Templar Saxe Movies

Beyond London's Lights was filmed entirely at the Culver City, California facilities of FBO studios. Rescued from a masher by handsome Gordon Elliot, dressmaker's model Adrienne Dore has no idea that her savior is a man of wealth and position. Upon finding this out, Dore also learns that Elliot is engaged to snobbish heiress Florence Wix. A few twists of fate brings Elliot, Dore and Wix together under curious circumstances. What begins as a simple romantic-triangle story veers into melodrama in the final reels when hero and heroine are menaced by a gang of toughs. Leading man Gordon Elliot later enjoyed a lengthy career in westerns as "Wild Bill" Elliot. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Henry Lehrman and Percy Pembroke, two graduates of the 2-reel comedy mills, shared directorial responsibilities for Columbia's For Ladies Only. Jacqueline Logan stars as one of several female office workers who spend their lunch hour ogling their male employers. Office manager Jack Mower catches the girls in mid-ogle and fires them all. Soon, however, Mower discovers that the office cannot survive without its female employee pool. Striking while the iron is hot, Logan organizes the other girls and issues a list of demands to Mower, whereupon they're all hired back on their own terms. Once the smoke is cleared, however, Logan admits that she's in love with Mower and is willing to let him be master of their own household. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

What would normally have been a standard society drama is brightened up by good direction courtesy of Robert Z. Leonard, and by Theodore Kosloff, who plays Time dressed as a clown, and who comments on the events of the passing years. Nora Dakon (Mae Busch) leaves her husband and runs off with Larry Brundage (Lew Cody in his standard role), who has seduced her. Nora's husband dies and Brundage leaves her. Years pass and Nora becomes a renowned opera singer while her daughter, Ruth (Gertrude Olmstead), has grown up into a beautiful young woman. Brundage comes sniffing around again and decides he wants to get his hands on Ruth. In spite of Nora's attempts to stop him, he almost gets to marry Ruth. But finally, Nora puts herself and Brundage in a compromising situation, just so Ruth can discover them. Now that she finally understands what kind of man Brundage is, Ruth returns to her nice young suitor, Tom Cautley (Creighton Hale). ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

This drama (adapted from the play by Gerald du Maurier and Viola Tree) was typical for its era: a jazz baby parties up a storm and pays the price for her sins. Tony (George O'Brien) and Una (Madge Bellamy) are childhood sweethearts who promise to marry when they grow up. Tony travels to South America, where he opens up a successful saloon and dance hall. One of the dancers, Maxine (Alma Rubens), falls in love with him, but he remains true to Una. Una, however, has immersed herself in a round of wild parties and she totally forgets Tony. She allows one of her admirers, Evan Carruthers (Freeman Wood), to take advantage of her. Tony becomes very wealthy upon his uncle's death, and he returns home to settle his affairs and marry Una. Although Una's aunt insists that she keep her affair with Evan a secret, Una's guilt is overwhelming. Finally, as they are about to be married, she confesses all to Tony. He forgives her, but she takes poison and dies anyhow. Tony returns to South America and weds Maxine. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

This silly farce was typical Constance Talmadge material. She has great support here, with the suave Ronald Colman as her co-star (the two of them, along with director Sidney Franklin, would team up a year later for another film, Her Sister From Paris). Samuel C. Adams, an American millionaire (Albert Gran) brings his daughter, Dorothy (Talmadge), to England to see a specialist about her heart trouble. So that she won't be hounded by press and fortune hunters, Dorothy makes herself up to look extremely ugly. Lord Paul Menford (Colman) spies her without the hideous makeup job and falls in love with her immediately. He poses as his uncle, a heart specialist, so that he has a chance to meet Dorothy. While he's getting to know her, his agent is selling her father the Menford estate. Menford finally admits the ruse and later that night, he gets drunk and goes home -- only he has forgotten that he no longer lives at the Menford estate. He crawls into his old room to find Dorothy there. When a friend arrives the next morning, Menford introduces Dorothy as his wife to avoid a scandal. They decide to get married for real, but a misunderstanding splits them up. The rift, however, doesn't last long -- Mr. Adams tricks the couple into reconciling. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

After she inherits a fortune, Ann Clemance (Viola Dana) travels to Paris to indulge herself in frivolity. She meets up with an old friend, writer Adrian Torrens (Warner Baxter), who disparages her lifestyle. Ann sees him befriend an Apache dancer and she believes he finds women in need of salvation more appealing. To spark his interest she disguises herself as an Apache (in this instance it refers to a member of the Parisian underworld, not a Native American), and robs his house. Although Torrens sees through her disguise, he doesn't let on. He just takes her through the slums of Paris to show her the misery and suffering of those less fortunate than her. The experience transforms her and she winds up adopting an orphan. Her change in attitude also wins Torrens' Heart. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

This crime drama begins when Anna (Seena Owen) gives up her career as a dancer to become the mistress of the wealthy playboy Alastair De Vries (Henry Sedley), but he soon tires of her and takes up with another floozie. In a rage, Anna tracks the couple down at a local restaurant and shoots Alastair to death then flees into hiding in Tahiti. Thomas McCarthy (E.K. Lincoln) is the New York detective assigned to the case who goes to the island to bring back the murderess. On the return trip, the ship sinks, and the couple swims to a remote desert island where they remain for two years. Anna falls in love with Thomas during their time alone, and she flags down a ship over Thomas' objections. The two return to New York where Anna must face trial for murder. To the judge, the jury recommends leniency for Anna by virtue of the obvious moral awakening she has experienced. The story opens in the courtroom and flashbacks are used to deliver the events that led to the trial. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

This fluffy Constance Talmadge vehicle is based on the play by Anthony Wharton. Lilliums Blair (Talmadge) is an ambitious chorus girl with expensive tastes. To help her stage career, she welcomes the attentions of Reggie Clonberry (Reginald Mason), but she discovers he's a wolf when he takes her to a road house. After struggling with him and hurting her hand, she escapes to a nearby home. The butler dresses her wound while telling her that the large house is owned by three bachelors: Kenneth Maxwell (Conway Tearle), Jimby Lewis (George Fawcett), and Billy Crane (Templar Saxe). When the three men return from their golf game, Lilliums pretends to be an old friend of Lewis' and is invited to stay. The men protect her from Clonberry and she keeps things exciting around the house. Eventually Maxwell is won over by her charms. But then his mother shows up and concludes that Lilliums is a schemer. Maxwell believes his mother, but when he takes this up with Lilliums, she lets him have it. He finally declares his love for her and she allows him to win her. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Lily UpJohn (Anita Stewart), a girl from the slums of London, becomes a chorus girl who gets her big break when a prop man knocks a can of paint off the theater scaffolding. Her admonishment to "Mind the paint!" is overheard by a composer and it ends up as the inspiration for the hit song of the play he is working on. Lily, now known as Lily Parradell, gets to sing this unlikely number and becomes a star overnight. The "Mind the Paint Girl" winds up with two suitors: Captain Nicholas Jeyes (Conway Tearle) who loves her so much that he gives up his army career to be near her, and the aristocratic Lord Francombe (Victor Steele). Jeyes' jealousy causes a rift between him and Lily, and it gets even worse when he finds her in Lord Francombe's embrace. But eventually she and Jeyes are reconciled and they marry. This picture was based on the hit play by Sir Arthur Wing Pinero. The ladylike Anita Stewart was miscast as Lily. Tearle, on the other hand, was well-suited for the role of Jeyes. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Though not quite as popular as he'd been a few years earlier, Vitagraph leading man Earle Williams could still "open" a picture in 1918. In the Balance casts Williams as the younger of two brothers living in a remote rural community. When her car breaks down, actress Louise Maurel (Grace Darmond) takes shelter in the farm owned by the two siblings. Falling in love with the woman, the younger brother follows her to the Big City, where he tries to prevent her from marrying a bogus nobleman. Apparently unsuccessful, our hero heads wearily back home, only to find Louise waiting for him! In the Balance was inspired by The Hillman, a novel by the extraordinarily prolific E. Phillips Oppenheim. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi