Author Archive: Retro

This story affords the renowned European actress, Asta Nielsen, an opportunity of displaying her wonderful ability as a great artist. It depicts the life of a young woman, who tiring of her husband and her life in attractive surroundings conceives a sudden admiration for a picturesque circus man. He also is attracted by her, and when he appears and demands that she cast in her lot with the circus folks, she yields and leaves her beautiful home for the wandering life of a circus. Under the tuition of her admirer, she becomes a gifted member of the “haute ecole.” The new life fascinates her. Months pass, she becomes disillusioned, for her hero, Rudolph, proves fickle; he transfers his affections to another girl of the circus. There is a quarrel between the two women and Asta and Rudolph are discharged. Down they sink in the social scale; he becomes a dissolute ne’er do well, and she [...]

As we are treated with a rare appearance from a true master of the miraculous Asian thaumaturgy, a fine display of multiplication commences, and a serene young geisha completes the enchantment. What does the Chinese conjurer have in mind?

In the days of ’61 how many of the brave soldiers were urged to deeds of valor and heroism by thoughts of “the girl he left behind.” This story tells of the transforming of a pusillanimous coward into a lion-hearted hero by the derision of the girl he loved. The battle takes place outside her home, and he, panic-stricken, rushes in, trembling with fear, to hide. She laughs in scorn at his cowardice and commands him to go back and fight. Her fortitude inspires him and he manages to rejoin his company before his absence is noticed. Ammunition is low and somebody must take the hazardous journey to procure more from another regiment, which he volunteers to do. This undertaking cannot be adequately described, for the young man faces death at every turn. The most thrilling part of his experience is where the opposing forces build bonfires along the road to menace the powder-wagon.

Based on characters from Shakespeare’s play: When Juliet’s father refuses to let Romeo see her, Romeo resorts to extreme measures.

Harold is a bookkeeper who works in an office but can’t keep his mind on his job — the spring weather is too nice to stay indoors. After escaping from his office he romps in the park instead.

Two members of a gang write a threatening letter to a butcher, demanding that he give them money, or else they will harm his family and his shop. The butcher is afraid and upset, but he is unable to meet their demands. The gang then kidnaps his daughter, leading to a series of tense and dangerous confrontations.

A cowboy must regain the love of his fiancé, who has found out about his past as a thief and bank robber and broken off their engagement. In her anger at him, she agrees to marry a no-account who, unknown to her, is planning to take her money and leave her at the altar

In medieval Coventry a woman takes a naked horse ride to protest against her husbands policy of high taxation.

Butterfly-collector Hamilton is put to the test to prove his virility on an overnight camping trip.