The Flapper 1920
A Southern teen at a ritzy boarding school gets into mischief while acting the sophisticated grownup to impress a suave gentleman and match wits with a pair of jewel thieves.
A Southern teen at a ritzy boarding school gets into mischief while acting the sophisticated grownup to impress a suave gentleman and match wits with a pair of jewel thieves.
A cautionary tale for aspiring flappers. Five of six reels survive.
When multi-millionaire banker John Argyle is found brutally murdered in his home, suspicions are cast upon Mary Mazuret, his adopted daughter who became the sole beneficiary of his estate under his will, Argyle having quarrelled with his son Bruce. Just as the case begins to look black for Mary, Asche Kayton, a great private detective, is called in by Bruce and takes hold of the investigation.
Alice Chesterton is described as a "Baby Vamp" by the social set and engaged to boring Tom Carey. She flirts with many of the male guests idling at the Ives' Long Island house party, then encourages Terence O'Keefe, a playboy polo player from Ireland, to rendezvous with her in the city; they are seen together at the "Midnight Frolic". Because of this, Mrs. Ives convinces Alice's newly-arrived sister Betty to look after Alice.
At a reception given at the Rogers mansion in his honor, Somerset Carroll surprises the guests by saying he would aid a female convict reported to have escaped. Later he does just that when he finds the girl in the library, taking her to his own house. There she reveals herself to be socialite Helen Rogers, playing a game with him on the advice of her guests. He then declares himself a crook, holding the real Carroll prisoner, with the intention of robbing the Rogers mansion. She follows and shields "The Magnet" from the police, the real Carroll having escaped and notified them, and through her interference he eludes his would-be captors.
Spanish coquette Tula Moliana finds herself encumbered with two husbands, and to get a divorce from the first, Senator Wakefield, she engages Jim Blake, the fiancé of Helen, the senator's daughter, to be her correspondent. Jim agrees to help her but finds himself entangled in a web of deceit and has difficulty in making excuses to Helen for the numerous adventures in which he becomes involved, especially when a jealous rival pursuing Tula threatens his life. Matters are cleared up when Helen discovers he has been victimized, and Tula accepts her first husband. This film is lost.
A silent film comedy.
For revenge, wealthy Osbert Gault marries Virginia Mynors, the daughter of a woman who had jilted him years earlier. Unaware of Gault's motives, Virginia consents to the marriage for the sake of her impoverished family.
Gennaro, the son of Lucretia Borgia, lives unaware of the identity of his mother, who has married the Duke of Ferrara. After Lucretia's brother is killed by five conspirators, the fathers of Gennaro's dearest friends, Lucretia tortures the old men to death. Later, Gennaro and his companions journey to Lucretia's domain, and she sees her son for the first time. The Duke, who believes him to be her lover, poisons him, but Lucretia administers the antidote in time and saves his life. Then she schemes to poison her sons' five friends for their fathers' mistake.
Henry Baird, a young newspaperman with a second-hand car but little money, decides to raffle off the car at a county picnic, so that he can take out his sweetheart, Mabel Darrow, the daughter of a wealthy businessman. However, as soon as Henry gets the money, his tailor demands that he pay off his debt. Also, youngsters set the car on fire before he can give to the winner, Joseph Plant, whose wife Evelyn was formerly Henry's sweetheart.
Upon being released from prison, Lawrence Hilliard takes the name of John Smith and looks for work, and falls in love with Irene Mason, a social secretary, but is reluctant to tell her about his past.
Frederick Osborn is too busy to tend to his family duties and his wife Frances feels neglected. But Frederick's attention is caught when his wife takes up with a pair of companions to whom she is devoted, but whom he sees as more than a little shady.
Valerie West, a beautiful artist's model, falls for wealthy artist Louis Neville. However, his aristocratic family doesn't approve of the relationship and persuades Valerie to promise that she won't marry him. She does, however, tell Louis that she will become his common-law wife on a certain date the following summer. Complications ensue.
Bruce Edwards returns to his hometown to take possession of his late father's estate, but Sam Willetts presents him with documentation proving that Mr. Edwards traded the estate for worthless swampland. Bruce takes a job in the village tavern and romances June Gordon, whose mother suspects Willetts of foul play. When Willets falsely accuses Bruce of theft, the young man escapes. Bruce later regains his father's estate by convincing Willets that the swampland is valuable for manufacturing purposes. Afterward, June and Bruce leave on their honeymoon.
Persuaded by a letter from her Aunt Agnes in America, Kitty McCarthy ( Olive Thomas ) travels from Ireland to New York City, there she meets Gordon Davis, a successful playwright, who directs her to her aunt's address on the East Side. Kitty soon discovers her aunt living in a tenement, a confirmed alcoholic. Through her niece's care, Agnes is cured, and one day Davis appears and offers Kitty a part in a comedy that he has written. She accepts, and once backstage meets Vera Maxwell, the victim of an unhappy affair with Oscar Savoy. Kitty brings the lovelorn couple back together but is unsuccessful in arranging her own romance with Davis' nephew Roger until Davis finally intervenes, and a happy ending prevails for all.
To please her once wealthy mother, Amy Terrell fraternizes with members of high society who find her entertaining because of her beauty and charm. At one of Mrs. Van Trant's house parties, Amy is requested by her hostess to amuse Andrew Masters, an influential businessman who has an aversion to society women. Impersonating an old-fashioned girl, Amy wins Masters until he learns of her deception and denounces her.
A foppish Londoner joins the Royal Canadian Mounties and tries to break a smuggling ring.
John Kirby is in desperate financial straits so when his wife Margaret refuses his request to help him obtain a loan from her guest, Gordon Pell, he attempts suicide and failing that becomes seriously ill. Margaret grudgingly takes in boarders mixing with people outside her social set. As her resentment grows Lucille, John's former flame, forges telegrams to drive a wedge further between them, but Gordon steps in the clear the air and the pair work through their difficulties.