A montage of 13 remarkable short films recently digitized by the Library of Congress, whose themes echo the program of the Domitor 2022 conference, entitled "Copy/rights and early cinema"

"A wealthy young man, through losing the bulk of his fortune, goes to Canada, where he encounters and loves the daughter of the scoundrel lawyer who has robbed him." (Synopsis from The Bioscope, November 1930.)

A Canadian returns to find his fiancée is married and schemes revenge.

'International spy seeks documents hidden in old inn.' (British Film Catalogue)

One of the last of the silent Sherlock films.

The Wrecker is a British film that tells the story of a crook who organises train crashes to discredit the railway, in favour of a rival bus company. The stunts in this film were groundbreaking for 1920s British cinema A scene wich has been discribed as "the most spectacular rail crash in cinema history" was recorded by 22 cameras.

'1820. Officer frames colleague when gambler forces him to steal secrets.' (British Film Catalogue)

Mr. Blackwell discovers a relic that informs him about Blythe (as Ayesha, or "She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed"), who loved his father and others in the ancestral line. Blackwell accompanies pal Heinrich George and handyman Tom Reynolds to Arabia.

A European adventurer tries to steal from an ancient Egyptian tomb, only to become afflicted by a mysterious curse...

A captain saves a kidnapped magnate from a nursing home run by foreign agents.

A love triangle drama, based on a novel by Robert W. Chambers, who is better-known for weird fiction (which is not noticeable in this story.)

The son of an American mine owner, traveling under the name of Charles Conant, tries to enter England in 1916 after masquerading as a muleteer, but the captain of his ship, suspicious when he sees Charles look through a spyglass, plans to take him back to the United States. Charles escapes and visits his relative, Lady Dartridge, where he falls in love with her daughter, Lady Joan Templar, who is loved by her cousin, the chief constable, George Templar. Templar, suspicious of Charles' manner and unexplainable meetings and activities, wants to arrest him as a spy.

Tom Whitney, well connected but a social derelict because of his weakness for drink, is released from the draft because of an old football Injury, but a policeman persuades him that he can still do his bit in the shipyards. He takes a job in the yard owned by the man to whose daughter he was engaged in happier times. Three German propagandists seek to foment a strike to delay the work, and largely through Tom's efforts the plan goes amiss and the strike is called off. Rehabilitated by work, the launching of The Liberty is a forecast of his own rebirth.

The girlfriend of the son of a rich railroad tycoon, attempts to help him escape the clutches of his well-meaning, but over-bearing mother whilst encouraging her own father not to give up on his business, by instigating a staged kidnapping and black-mailing scheme.

Helene, who dances in a Greenwich Village cabaret accompanied on the violin by her grandfather, loses her job after his death. She then is hired as a portrait model by four artists--Jaffrey Darrel, Ned Lorrimer, Dick Turner and Stanley Sargent--all of whom become fascinated with her. Helene leaves the Village when Ned's jealousy disrupts the camaraderie of the quartet and becomes a stage star. Meanwhile, all of the artists have attained success except Jaffrey, who refuses to taint his art with commercialism.

A renegade American and his innocent daughter become entangled in the snares of German secret agents during the First World War.

Charles Trevor is a young chap just out of college, who is put to work on a daily newspaper and at once starts to lead a life of adventure and romance. A German spy and a maiden in distress cross his path the first day and, before the end of the story, he has landed a big scoop for his paper, put the German in jail and married the girl.

Madge Evans, World Film Corp. juvenile star, is sent to her Quaker grandparents, Timothy and Tabitha Mendenhall, when her father and mother go to serve in World War I. After bidding farewell to the World stars, Madge goes to her grandparent's home where she experiences stern discipline.

Adrianne is does not love Robert, but loves Henry. Henry is in love with Lorraine, but he fears she loves John still. Lorraine loves Henry, but John remains in her mind. John loves Lorraine, but his ex-wife Adrianne ruined his chance. Robert is angry.

Hugh Eltinge, a struggling artist, and Mark Dunbar, a genius of the pen, whom the world has as yet failed to reward, live together in MacDougal Alley. Across the hall is Doris Golden, a reporter on the Evening Star, who enthuses over the work of both. Mark's novel is sold and Hugh and Doris see a new Mark. Mark begs Hugh to allow him to stake him until his pictures sell, but pleasure in his new clothes and new popularity dwindle as he sees his old friends will not profit by them. A happy idea strikes him and he buys all of Hugh's paintings on exhibition at a local dealer, requesting that his name be not mentioned.

Carlyle Blackwell stars as an American in Germany at the outbreak of World War I. A mysterious stranger bursts into his room and proclaims him her husband. What's a gentleman to do? He poses as her husband to deliver "papers" to French headquarters. Adventure follows.

The New South is a silent 1916 drama.

An abused young woman finds safety and love in the arms of a famous novelist.

Marion Livingston, daughter of General Livingston, boss of the Elsinore coal mines, rescues Jack Stanton, a young superintendent of the mines, from a mob of miners led by Jim Saunders, who were enraged at his having ordered them to work after it had been found that the mine is dangerous. Jack's brother, Harold, a young district attorney, comes to visit him and falls in love with Marion.

Sally McGill, a little Irish girl, brought up in a particularly sordid section, is compelled to work to support her entire family. Ben Blaney, the young foreman where she works, loves little Sally. Mrs. Rockwell, wealthy and childless, finds joy in taking a limited number of the poorest children to her country home each summer, and she selects those whom she will take. Sally's ambition is to become a refined lady like those about her, and she is attracted to Paul Taylor, but knows she is inferior to him.

"Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo" is an interesting play of intrigue between the Grand Duke Augustus Peter of Russia, whose incognito is Mr. Grex, an English Secret Service agent, Lord Huntersley and a young American millionaire on pleasure bent, Richard Lane. Mr. Grex and two other diplomats who unofficially represent France and Germany, plan to meet as if by chance in Monte Carlo for the purpose of arranging a secret pact.

When a young girl is placed under hypnotism, it's discovered that she has a split personality.

Gordon, a young war correspondent, after being wounded in the jungles of Africa, is picked up and taken back to England by James Egerton, a wealthy rubber magnate, who has been investigating conditions on his plantation, where there has been a great shortage in the year's yield. On the voyage homeward the correspondent and Egerton's daughter Alice fall in love.

George Carter, a revolutionist in South America, is the exact double of Frederick Marston, a famous artist in Paris. Carter is betrayed by a comrade and is sentenced to be shot. He takes a desperate chance and escapes on board a vessel bound for London. In Paris Marston is stabbed by a model because he does not return her love. The wound incapacitates him from painting, and leaves an ugly scar, and he goes to America on a vacation. Highwaymen attack him, inflicting injuries which cause a total loss of memory. The robbers leave nothing in his pockets but the key to his Paris studio, and Marston adopts the name of Robert Anglo-Saxon.

A lost film. Queen Anna Victoria of Herzegovina is exiled from her tiny country and forced to live in poverty in America. Meanwhile, King Stephen of Bosnia, whom she loves but cannot marry due to political reasons, also is exiled to America. When both are forced by circumstances to get jobs, they go to work for wealthy New York meat packer Adolph Lauman who soon decides that his daughter should marry Stephen for social status. Eventually, Lauman's daughter convinces her father that she is in love with an American and Stephen and Anna are returned to their respective thrones, now free to marry each other. -From TCM.com Database, powered by the AFI.

Horace Clark, a young evangelist, first thrashes and then reforms Tim Downs, a drunkard and a gangster. Horace wins the gratitude of Tim and his wife, when he saves their children from death. The gang, angry at having lost its leader, plans to waylay the evangelist.

The police request Roy to aid them in tracking the murderer of Langham, found slain in his room at the Piermont Hotel. In looking over the scene of the crime, Roy finds an unset emerald on the floor. A peach bearing tooth-marks is also found by the criminologist. Roy's suspicion is directed toward Hawkins, a society man, who has the suite next to the murdered man's room. Searching the suspect's rooms, Roy finds a fob from which the stone is missing. The emerald fits the setting perfectly.

Henry goes to the club after promising his wife to be home early. Falling in with a congenial crowd, he drinks not too wisely, but too well. Overflowing with good spirits, Henry leaves for home. Realizing he must square himself with his wife, the man buys a bunch of violets for her. Henry enters the house of his next-door neighbor by mistake.

In leaving his boarding house to attend a New Year's celebration given by Elizabeth, his sweetheart. Lawrence loses his invitation to the affair. Elizabeth receives a valuable necklace from her father. That night, the girl promised to marry Lawrence. As Lawrence takes Elizabeth in his arms, her necklace becomes entangled in his cuff link. The boy disengages the jewel and places it on the table. Shortly afterward, both leave the room. Elizabeth misses her necklace after Lawrence has gone home. Her father suspects Lawrence of having stolen it.

At the instigation of Sybel, an adventuress, Black, a society parasite, steals a valuable diamond brooch. He turns the jewel over to the adventuress, who then throws him over. Black flees from the city to escape arrest. Shortly afterward, the young man meets and falls in love with Mildred.

Mary and Billy are sweethearts. Mr. Stanley, the girl's father, suspects the boy of being a victim of the drug habit. Billy, in an attempt to master his craving, abstains from the drug. He is invited to dinner at his sweetheart's home. Stanley notices the boy's nervousness. He resolves to call upon him at his office and learn the truth. The next day, Billy's desire for the drug becomes so intense that the moment his employees leave the office, he brings out his hypodermic.

Not being successful in his suit for the hand of Helen Sawyer, and to show the father of the young lady that he is made of the same material as he is, John Thorpe, a wealthy New Yorker, leaves for the west, but without any predetermined destination. While traveling, however, he meets an old man called Uncle Billy, and upon this man's advice, Thorpe purchases a ranch in Buffalo, Wyo. Not long afterwards, the homesteaders are accused by the large cattle owners of stealing their cattle, and they give Tom Horn, commonly known as "The Killer," a list of those they desire to get rid of. ....

Simon Watson, devoid of conscience, has become wealthy through the manufacture of "Watson's Remedy." One day he is stricken with terror when he finds a bottle of the medicine in the hands of his little child, Helen, and he warns her never to touch it. But the little one's curiosity is aroused and when her father has left for his office, she tastes the medicine and becomes violently ill. John Smith, a young workman, has a little daughter, Margaret, who is taken sick and the mother secures a bottle of the "remedy" at a drug store. Instead of relieving the child's pain, the medicine causes her to lose consciousness and when the horrified father learns the cause, he determines to seek Watson's life.

A short romantic crime drama in which a wealthy American tourist is robbed and taken hostage in the mountains of Italy, but is then rescued thanks to an organ grinder.

A short Western in which a colonel and a resistance fighter help each other out in times of war.

During an attack on the Matelija Indian village, Wana, a beautiful Indian girl, is captured. Don Pablo, a Mexican gentleman, rescues Wana and places her in the care of the old Padre at San Louis Rey Mission. Two months later Wana again meets her rescuer. Romero, a half-breed, is rejected by Rubia, Don Pablo's sweetheart.

Lieutenant Malcolm, of the United States Army, arrives at the Casa Verdugo and reads the proclamation authorizing the occupation of Southern California by the United States government. The lieutenant orders all Mexican flags lowered and the United States emblems hoisted instead. Don Luis Verdugo, a feeble old Spanish grandee, unreconciled to the American occupation, refuses to allow the lowering of the Mexican flag. His daughter, Dona Maria, intercedes with the American officer, who temporarily allows the flag to wave. Struck with the brilliant beauty of the little senorita, the Union officer falls a slave to her charms and the attachment seems mutual. Don Luis, however, refuses to allow his daughter to receive the attentions of the American officer.

The prison doors open and Tom Benton, a first timer, and Slim Jim, alias Red Davis, of the underworld, are liberated. Tom learns that the prison odor clings by being ceremoniously turned away wherever he applies for work. Slim Jim immediately on his release beats his way west. Eventually Tom goes west and finds his work. Several months later Slim Jim gets a job at the same place Tom is employed. Slim Jim, being caught at his old tricks and exposed by Tom, reveals Tom's past. The several thrilling scenes that follow show Tom's genuine manhood and gives Slim Jim an opportunity to prove that even the underdog has at least a spark of good lying dormant under the rough exterior.

The setting is the Mexican Revolution and friends Pedro and Alvarez get a message to transport some weapons across the border.

Love! What a wonderful thing is love. Cupid is a specialist in aching hearts and for sick men and maidens. Alice Linton falls in love with Percy Primrose, a young poet. Papa Linton says, "Cut out the poetry and keep the muse out of the family." He will not father-in-law a sentimental versifier. Alice is deeply smitten with Percy and she cannot be comforted, falls into a decline and looks very ill. Her father is anxious about her and hastens to see the family physician. Percy consults the doctor in advance of the father, however, and tells him all about Alice's trouble and his love for her. The old doctor is a friend of the young people and arranges to help them. When the father calls, the doctor feigns sickness and sends Percy, disguised as "Doctor Cupid," to attend the young lady's case.

Senor Talamantes and his sons, suspected of being insurgents, are arrested and, without trial, are sentenced to death by Colonel Cephis. The widow Talamantes vows to avenge the unjust death of her husband and her children by organizing a company of Indians and Mexicans with whom she joins the insurgents.

Set during and after the Civil War, a Southern mother deals with the loss of both of her sons as one dies and the other marries a Northern nurse.