Pearl White
Cinema a century ago was a new, exciting and highly democratic form of entertainment. Picture houses nationwide offered a sociable, lively environment in which to relax and escape from the daily grind. With feature films still rare, the programme was an entertaining, ever-changing roster of short items with live musical accompaniment. 100 years on, this special compilation from the BFI National Archive recreates the glorious miscellany of comedies, dramas, travelogues and newsreels which would have constituted a typical night out in 1914. Our selection includes a comic short about a face-pulling competition, a sensational episode of The Perils of Pauline, scenes of Allied troops celebrating Christmas at the Front, and an early sighting of one of cinema’s greatest icons...
An appreciative, uncritical look at silent film comedies and thrillers from early in the century through the 1920s.
Desperate because a wealthy man has reduced her father to thievery, Rhoda agrees to rob the poor box of the church, although she finds the act abhorrent.
Director George B. Seitz's silent action adventure serial starring Pearl White, Walter McGrail, Wallace McCutcheon Jr., George B. Seitz, and Henry G. Sell. This is a "lost" film which means that no surviving copies are thought to exist.Directed by George B. Seitz.
A beautiful young woman is a daring master thief. She meets the young millionaire Thomas Babbington Norton, while fleeing from the scene of her latest theft.
A young heiress of an American gun factory is threatened by a masked man after her father was murdered. This criminal might be a member of her family or a German agent, who wants to get information about the factory's products, perhaps his mystery has a combined solution - we will probably never know...
The story tells of the adventures of an unusual young duke, whose father, the old Grand Duke of Kiev, coveted the wife of Count Dardinilis, his colonel of Huzzars; of the old Grand Duke's plot to get her for himself; of her accidental death at the hands of his Cossacks, and of the colonel's escape with his little daughter to America. The young Grand Duke, now an orphan, comes to America to complete his education.
Only Episode 7, "The Hooded Helper," of this 20-Episode Serial is known to survive. All other episodes are believed to be lost.
The Perils of Pauline is a motion picture serial shown in weekly installments featuring the actress Pearl White playing the title character. Pauline has often been cited as a famous example of a damsel in distress, although some analyses hold that her character was more resourceful and less helpless than the classic damsel stereotype.
Elaine Dodge is the beautiful young daughter of Taylor Dodge, president of the Consolidated Insurance Company. When Mr Dodge is murdered by a mysterious cloaked figure known only as the Clutching Hand, Elaine enlists the aid of Craig Kennedy to unmask the killer
Chester is Pearl's sweetheart. Her father dislikes Chester. He reads in a book of the great superiority of mind over matter, by the proper exercise of the will and determines to try it on Chester. This he does and wills that Chester leave his house. In the middle of a conversation with Pearl, Chester suddenly rushes from the room. This state of affairs continues on and off, until Pearl by accident came across the book and understands her beau's strange actions. The next time Chester calls, Pa again wills that he go, but Pearl wills that he remain and Chester is kept running in and out of the house until Pearl's superior and stronger will wins and he remains. Pa sinks exhausted and consents to allowing Chester's attentions to Pearl
Pearl White & Chester Barnett want to go on a date and have nothing to wear, so they borrow some clothes....
A maid and butler take advantage of their employers' absence and have a party.
Released as a split reel along with the comedy Almost a Winner (1913)
A young woman calls in a plumber to fix her radiator, igniting a string of romantic complications.
Esoomgit tries to stop Red Doe from sacrificing herself for their tribe.
