Ben Hur 1907
The first adaptation of Lew Wallace's novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.
The first adaptation of Lew Wallace's novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.
A short smugglers’ drama in which a new employee of the harbour police starts working for an export trader, so as to keep an eye on the smugglers. After a wild chase, the smugglers are captured, and it turns out that harbour police agent and the daughter of the export trader get along very well.
While touring Egypt, Harris and his wife visit an old temple and are fascinated by a sacred scimitar, which, at the corner of a shrine, is religiously guarded by Hadjji, a Mohammedan priest. The wife is a curio fiend, and demands that Harris secure the scimitar, but the husband, having read in his guidebook that the scimitar was supposedly presented to the prophet in a vision and that the vengeance of Allah will follow whosoever disturbs it, begs her to abandon the foolish idea. She insists. That night Harris enters the temple with a rope ladder, steals the scimitar and escapes.
Two tramps hold up small-town Ferndale's railway station night operator Helen, lock her in a closet, and escape. Later, standing on a bridge over the freight yards, Helen sees the two bandits aboard an outgoing freight and drops onto the roof of the car from above as it crosses underneath. A chase along the roofs of the speeding cars ensues.
Brandt, a defaulting cashier, hiding in Lone Point in his effort to throw detectives off his track, cuts the wires of Helen's telephone to prevent her from calling for help, binds and gags her, and boards the outgoing Limited. Freed by Detective Sheridan, the two of them get into a gasoline speeder standing on the sidetrack and pursue the Limited.
On the day of their marriage, Ruth discovers that her sweetheart, Jasper King, is the proprietor of a gambling establishment. Denouncing the man, Ruth declares that she will not become Jasper's wife until he has given all his ill-gotten wealth to charity. Jasper obeys Ruth's demands.
The life of Jesus is played out in tableaux shot in the Holy Land.
The Humpty Dumpty Circus is the first animated short film created in stop-motion technique. It features a circus with acrobats and animals in motion.
Tom Ingraham, who has been rescued from the clutches of Lina, a siren, meets Ruth. Knowing the marriage would please his wealthy uncle Macy, Tom makes the girl his wife. Ruth soon discovers the marriage to be a loveless one. Tom's hopes of inheriting a fortune are blasted when Macy is ruined.
Tony Vallenci, just over from Italy, is offered a job by Pietro Valli, an unscrupulous padrone. Ignorant of American money, Tony signs a contract calling for a wage of sixty cents a day. He goes to work in a quarry owned by Dodge. The following day Tony is knocked down by an auto containing Mrs. Dodge. He is uninjured, but the kind lady takes him to his home.
Lured by Diana, Katherine runs away from home. The foolish girl is soon drawn into the whirlpool. She meets Mace, a notorious man-about-town, and is fascinated by him. Doctor Busby, an insane physician, recognizes in Mace the man who had caused his daughter's death. Shortly afterward, Katherine discovers Mace's real character. Wild with rage, she stabs him.
Jack Hoxie and Marin Sais star in this 'American Girl' short. A courageous young woman must clear her boyfriend after he is framed for a hold-up.
Jud Hendricks, foreman of the construction camp, is being blackmailed by Gypsy Joe, who knows of a dark page in the Hendricks' past. Hendricks and Tom Rasom are rivals for the favor of Helen, with Tom in the lead. The latter, an engineer, is about to take his train out when he finds Gypsy Joe hiding in a boxcar.
Spurned by Iola Neville, George Judson vows to ruin the happiness of the woman and Jack Worthington, the man she marries. Impelled by his bitter hatred, Judson concentrates all his energy to bring this about. Jack soon discovers the shallowness of his wife's nature. Bitter quarrels arise.
The prosecuting attorney's impassioned address clinches the conviction of the criminal who, breaking away from his guard, viciously assaults the prosecutor but is finally quieted. At home, the attorney's wife reads a newspaper account of the affair and is greatly disturbed.
"Sidewinder Steve" returns to civilization to find that his ore specimens show he has discovered a turquoise mine. He wires his friend, Ace Brent, the capitalist, who has a half-interest in his discoveries, to furnish him with money to make the trip back across the desert to officially stake his claim. But "Lonney" Smith, telegraph operator at the town and secret spy for The Syndicate, Brent's rivals, informs his employers of the new "strike," and they dispatch their agent Meyers to thwart Brent. The latter, recovering from injuries received in a previous encounter with sheep herders, consents to allow Barbara to handle the affair. Her admirer, John Wallace, follows her to the desert town, fearing for her safety. The action then develops into a thrilling three-cornered race across the desert between Barbara and John, Lonney and Meyers, and a gang of local adventurers headed by "Dry Wash" Sexton, proprietor of the "saloon and hotel."
Wealthy Irving Randolph is falsely denounced as a deliberate murderer by his greedy younger brother when Randolph, during a rifle shooting contest, accidentally kills a man with whom he has had an altercation. Fleeing to Australia, Randolph becomes known as the bandit Stingaree and is aided in his Robin Hood like adventures by his friend Howie and his sweetheart Ethel.
Steve Nelson, a clever crook, arrives at the little station where Helen is operator. He lives quietly at the village's little boarding house preparing for a coup when Helen receives instructions that lead her to suspect Steve.
Uncle Tom and Eliza's child are sold to Haley, a slave dealer. When Eliza learns that her son is to be taken from her, she steals the boy and runs away.
Impending trouble with the sheep herders, who are encroaching on his range, causes Ace Brent, owner of vast California interests, to warn his daughter Barbara to postpone her visit to the ranch. But Barbara is made of sterner stuff, and, following a heated discussion with her admirer, John Wallace, over woman's equality with man in the business world, she declares she will disregard the warning telegram and be at her father's side should trouble come.