefly and the young man dashes off to find a minister, but before he can get himself and the minister onto the train, it leaves, carrying his bride-to- be away. Now the young man, minister in tow, pursues his bride while her father and a horde of lawmen pursue them both.

1916

His Picture in the Papers

His Picture in the Papers 1916

4.60

Produced at the Reliance studio in Yonkers, New York, HIS PICTURE IN THE PAPERS solidly established Fairbanks as the American ideal of pop, vim, and vigor. Furthermore, the film brought him together with the two collaborators who were to play a profound role in the evolution of his screen persona: writer Anita Loos and her future husband, director John Emerson. The theme was, according to Emerson and Loos, "the great American love of publicity."

1916

The Children Pay

The Children Pay 1916

1

What will become of the Children in a home divided....

1916