Edith Yorke Movies

Accused of murdering her employer, nightclub vocalist Alice Carroll (Madge Bellamy) is vigorously prosecuted in court by ambitious young DA Dick Starr (Don Terry). After Alice is sent to prison, however, Starr begins having second thoughts. He ends up helping her escape from jail so that she can help him prove her innocence. Alice returns the favor by rescuing Starr from the genuine murderers. Based on a story by journalist Richard Harding Davis (who seldom allowed himself to be confused by the facts), Fugitives was one of the last Fox silent films before the studio switched over exclusively to the Movietone sound process. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this drama, a woman finds herself abandoned when the man she assumed was her husband suddenly marches in, announces that they were never legally married, and leaves. Many years pass and the woman is on a jury for a murder case involving a woman in similar straits as she once was. It is then revealed that the man she killed was the same one who left the woman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The title of this "woman's picture" had little to do with its content. The story is set in an industrial town, where domineering old matriarch Vera Lewis controls the lives of everyone. The old woman's granddaughter Claire Windsor lives in the "wrong" part of the town, having been disowned by her grandmother because of her questionable parentage. Despite her social-pariah status, Windsor manages to attend a fancy dress ball, where she wins the heart of wealthy and handsome Cornelius Keefe. Eventually, Lewis is made to realize the error of her ways, and Windsor is finally acknowledged as the old woman's flesh and blood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Returning from WWI, Jack Howard (Jack Hoxie) finds his father, the local sheriff, murdered. The city fathers elect him new sheriff, but leading citizen Jeff Taylor (Claude Payton), blames him for cowardice during the war. Jack's mother (Edith Yorke) begs her son not to retaliate, but the silence only encourages Taylor to accuse the novice sheriff of complicity to a crime. The villain lures Jack's girlfriend Molly (Margaret Quimby) to an isolated mountain cabin in order to have his way with her. Jack trails them and overhears Taylor confess to murdering his father. He rescues Molly, captures the gang, and brings the killer to trial. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Billie Dove stars as "Egypt" Hagen, a libertine flapper who unexpectedly falls in love with the staid Reverend Lodge (Raymond Bloomer). He proposes marriage, but she sadly turns him down, worrying that her checkered past will ruin his own reputation. On the rebound, she marries millionaire Ray Sturgis (Huntley Gordon), whom she does not truly love despite his innate decency. When Sturgis is killed in a shipwreck (the film's highlight), Egypt despairs, feeling the whole tragedy is her fault. She finds spiritual solace in the arms of Rev. Lodge, finally agreeing to marry him no matter what the consequences. Sensation Seekers was the penultimate silent-film effort by Lois Weber, one of the few women directors in Hollywood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Aspiring playwright Lila Lake (Alice Day), gypped by a phony theatrical agency, finds herself stranded in New York. Meanwhile, the mother (Ethel Clayton) of wealthy Jimmy Duval (Charles Cruze) tries to save her son from the clutches of a predatory female. Thanks to clever lawyer Philip Thorne (Theodore von Eltz), the lives of Lila and Jimmy converge. The title makes no more sense than the plot, since the "New York Wife" -- who briefly hires Lila as a personal secretary -- is but a minor character. Critics were amused by the unbelievable behavior of the characters, especially a pair of funny-paper private detectives. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Volcano takes forever to get to the climactic eruption. In the meantime, the audience is subjected to the travails of convent-bred Zabette de Chauvalons, who upon returning to her father's estate in Martinique discovers that daddy has died and the property is now in the hands of her evil stepmother. Because of her dusky complexion, it is assumed that Zabette is the illegitimate offspring of her French father and a local native woman, and as consequence she is forced to live in the island's mulatto district. Here she is lusted after by mulatto villain Quembo (Wallace Beery), while handsome white aristocrat Stephane Sequineau (Ricardo Cortez) vows to take the heroine away from her tawdry surroundings. On cue, a volcanic eruption solves everyone's problems -- while simultaneously laying waste to the entire island! Exceptional special effects. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on a magazine serial by the prolific Peter B. Kyne, this silent Western featured rising star George O'Brien as Bradley Blatchford, a college graduate who returns to the old homestead only to find that his father (Russell Simpson) is engaging in a bit of cattle rustling. This unpleasant discovery threatens to put a halt to Bradley's engagement to schoolmarm Sybil Hamilton (Anita Stewart), but then Sybil is also accused of rustling. Sybil, however, was framed by a real cattle rustler and the lovers are reunited. Veteran Vitagraph ingénue Anita Stewart played one of her very last romantic leads in this Western whereas young George O'Brien went on to immortality opposite Janet Gaynor in the beautiful Sunrise (1927), and, later still, B-Western stardom at RKO. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Bashful bond salesman Talbot Trent (George O'Hara) constantly finds himself in trouble thanks to his brash, practical-joking buddy Howard Graham (Rex Lease). Both men fall in love with pretty secretary Dorothy (Doris Hill), and both are candidates for a general-manager post at their company's Cleveland branch. Howard seems to have the advantage with both Dorothy and the managership, which Talbot attributes to the fact that Howard drives a fancy new roadster. Talbot determines to purchase his own car, but the best he can afford is a battered taxicab. Our hero's luck goes from bad to worse as he tries to maneuver his cab around the busy city streets, and by reel five it looks as though he's going to lose his car, his job and his girl all in one fell swoop. Only when he learns to rely on his own inner strength rather than such creature comforts as automobiles and fancy clothes does Talbot finally emerge triumphant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Set during the turn of the century, The Belle of Broadway starts out in Paris, where celebrated stage star Madame Adele (Edith Yorke) is making her debut in "DuBarry." During the performance, Mme. Adele's musician husband abruptly walks out of the theater, never to return. The husband takes their young son to America, where he grows into manhood. Meanwhile, Mme. Adele's career goes into sharp decline, and by 1926 she is eking out a miserable existence as a bit player. A Broadway theatrical agent who recalls the actress' glory days tells Adele that he would stage a revival of "DuBarry" in a minute -- if only Adele could recapture her lost beauty. While all this is going on, young drama student Marie Duval (Betty Compson) happens to don one of Adele's old costumes -- and her resemblance to the faded star is so striking that a scheme is hatched to pass off Marie as Adele in the newly staged "DuBarry." Soon Marie is besieged by Adele's former admirers, who can't believe that their onetime idol has retained her good looks for lo these 30 years. When one of these admirers, the Count De Parma (Armand Kaliz), makes clear his intentions to seduce Marie, the girl is saved by the timely arrival of handsome young Paul Merlin (Herbert Rawlinson) -- who, of course, turns out to be Mme. Adele's long-lost son. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Another entry in Paramount's long-running "Zane Grey" series, Born to the West represented the first directorial effort of John Waters. The story concerns the lifelong rivalry between two men over the love of one woman. Most of the action takes place in Nevada during the Gold Rush, where trail boss "Colorado" Dale Rudd (Jack Holt) again confronts his longtime rival Bate Fillmore (Bruce Gordon), who has drifted to the opposite side of the law. Fillmore's father Jesse (George Siegmann) runs all illegal activities in the territory, meaning that Rudd is going to have a hard time rescuing his sweetheart Nell Worstall (Margaret Morris) from this dangerous environment. Born to the West was remade in 1937, with John Wayne and Johnny Mack Brown as Rudd and Fillmore -- whose good guy/bad guy roles were reversed for the occasion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This melodrama required less stunts than usual from dog star Rin-Tin-Tin and more "acting." Always the trouper, Rin-Tin-Tin proved to be the histrionic equal of his co-stars. Slasher (Rin-Tin-Tin, a famed fighting dog, falls off the train that is carrying him. He is found, broken in spirit, by Donald Cass (John Harron). The dog is regenerated by Donald's love. Donald is equally devoted to his sweetheart, May Barton (June Marlowe), a minister's daughter. A wealthy young woman donates a large sum of money to the church and is later found murdered. The sinister Jamber Niles (Pat Hartigan) knows that the money is in Donald's safekeeping, and he attacks the young man. Slasher springs into action and kills his master's assailant. Jamber's half-wit brother Cuckoo (Victor Potel) sets a pack of bloodhounds on Donald and May, but once again Slasher comes to the rescue and fends them off. Evidence proves that Jamber was the woman's murderer. Donald, May, and the loyal Slasher look forward to a happy life together. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide