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- Spartacus sold as a slave rises up and battles the evil Crassus.
- Based on the Edward Bulwer-Lytton novel. Set in the shadows of Mt. Vesuvius just before its famous eruption.
- A couple is prevented from marrying by a local tyrant, and they are not reunited until after a number of misfortunes, including pestilence.
- Capt. Derville has occasion to reprove a slovenly soldier at review. This soldier in a spirit of revenge for his humiliation, steals a large part of the funds with which Derville is entrusted. Derville cannot account for the disappearance of the money, and knowing he will be disgraced, he disappears, aided by Tom, his old servant, who supplies him with the clothes of a peasant. Derville is intensely fond of his wife and two children, and the reparation is bitter tor all. In the mountains Derville saves the life of Gustave, a peasant. War breaks out and Derville and Gustave enlist, the former under the assumed name of William. During a fierce battle William (Derville) picks up a bomb and hurls it away as it is about to explode under the feet of a general. For this brave act he is made a sergeant. A warm friendship springs up between him and Sergeant Robert, and the two are inseparable. The plague strikes the town and to prevent its spread strict military quarantine is established. The two sergeants are posted at a gate and refuse to permit anyone to pass. A widow and two children try to get into the gates, and tell a pathetic tale of hunger, adding that they will surely starve to death unless permitted to reach the house of their aunt. The resemblance of the children to Derville's own little ones touches his heart, and the two sergeants allow them to pass. A disgruntled peasant who had been turned back complains to Valmore, the aide-de-camp. This worthy is in love with Laura, the fiancée of Robert, and he takes advantage of the opportunity to rid himself of his rival by denouncing the two sergeants. The general is touched by the pitiful tale, but is compelled to order a court-martial, which finds the two men guilty, but holds that in view of the extenuating circumstances only one man shall he executed, and that lots shall be cast to see which shall die. William and Robert throw dice and William is the unfortunate one. The men are sent back to their cell by the old turnkey, who is the uncle of Laura. While there, William receives a note from a friend, informing him that his wife and children have taken refuge on the island of Rozes, not very far off. Derville, who had not been able to communicate with his family for three years, breaks down, and tells Robert the story of his life. Robert requests the aide-de-camp to permit Derville to go on the dispatch boat, which makes daily trips to the island of Rozes, to kiss his wife and children good-bye, agreeing to stay as a hostage and die in his stead should he not return. The aide-de-camp sees possibilities in this and consents. Gustave, the man Derville saved, is in charge of the dispatch boat, and the aide-de-camp secretly tells Gustave that if he delays the return of William he will. In the meantime, get a pardon for Robert. The simple Gustave believes him. Mrs. Derville and the faithful Tom are living in a cottage on the island. The cannon announces the arrival and departure of the dispatch boat, and every day Tom goes to see, if by chance, word has come from the captain. Tom hears the soldiers talking about a proclamation and recognizes the name of his master. He takes the proclamation and finds it is an acknowledgment by the secretary of war of the innocence of Capt. Derville of the charges against him, the guilty man having confessed before dying. When Derville reaches the island, therefore, he finds himself in the peculiar position of a free man, restored to rank as Capt. Derville, and as Sergeant William he is condemned to death. The meeting between the wife and husband is wonderfully depicted, and very touching. Gustave tells the old servant that if he makes his master miss the boat his life will be saved. Tom, therefore, sets the clock back an hour, and Derville is astounded to hear the booming of the cannon announcing the return of the boat. The weeping wife and children cling to him, but he tears their hands away and dashes to the water's edge. There is only one way to keep his word of honor to swim, and he dives into the water and begins the long journey. The dispatch boat arrives at the fortress without William, and the execution of Robert is ordered. The general is angry when he learns what has been done, but despite the pleadings of Laura and her uncle, he is compelled to carry out the sentence. Robert faces the firing squad, and the commands are given: "Ready. Aim." Before the word "Fire," is said, the old turnkey sees in the distance the swimmer nearing the shore, exhausted. Derville is assisted to land and Robert is saved. Derville makes known his rank to the general, as well as his true name. Laura and her uncle eloquently plead for mercy, and the old general is, in fact, only too glad to have an excuse to stop the unpleasant proceedings, and tells Derville that to make atonement for the great wrong done him, a pardon would be secured for him. Then, indignant at the conspiracy of the aide-de-camp, he removes him from office and orders him under arrest to be himself court-martialed for his vile plotting.
- The kingdom of Silistria, during the minority of the heir to the throne, Prince Vladimir, is ruled by Count Backine as Regent. Backine, an ambitious, power-loving man, knowing that the end of his period of power is approaching with the Prince's twenty-first birthday, uses all his wiles to bring about a marriage between Vladimir and his niece Alexandra, trusting to the influence which he hopes to be able to exercise on the Prince through his wife to keep him still, in fact if not in name, the ruler of Silistria. Unhappily for the Regent's plans, Vladimir has already fallen in love with his pretty cousin Olga, and the lovers frequently meet secretly in the beautiful gardens of the palace. One of these meetings is witnessed by a creature of the Regent, who hastens to tell Backine what he has seen, and, alarmed at the danger thus threatened to his project, Backine, after an attempt to affiance Vladimir to Alexandra has proved unsuccessful, summons a meeting of the Council of State, and persuades his colleagues to decide that the Prince shall be requested to spend the time which must pass before his coronation in Paris. Vladimir cannot refuse the request, which is, in effect, a command, but before he goes he visits all his old friends in Silistria- not forgetting his old fencing master, with whom he engages in a last friendly bout, in the course of which an incident occurs which has an important bearing on future events. The master's foil slips and inflicts a wound on the Prince's forearm, which, although not serious, will leave a permanent scar. Later a series of superb stagings show him clad in the uniform of his regiment of guards leaving the palace after a passionate farewell to Olga, and entering a motor-car, in which, with an escort of soldiers, he is driven to the railway station", en route to the French capital. Backine has arranged for one of the lieutenants to accompany Vladimir, with secret instructions to induce the Prince, by plunging him into all the distractions which Paris can offer, to forget Olga and the promise he has made to her. Although, with a letter from his sweetheart always carried in his breast pocket, Vladimir is not likely to be untrue to her, he willingly enters into the amusements provided for him, and his admiration for Mile. Thais, a dancer who is the sensation of the hour, gives his enemies the opportunity they require. Backine's emissary in Paris is greatly struck with the resemblance which a rather shady young dancer, whom he encounters in a cafe bears to the Prince, and he thinks the discovery so important that he reports it to Backine in Silistria, and receives detailed instructions, upon which he acts immediately. Chicita, the dancer, calls upon Thais, who has fallen in love with the Prince, whom she believes to be an English nobleman, and, showing her a letter from Olga to Vladimir, in which she asks the latter to return to Silistria, informs her who her lover really is, and tells her that he will surely desert her at the first opportunity. Temporarily blinded by jealousy, Thais agrees to become an accomplice to the Regent's plans and writes to Vladimir asking him to meet her at a certain house - in reality one which Backine's employee has engaged. When the Prince arrives at the house he is shown into a sitting-room and a trap-door is released under his feet. He is plunged into a cellar which has been prepared, and from which there is no egress, and with Thais and one of the Regent's men as gaolers is left there while Chicita is hastily made up as the Prince, and prepared for the journey to Silistria. The formal coming-of-age of Prince Vladimir is announced, and at the same time publicity is given to his engagement to Backine's niece, Alexandra. A triumphant reception is arranged for the returning ruler, and the pretender is driven through files of soldiers, cheered by the populace of the capital, to the palace. The resemblance between the real Vladimir and the sham is so close that everybody is deceived but Olga, who at once knows as if by intuition that this is not the man. She makes known her suspicions to one-or two friends, am rig then the old fencing master, who vows to solve the puzzle. Challenging the supposed Prince to a bout with the foils, the master contrives to wound him slightly in the arm, and, on pretense of examining the wound, discovers that there is no trace of the old scar which his sword inflicted on Vladimir. The Regent has fathomed the suspicions of the fencing master, who is known, moreover, to be a firm friend of Vladimir, and gives instructions so that the faithful old man is shot while out for his morning ride, and his body thrown in the river. Seriously injured though he is, he manages to scramble to shore and to attract the attention of two officers, to whom be tells the story of the imposture he has discovered. Meanwhile, orders have been sent to Backine's agent in France ordering him to put the captive Vladimir to death, but, though the Prince is bound and the train of powder which is to blow him to pieces is almost lighted, Thais relents at the last moment and releases the Prince. When their enemy attempts to detain them lie is thrown on the trap-door, which hurls him into the cellar. The explosion occurs, and the villain meets the death he had destined for the Prince. Meanwhile, Coronation Day dawns in Silistria. One after another the superb ceremonies are carried through, and at last the sham Prince and his Consort are led, through a company of men clad in blazing uniforms and women in sumptuous dresses, to the steps of the throne. Then, before the actual act of coronation can take place, the real Vladimir with his few faithful friends bursts into the chamber, the usurper is swept aside, and while all look on with amazement, Vladimir goes to Olga, and, taking her by the hand, leads her to the steps of the throne which is rightfully his.
- In this sweeping drama, the honor of a brave soldier and his dedication to the country, which he swore to defend, will go as far as the heroic sacrifice of his life.
- The Moorish general Othello is manipulated into thinking that his new wife Desdemona has been carrying on an affair with his lieutenant Michael Cassio when in reality it is all part of the scheme of a bitter ensign named Iago.
- Mr. Robb, a wealthy gentleman, has unearthed a well-preserved statue, which turns out to be of great antiquity. He presents it to the National Museum. Mr. Walls, a rich American, offers £2,000 for it, but is refused. Raffles, as a connoisseur, obtains entrance to Robb's house, where he leaves on a table a case of cigarettes, which he has prepared with opium. Mr. Robb is going away, and asks for a number of policemen to be sent to guard the treasure and convey it to the museum. A detachment is sent, and waiting, grow rather tired, and help themselves to the cigarettes, and are soon unconscious. Raffles and his confederates enter, rolling a large barrel containing a block of stone the same weight as the statue. The latter is placed in the cask, and the stone takes its place in the case. Mr. Walls bribes the guard of the train in which Ganimard and his assistants are carrying the case containing the supposed statue. The guard drops the case from the van, but Ganimard sees the action, and seizes Walls, who is carried off to prison. Ganimard proudly carries the case to the Government offices and opens it, disclosing only a stone. In prison Walls receives a letter from Raffles telling him that the case will fail, and telling him to call on Raffles if he wishes the statue. Raffles has a replica made of the statue, and when Walls calls sells it to him as the original for £5,000.
- Raffles plots with a number of confederates to obtain money from the Earl of Lazar. Two of the confederates make an attack upon the Countess and her daughter, and Raffles comes to the rescue, and is invited to the Earl's house. He becomes a regular visitor, and uses his opportunities so well that he becomes betrothed to the girl he has " rescued," and one night leads her to the garden. Plans have already been laid, and a band of ruffians leap at the two, blindfold and bind Raffles, whom they leave on the ground, while they carry off the girl and confine her in a cellar, where they divide the jewels she wears amongst them. Then a note is sent to the Earl, demanding that £20,000 be put in the ruins of an old bridge. Raffles offers to accommodate the Earl for half the amount, and it is placed in the desired position. The girl is taken in a motor-car to a street in a distant part of the town and there left. Raffles, who has placed on his finger the ring reserved for him by his confederates. now desires to get out of his engagement to the Earl's daughter, and to this end instructs his typist and confederate to come to the Earl's house while he is there and claim him as her husband. Discovery, however, comes in the moment of success, for on offering the girl his hand in parting she recognises the 'ring, and by this small oversight Raffles finds himself defeated and seized by the police.
- Polidor reads in his morning paper of the loss of a valuable ring by a fellow citizen, who is desolated at his loss, and is prepared to handsomely remunerate the person who restores it to him. Polidor regards himself as in the first flight as a crime detector, and soon finds his way to the house of the owner of the ring, who accepts his preferred help with thanks, and stands round with his household in open-mouthed admiration as Polidor proceeds to subject the room to a minute search. But the admiration changes to passion when the little man's zeal carries him so far as to set him tearing out the stuffing of chairs and sofa, smashes vases which are possible receptacles for the ring, and finally to turning every room in the place upside down. Polidor cows his "client" with a pistol when he expostulates, but the latter manages to get on the 'phone to the police, and Polidor exchanges the role of detective for that of prisoner.