
Acting
Fred Esmelton
Born 1872-06-20 · Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Acting credits
6.8A salesman is helped out of a jam with an angry customer by a wealthy playboy. In return, he agrees to help the playboy get a divorce from his wife, only to find himself falling for the girlfriend of the customer who got him in trouble in the first place.
Kid Boots
1926
7.5Two lonely people in the big city meet and enjoy the thrills of an amusement park, only to lose each other in the crowd after spending a great day together. Will they ever see each other again?
Lonesome
1928
5.3A pregnant American nurse living in London during WWI, believing her soldier-fiance has been killed in France, marries a wealthy aristocrat so her child will have a father.
Born to Love
1931
10.0The plot is motivated by a pearl necklace, which has caused the death and/or ruination of all its owners. The second screen appearance of detective Charlie Chan.
The Chinese Parrot
1927
9.0Set during the 16th-century Spanish occupation of Flanders, the story concentrates on the fiercely patriotic Mark Van Ryke (Colman). Donning the guise of "Leatherface," a swashbuckling masked avenger, Van Ryke performs his derring-do on behalf of the Prince of Orange (Nigel de Brulier). Naturally, Van Ruke considers beautiful Spanish aristocrat Donna Leonora de Vargas (Vilma Banky) to be a bitter enemy, and the feeling is mutual. To no one's surprise, however, Van Ryke and Donna Leonara eventually fall in love (hence the title). The pulse-pounding climax finds Van Ryke riding hell-for-leather through a rainstorm to warn the Flemish troops about the Spaniards' plans to burn the city of Ghent to the ground. Two Lovers was based on Madame Orczy's novel Leatherface, and adapted for the screen by Alice Duer Miller.
Two Lovers
1928
10.0Lola de Breze loves Lord Arthur Fallaray from afar, though there seems to be no way to bring them together -- he is England's Colonial Secretary and married, while she is merely a working class maiden. But when she is given a maid's position in his household, it brings her that much closer to her idol. She puts on a fancy gown and heads to the Ritz in hopes of getting a formal introduction. After being fired from the household, she follows Fallaray to his country home and nurses him when he falls ill. Lord Fallaray's wife Lady Feo doesn't love him and is having an affair with Paul Chalfont. When it looks like he will be faced with scandal, Fallaray contemplates giving up politics and marrying Lola.
The Rustle of Silk
1923
9.0Real-life outlaw Joaquin Murietta, who (according to this film, anyway) is a latter-day Robin Hood, dedicated to driving land-grabbers and corrupt politicians out of Spanish California.
The Gay Defender
1927
9.0Gertie Jones, a female raffles posing as a maid in a fancy home in order to rifle the safe, surprises Jimmy Hartigan in the act of robbing that very safe.
Smooth as Satin
1925
5.8The story of two baby girls, born near in proximity but worlds apart in society: Molly Helmer, the daughter of a thief, and Florence Banning, the daughter of the judge who sent Molly's father to prison. The girls' lives come together as they reach the age of eighteen, when Florence leaves the security of the exclusive Girls Select School, and Molly, now orphaned, begins her life after reform school.
Lady of the Night
1925
8.0A woman thinks a small dog is an angel pet in this silent comedy. This film is presumed to be lost.
The Baby Cyclone
1928
5.5Olivia Dangerfield and her brother are hired as servants in the household of the meticulous Mrs. Falkner. When another pair of servants is detained by the law, Olivia decides to pose as a master cook, though she knows little about the culinary arts. Meanwhile, Burton Crane, the boyfriend of Mrs. Falkner's daughter, becomes attracted to the "wonderful cook" at the Falkner home.
Come Out of the Kitchen
1919
6.5While building an irrigation system for a Southwestern desert community, an engineer vies with a local cowboy for the affections of a rancher's daughter.
The Winning of Barbara Worth
1926
10.0A low-key silent drama of a man seeking vengeance on the villain whose lies sent him to prison on the night of his wedding.
Romance of a Rogue
1928
6.0Diamond thieves have infiltrated the staff of O'Day Jewelry. The Los Angeles Police Dept. employs their newest weapon, an airplane, to help smash the diamond theft ring.
The Shield of Honor
1927
7.0Dulcy, a devoted but scatterbrained bride, tries to improve her absent husband's finances by inviting two of his business prospects to dinner. Though at first thoroughly confusing the deal, she does get her husband a bigger share than he bargained for.The film is now considered to be lost.
Dulcy
1923
10.0Mary Grant, whose husband was killed in the war, has to support herself and her young son Tom by working in a cabaret because her husband's parents disapprove of and won't help her--but they want to adopt Tom. Complications ensue.
Can a Woman Love Twice?
1923
NRA woman with a gambling addiction finds that her daughter is threatened by the same tendencies.
The Avalanche
1919
10.0Sydney Fairchild, the daughter of a woman who was once loved by three bachelors, surprises the men with a visit. Findley, Trumbull, and Gaunt honor their former sweetheart's last request by becoming Sydney's guardians.
Three Wise Fools
1923
10.0Mrs. Penfield, better known as Penzie, is one of the inhabitants of a tenement neighborhood known as "the Custard Cup" because of its oval shape. Penzie is a widow who lost both her husband and son in the influenza epidemic of 1918 and 1919. She has found fulfillment by taking in three orphans. One of the Custard Cup's other residents is a counterfeiter, and when the police are too hot on his trail, he leaves a package with Penzie and sets a boat aflame when he tries to destroy some phony bills. When the gang is rounded up, Penzie -- who has been looking for one of her adopted children -- is found at the hideout and arrested.
The Custard Cup
1923
9.0The Michigan Kid is a gambler in the backwoods of Alaska trying to make enough money to go back to his hometown and impress the girl he loves. His childhood rival for the girl happens to turn up at his casino, in trouble and doesn't want his girl to find about it.
The Michigan Kid
1928
7.0The first time Al Jones sees Elizabeth Lowden, he becomes so distracted that he runs his car into a steamroller. The second time he sees her, Elizabeth's car frightens his horse, causing him to fall. ....
Red Hot Tires
1925
8.0Santussa, an orphan who becomes separated from her nurse en route to America to live with her grandfather, is cared for by gangsters who hide their stolen jewels in her ragdoll. In New York, Big Mike, finding Santussa a nuisance, dumps her and the doll in a trash can, where a newsboy finds her. After several adventures, Santussa finds her grandfather, the jewels are handed over to customs officials, and the gang of crooks is reformed.
The Darling of New York
1923
6.4Raffles is an English gentleman with a secret life—he is the notorious jewel thief known as "The Amateur Cracksman." While sailing from India to England accompanied by his friend, Bunny Manners, it is rumored that the infamous cracksman is aboard ship. Raffles warns a lady passenger to keep an eye on her necklace, which is stolen soon afterward. Although a search reveals no evidence, the necklace is returned upon reaching London.
Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman
1925
3.7A 1917 film directed by Joseph A. Golden & Julius Steger
The Law of Compensation
1917