Lee Moran

A compilation of thirteen rare silent films digitized by the Library of Congress, selected for the 2022 Domitor conference theme “Copy/Rights and Early Cinema.” Drawn from nitrate and safety film, the program spans comedies, trick films, and dramas exploring censorship, invention, adaptation, and social rights. Titles include: Pruning the Movies (Nestor, 1914); Imperial Japanese Dance (Edison, 1894); Early Edison Camera Tests (Edison, c.1890s); Censorship and its Absurdities (Edison, 1915); In Wrong (Crystal, 1914, dir. Phillips Smalley); Tillie’s Tomato Surprise (Lubin, 1915, dir. Howell Hansell); Indian Land Grab (Champion, 1910); The Stolen Play (Falcon Features, 1917, dir. Harry Harvey); And the Villain Still Pursued Her (Vitagraph, 1906, dir. J. Stuart Blackton); The Doll’s Revenge (Hepworth, 1907, dir. Lewin Fitzhamon); The Disintegrated Convict (Vitagraph, 1907); The Mexican Joan of Arc (Kalem, 1911, dir. Kenean Buel); and Fads and Fashions of 1900 (U.S., 1940s).

An unpolished racketeer, whose racket is finding heirs for unclaimed fortunes, affects ethics and tea-drinking manners to win back the sweetheart who now works for his seemingly upright competitor.

A lovesick fool bumbles into espionage and finds a stolen plane.

A young girl falls in love with a member of a gang of crooks. She determines to bring the rest of the gang to justice so she can save the man she loves.

A beautiful chorine marries a handsome rich socialite, but her idyllic life ends when she visits a dying old beau and is charged when he commits suicide.

An ex-con makes for a backwoods town intending to rob the bank, and becomes involved in protecting three orphans from land swindlers instead.

Bill is a hot shot dancer who partners with Jazzbo, until he sees Molly at the dance. He enters the Waltz with Molly and wins first prize - and they wind up being married that same night. Now they are free of their parents nagging and their own bosses. 24 hours - no dancing as in-laws are visiting. 24 days - the Apartment is finished so off to the Hoffman's Parisian Dance Palace. Molly can only dance the Waltz and not the hot new jazz dance so she leaves and Bill follows. They are both unhappy, Bill has two left feet when it comes to romance.

"Chick" Thompson is a puppet-master in a traveling carnival whose wife dies in childbirth and leaves him with an infant son he names "Poochy." His father-in-law and the baby's grandfather sues him for custody of the baby and Chick takes his son and hides out for a couple of years. He joins his former assistants, Daisy and "Fingers", in a circus act only to find that the persistent grandfather is still on his trail.

Dan Matthews (Richard Arlen), a young parson, is in love with Hope Strong (Charlotte Wynters), the daughter of James B. Strong ('FRederick Burton'), a man who controls the town with his real estate and business interests. Strong is an upstanding citizen who has fallen into the hands of a clever racketeer, Jeff Hardy (Douglass Dumbrille), who acts as Strong's manager of some innocent-appearing amusement places that are really secret dens of vice.

A man who wants to join the circus against the wishes of his ex-circus clown father.

When a movie actor is shot and killed during production, the true feelings about the actor begin to surface. As the studio heads worry about negative publicity, one of the writers tags along as the killing is investigated and clues begin to surface.

Joe Tomasso is an Italian-American bookmaker and gambler who, outwardly, is hard but soft-hearted inwardly. He becomes fond of a homeless waif, Jackie Curtis, and begins to look upon him as the son he never had. But when Jackie's mother appears, Joe has a hard decision to make.

A parade highlights the Screen Actors Guild's Film Stars Frolic, hosted by Walter Winchell as Master of Ceremonies.

Ted is riding for Pa Martin against Cooper in the big race. When Cooper has his men capture Ted, Peggy overhears them and sets out to free Ted in time for the race.

A pair of hapless half-wits get into continuous mischief during the occupation of Germany after WW I.

Jack Oakie plays Eddie Doyle, a gumball machine salesman who marries Pat Smith (Shirley Grey) knowing full well that the girl is on the rebound from a failed romance with aspiring Jewish doctor Max Silver (Leon Ames). But when Pat is nearly killed in an effort to protect her husband's gumball machines from hoodlums and is in need of a lifesaving operation, Eddie calls on Dr. Max

On her first night as a dockside dancer, Mary Foster loses her job when she tries to fend of the advances of first mate Groder. On the street and being pursued by a Policeman who thinks she is a prostitute, Mary seeks shelter on an old freighter. She is soon discovered by second mate Tommy and they quickly fall in love, but with first mate Groder lurking around will their lives work out in the end?

A wealthy recluse dies in her New York mansion, leaving an estate worth $50 million. Shortly after, various people turn up claiming to be the rightful heir to her fortune.

A naive farmer encounters a beautiful burlesque dancer on the streets of New York and agrees to pose as her husband during her mother's visit.

A crippled puppeteer rescues an abused young boy and turns the boy into a great ballet dancer. Complications ensue when, as a young man, the dancer falls in love with a young woman the puppeteer is also in love with.

A small-town girl schemes to get to Hollywood only to run into the man she left behind.

A young mechanic loses an amateur fight at a carnival, and sets out to train hard to become a professional boxer.

Aspiring author Prudence "Prue" Severn leaves her staid home for the wild life in New York's artistic Greenwich Village community. Her concerned family hires two thrill-seeking ex-doughboys, bow-tied Bartley "Bart" Greer and his trigger-happy buddy Lee, to look after her and, hopefully, persuade her to come home. They move into Prue's apartment building, where she lives with a sculptress pal. Although interested in Bart, Prue senses he is being paid to watch over her-- so she decides to elope with the handsome Rolf.

She sought to conquer...but found Cupid her master! This is one of many lost films of the 1920s, no prints or Vitaphone discs survive, but the song with the same title and the trailer survives.

Widower Colonel Dodge enjoys being single, but when Arbutus Quilty, his former sweetheart, threatens to sue him for breach of promise, he decides its time for him and his daughter Mary to take themselves a little vacation trip to Florida.

An aspiring dancer fakes her own kidnapping as a publicity stunt. Her new found fame causes trouble with her boyfriend.

A young woman is shocked to discover that her mother, who she always believed was a stylish and successful member of upper-crust society, is actually a dance-hall "hostess" at a low-class nightclub. Wanting revenge on her mother, she marries a brutal bootlegger, which causes her mother to do something that turns out to have dire consequences for everybody. This is reportedly a lost film.

With unpaid actors and staff, the stage show Phantom Sweetheart seems doomed. To complicate matters, the box office takings have been robbed and the leading lady refuses to appear. Can the show be saved?

Jenny, a dance instructor, accidentally meets Joe Hall, a song promoter who escorts her home. She gives him a song idea by saying "Thanks for the Buggy Ride".

No Defense is a 1929 romantic drama directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Monte Blue. It was a silent film with part talking and sound-effects by the Vitaphone Company. It was distributed by Warner Brothers.

Three Broadway chorus girls seek rich husbands.

The wealthy millionaire patron of a nightclub is attracted by the female half of a vaudeville show and showers her with gifts. This upsets her stage partner who hopes to marry her despite his limited wealth.

The night that Eddie's girl announces her engagement to her friends she plans a slumming party, which does not meet with Eddie's approval but the others are so in favor of it he is compelled to go.

Bank clerk Vincent Forrest loses his savings in a gambling den run by Madame Zoe and her provider, Van Merton. Forrest's wife Ann begins an affair with Merton when she discovers that Forrest is infatuated with Madame Zoe. Ann loses heavily gambling, but Vincent soon realizes what is happening in time to save his wife and to restore her happiness.

Brooks, a publisher and his publicist decide to boost the sales of a wartime book of flying experiences. They credit the book to popular author Robert Street, who is completely ignorant about aviation. Robert gets into all sorts of trouble in attempting to carry on the ruse, saving his friend's business but also attracting the attention of aviation-mad Grace Douglas. At first, he is able to carry out simple publicity events, but when he accidentally starts up an aircraft, his incredible aerobatics end with a landing in a haystack. When a race is staged between him and French ace Major Jules Gaillard, it ends with Robert confessing he is no pilot, but still winning Grace's heart. Considered a lost film.

J. Harrison Gray, a wealthy playboy and notorious womanizer, finally decides to find the "right" girl and settle down. He finds the right girl, Betty, who is a policeman's daughter. However, in his pursuit of her he is hit by a car, knocked unconscious and taken to the hospital, where a steady stream of ex-girlfriends visits to "take care" of him--which doesn't leave a particularly good impression on the woman he really loves.

A Woman Against the World is a 1928 American drama film directed by George Archainbaud and starring Harrison Ford, Georgia Hale, and Lee Moran.

A young woman marries a rich young man. However, he doesn't trust her with money and won't let her have any of her own. Desperate, she turns to gambling and finally forgery. Complications ensue.

Cigar counter girl Tessie tips off her mechanic boyfriend that a wealthy women is going to buy a car, and he leaves Tessie for Mrs. Welles.

Beautiful Dot Walker is part of a ring of crooks in San Francisco, who use her to lure impressionable young men into a crooked card game. Young Johnny has come to the big city to sell his grandmother's hotel back in his home town, but he falls under Dot's spell, gets suckered into the game and loses all his money. He asks his newfound "friends" to come back to his hometown to buy the hotel. They accept but are actually planning to swindle Johnny's grandmother out of her hotel. It turns out that Granny isn't quite the easy mark they thought she would be.

Although the Hervey oil company is nearly bankrupt, owner Bill Hervey is unconcerned because he is about to be married to Helen Gray and can think of nothing else. One day, while visiting his newly purchased home in the suburbs, he meets his neighbor, newlywed Annabelle Eaton, who asks Bill for a ride to a nearby chicken farm. Bill agrees, but when they reach the farm, they are locked in a room by a lunatic and forced to remain there overnight.

A young man gets engaged to a business competitor's daughter.

A dance trophy winning young couple is temporarily split up when a playboy aviator leads the girl to believe he's in love with her.

Dr. Arthur Poole is paid $1,000 per week to treat the neurotic and spoiled Angelica Starr. Angelica is infatuated with her doctor, so Poole, afraid of losing his big fee, does not tell her that he is already married.

In this romance set in Russia, a fisherman's daughter is jilted by her true love and instead marries a baron. Time passes and the two men meet each other in Siberia where they have both been exiled. When the poorer man has the opportunity to come home, he changes places with the baron so that he can return to his wife. Unbeknownst to him, she has gone to the frozen wasteland to search for him.

The boys are fagged with the long summer's work and are undecided where to spend their vacation. One day Eddie is idly looking over the paper when he sees that a young man has met and married a wealthy heiress at the beach; suddenly, nothing but the beach will suit them. Eddie sees the boss and they are given permission to take a vacation.

Jack returns from college and is told by his father that he is going to start him in business as his partner. Early the next morning Jack reports for work and finds that he is to learn the game from the ground up, and is accordingly made apprentice to the boss plumber. While on the first job he learns the art of loafing, and on returning to the shop is called up by his girl, who invites him to an afternoon reception.

Jane Carston was to return tomorrow from Ohio, where she had been for the past three years in school, and the ranch was all agog with expectancy and cleanliness. Bob Evans, head cowboy, was most eager and most anxious of the lot. Tomorrow finally became today and Pa had gone to the station in his best linen duster and the buckboard to meet Jane. Finally, in a cloud of dust. Bob discerns them on the brow of the hill. Arriving at the house Jane greets mother with a rousing smack.

Dick Lee, while hunting, meets James Gordon, an old rancher, who invites him to his cabin. Here he meets the rancher's daughter Mary. They soon become fast friends, and the girl's heart is almost broken when, at the end of the boy's holidays, he is to return to the city. Mary makes him promise to write. Back in the city, Dick tries to forget the country girl, and, as he is engaged to Lillian West, life is very gay indeed. Somehow, he cannot forget the little girl back on the ranch. The promised letter, however, is never written. Mary looks every day for the letter that does not come, and her father is very sad to see her pine away. At last he cannot stand it longer, and makes up his mind to go to the city and hunt Dick up.

Dick Martin, foreman of the Circle E ranch, tells Colonel Gray that his mother is coming to visit them for a short time. The Colonel thinks it's a fine opportunity to invite his three nieces from the city, as Dick's mother could act as their chaperone.

Eddy and his chauffeur come to the rescue of Louise and her maid, Corinne, whose automobile breaks down. Lee soon puts matters right, and Corinne gets her fuzzy hair all mixed up with his as he tinkers about. Eddy naturally keeps Louise company and cards are exchanged. Arriving home papa puts a veto on the prospective call of the impecunious young lawyers, as he wants a titled man for a son-in-law. One evening papa goes to the club, and is introduced to Lord Chester, and asks his lordship to call. While papa is thus being entertained, Eddy has called and is enjoying a tête-à-tête with Louise. Corinne spies Lee and introduces him to the butler and the cook and they all have a good time. The following day his Lordship calls, Louise however, has no use for titled personages with Eddy outside honking his auto horn.

Eddie Lyons and Dorothy Devore have hired "The Careful Decorator" to paper their walls. What they get is Lee Moran who is anything but! Add in a pushy mother-in-law and hilarity ensues.

Lee rejoices, for has he not a holiday to-morrow? He meets Eddie, who is employed in a large dry goods emporium. He hears of Lee's luck and wants to join him. They plan.

A King proposes to the pretty princess, but she rejects him and chooses a man from his photo and a brief record of his bravery. He is an American policeman with a wife and family. A reporter covering the story complicates matters.

Thus far Sophie has failed completely as a motion picture actress. She has spoiled every scene, but through the general manager she is to be given one more chance. She is sent to the border to act in Mexican war pictures.

In order to get a job as a cook on a ranch, a young girl disguises herself as a boy. Problems arise when several of the young women at the ranch fall in love with "him".

A woman "rents" a husband for the purpose of divorcing him so she can win another man, who prefers widows.

Eddie Lyons and Lee Moran and their wives share a house. After a disagreement they decide to split the house by drawing a line down the middle

Priscilla’s husband Lee makes her life unhappy because of his unfounded jealousy. She warns her old college buddy Eddie not to pay any attention to her at the dance which they are to attend. Eddie loves the wealthy Estelle but is always getting mixed up in some scandal. Estelle finally declares that one more escapade on his part will finish everything. When Priscilla and Eddie greet each other at the dance as old friends, the other two become jealous. Estelle and Lee determine to make their partners jealous but make a mess of it until all is straightened out in the end.

A 1915 Victoria Forde comedy. As Lizzie (Forde) has a beautiful voice, everybody in her tiny hometown encourage her to try a career in show business in the big city. As she arrives there, she discovers she’s too clumsy to even be part of the chorus. Her small town boyfriend, Jeb (Lyons) follows her.