Released 2/20/16 by Universal/Rex; Director: Joseph De Grasse; Screenplay: Ida May Park, from a story by Hugh Weir; 2 reels; Print Source: National Film Archives (London)
CAST: Louise Lovely (Dolly Clare), Marjorie Ellison (Alice Fairfax), Mae Gaston (Helen), Laura Praether (Maid), Hayward Mack (James Fairfax), Millard K. Wilson (Philip Ainsworth), Lon Chaney (Dan Fisher), Edward Nes (Jap Boy)
SYNOPSIS: James Fairfax is the editor of the Morning Argus, a scandal sheet that will publish any juicy story, no matter who it hurts. His staff resent his underhanded methods, especially Dolly Clare, one of his reporters. Fairfax is very jealous of his wife Alice's former relations with Philip Ainsworth. Philip's sister comes to see Alice and pleads with her to use her influence to get her brother to give up drinking. She goes to see him one afternoon and finds him drunk, holding her love letters that she had written him before her marriage. He tries to take her in his arms, but she dodges him; when he falls to the floor unconscious, she gathers her letters and flees. Dolly has arrived in time to see a veiled woman leaving the building. In Philip's room she finds a picture of Mrs. Fairfax and, not knowing who she is, calls Mr. Fairfax with the juicy story. Alice learns of the photograph and rushes to the newspaper office to intercept Dolly. There she pleads with Dolly to suppress the picture, and Dolly tries in vain to have Fairfax pull the photo...though he himself has not yet seen it. Dan, another reporter, wanders in with a photo of a suicide victim, and Dolly decides to switch the two photos. Alice confesses all to her husband and, convinced of her honesty, orders the paper stopped. The papers are coming off the press and Fairfax discovers Dolly's substitution of the photo. He changes the policy of the paper to cover only honest news. Dolly and Dan, who have been attracted to each other for some time, are happily united.
"The cast is a large one and this makes the opening scenes a little confusing. Later a very pleasing story develops in which the editor in his quest for sensational news almost involves his own wife in a scandal. The photography is good and the production as a whole a pleasing one, even though the story is not at all times convincing." ---Moving Picture World
NOTES: The only surviving print of this title at the British Film Institute is missing the main title, but is otherwise essentially complete. It is a rare opportunity to see Chaney as a leading man who gets the girl!
© 1996,2001,2008 Jon C. Mirsalis
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