Francis J. Grandon
The film is perhaps the only remaining example of silent era cinema from a Chinese-American production company, and was co-written, co-directed (with Francis J. Grandon) and produced by James B. Leong, who changed his name from Leong But-jung after emigrating from Shanghai in 1913. Of the seven reels that originally comprised 'Lotus Blossom,' only one (the fifth, running for 12 minutes at 20fps) is known to survive. This remaining reel of film is now available on Disc 2 of the DVD Collection "More Treasures from the American Film Archives," and was preserved by the UCLA Film and Television Archive.
A raft carrying a little girl and a dead woman drifts in from a shipwreck to Devil's Island. There, a band of thieves and smugglers name the girl Rose Marie, though she grows up as "nobody's girl."
When wealthy Wall Street stockbroker Stephen Duane neglects his wife Julia for business, she consorts with philanderer Bert Brockwell. Finding them in an embrace forced by Brockwell, Stephen denounces Julia and leaves. After losing his fortune in the market, Stephen refuses Julia's offer to sell her jewels, and stays away for one year
When Roberta Carruthers' father, Capt. Carruthers, is killed in France during the war, she comes to live in the US with her uncle. When she finds out that her uncle is under the impression that his brother had a son and not a daughter, she decides to disguise herself as a male, and calls herself Bob.
Nora, a girl of the lower East Side of New York City, marries a rising ward politician. A child is born. They are happy, but the young politician is running for office against the old ward boss and has to be out every night. The wife becomes jealous of a certain woman. Nora's child dies. Things get worse for her as jealousy and the seeming neglect of her husband increase. She finally leaves him and becomes a model for a noted painter. The husband finds where she is, but makes no attempt to force her to return to him, though he still loves her. One of the artist's friends, a magnate in the motion picture business, promises her a chance. Her rise to stardom is quick. The climax of the story is a struggle between the old love and the new fame. She does not know that the politician has become a first-class lawyer. Finding that the old love and the new fame are not incompatible, she is reunited with her husband.
Bessie Allen, a girl of the slums, dances in the streets of the Lower East Side of New York to the delight of the crowds. She becomes an orphan when her father, in a drunken stupor, kills her mother, and then himself. Bessie is knocked down by the car of Mrs. Latham, a society matron, who takes an interest in the girl and procures her a job as a dress model.
Mae Busch and Charley Chase are in love. However, her father does not approve. A Baron sees Mae and concocts a fake kidnapping in order to get her attention. In other words, he pays two guys to pretend to try to abduct her and the Baron waltzes in like a hero and saves her. Well, the scheme seems to work as her family think the Baron is great and invite him to the house. But Charley and the two accomplices have other ideas...
The chance-shot fired by the villainous but keen-sighted Umballah, makes a bone-bruise upon the fair arm of Kathlyn.
Tom and Sally are the only survivors when their wagon train is attacked by Swift Wing's braves. Starlight aids in their escape and they join a group of hunters. But there is more trouble when the tribe attacks again.
The serial detailed the experiences of Kathlyn Hare, the pretty daughter of an explorer. Kathlyn resided in a mythical India, fighting off unwanted advances from a handsome native, Umballah, when not battling an endless array of ferocious jungle fauna.
A silent Western and a love story. When the secret agent Marshall tries to nab a gang of counterfeiters, he falls in love with the daughter of the gang’s leader.
Playful girl locks boyfriend in the bank vault and then has to ride for help when she learns he doesn't have the combination. In the meantime the vault gets robbed with her boyfriend in it.
A young woman takes over her sick father's role as telegraph operator at a railway station, and has to deal with a team intent on train robbery.
Enoch Arden, a humble fisherman, marries Annie Lee. He signs on as a sailor to make more money to support their growing family. A storm wrecks his ship, but Enoch swims to a deserted island. Annie waits vainly for his return.
Annie remains faithful to her husband, Enoch, even though he's been lost at sea for many years. Finally her grown children convince her to marry Philip, her former suitor. Enoch is rescued from the deserted isle where he has been stranded, and returns home. He discovers Annie's new life, and decides not to interrupt her happiness.
Made by D.W. Griffith as a complete story but split into 2 parts. Part I: Enoch Arden, a humble fisherman, marries Annie Lee. He signs on as a sailor to make more money to support their growing family. A storm wrecks his ship, but Enoch swims to a deserted island. Annie waits vainly for his return. Part II: Annie remains faithful to her husband, Enoch, even though he’s been lost at sea for many years. Finally her grown children convince her to marry Philip, her former suitor. Enoch is rescued from the deserted isle where he has been stranded, and returns home. He discovers Annie’s new life, and decides not to interrupt her happiness.
A young woman who is engaged to a millionaire she doesn't love meets and falls in love with a rough sailor.
During the Civil War a young soldier loses his nerve in battle and runs away to his home to hide; his sister puts on his uniform, takes her brother's place in the battle, and is killed. Their mother, not wanting the shameful truth to become known, closes all the shutters (hence the film's title) and keeps her son's presence a secret for many years, though two boyhood chums stumble upon the truth...
Mildred lives with her husband, the prospector Steve Clark, in an out-of-the-way cabin in the mountains. She is affectionate and considerate, but her husband shows little if any concern for her, let alone love. A newcomer of friendly disposition and good humor one days runs into Clark and later finds Mildred by herself at home. Lonely and lovesick, she is overwhelmed by his lively attention and apparent affection.
A young man with a beer budget learns a hard lesson when he takes out a young lady with champagne tastes.
The orphan girl of San Gabriel meets and is attracted by a Spanish stranger. The Spaniard is accused of cheating and set to be lynched, but is saved by the girl's ruse, who later becomes his bride.
Two young fellows are rivals for the hand of a pretty girl of the village, and after her marriage with the one of her choice, the other swears to be revenged. To effect this he pours chemically treated oil into the irrigation ditches of the husband's farm. This of course ruins the land for vegetation, but it brings the husband a fabulous hum from a speculator in oil lands, who thinks he has struck a highly productive oil field.
After her mother's death, Ruth struggles to support herself as a seamstress. While Ruth delivers shirts to the factory owner, the owner's son steals some money and Ruth is accused of the crime. She flees the ghetto of New York's Lower East Side and hides in the country where a young farmer takes her in and they fall in love
In the Kingdom of Never-Never Land there live a great Lord and Lady, each presiding over their own domain. This great Lord goes for a stroll through his estate and coming to the border of his own land he is struck by the entrancing beauty of the contiguous estate, so like his own, that the inclination to intrude is irresistible. His peregrination is halted by the appearance of the great Lady, who is indeed as fair as the flowers that clothe her land. He introduces himself and invites her to stroll with him in his gardens. She is in like manner entranced by the beauty of his possessions. How alike in beauty are they; a veritable fairyland. If they were only one, for it seems they should be. This thought is mutual, and the Lord proposes a way, a marriage, and so a betrothal of convenience ensues. They know nothing of love and so are content in the anticipation of being Lord and Lady of all Never-Never Land.
In China, before leaving for America, Charlie Lee promises that he will never dishonour his family by cutting his pigtail. Later, as a laundryman in a California mining town, Charlie is tormented by local men but is finally befriended by a young woman and her cowboy sweetheart. One of Charlie’s tormentors is a well-dressed idler and, secretly, a bandit who robs the mail. The cowboy and the bandit become rivals for the girl’s affections. Suspicious of the bandit, Charlie follows him, observes him robbing a mail-carrier, and contrives to capture him, cutting off his pigtail to bind the bandit. Rewarded for the bandit’s capture, but disgraced in his own eyes for dishonouring his family, Charlie gives the cash reward to the young couple and surreptitiously leaves Golden Gulch.
Her trademarked curls hidden under a black wig, Mary Pickford stars as a wide-eyed Indian maiden. Two braves vie for the heroine's affections, leading to a bloody duel to the death.
Two eccentric Frenchmen argue for the hand of an eligible American girl, who finally discouraged both of them by introducing her betrothed.
Ramona, a young girl growing up on her adoptive mother's rancho in California, falls in love with the Indian lad Alessandro. When Ramona is denied permission to marry Alessandro, the two lovers elope, only to find a life of great hardship and unhappiness amidst the bigotry and greed of the white landowners.
A rich nobleman steals a perfume merchant's wife just prior to the French Revolution, in which the perfumer is a leader of the peasants. His priest made him swear an oath to leave vengeance to God, however.
The Duke, in an effort to 'save' his daughter from marriage to a poor lad of noble birth, hatches a plot which nearly costs the life of that very daughter.
A Secret Service agent is looking for a bandit who has just held up the stage coach. A rancher's daughter, hears a description of the outlaw and mistakes the secret Service agent for the crook.
