Herbert Prior

Film clips highlight the funniest scenes and brightest comic stars in MGM's history.

President Franklin Roosevelt appoints a theatrical producer as the new Secretary of Amusement in order to cheer up an American public still suffering through the Depression. The new secretary soon runs afoul of political lobbyists out to destroy his department.

Convicted of manslaughter for a drunken driving accident, Kent Marlowe is sent to prison, where he meets vicious incarcerated figures who are planning an escape from the brutal conditions.

A comedy romance in which breezy Haines, as a young lady killer, tries to capture the heart of Hyams who has turned him down for Bushman. Haines plots dozens of extreme measures to win her over, and finally goes so far as to drag her from the altar, bound and gagged.

Mary Turner gets a three year prison sentence for a crime she didn't commit. Once released, she plots to get back at the man responsible for her conviction.

Longtime friends become feuding mothers-in-law when their children marry.

A bored society woman invites scandal and heartache when she falls in love with her low-born chauffeur.

A philosophy professor accompanies his school's rowing team on a worldwide tour.

Culture shock bombards a woman and her family when they leave their hick town to help her sister out in her big-city beauty parlor.

An inept inventor and his stoic wife believe an oil well investment has paid off and that they've become wealthy overnight.

An inventor and his lanky girlfriend set an altitude record in his winged contraption.

12 part silent serial- 1. The Castle of Fear 2. The Spider's Web 3. The Vanishing Heiress 4. The Room Without a Door 5. Shots in the Dark 6. Ambushed 7. The Secret of the Coin 8. Into the Web 9. The Baited Trap 10. The Lady in White 11. The Closing Web 12. The Final Reckoning. A prequel to The Ace of Scotland Yard.

Sylvia Landis promises to marry the wealthy but unprincipled Quarrier because of his social standing. Avarice is the only emotion that Sylvia feels towards her fiance, and when she meets Stephen Siward, a young man afflicted with alcoholism, she falls in love.

When Pollyanna is orphaned, she's sent to live with her crotchety Aunt Polly. Pollyanna discovers that many of the people in her aunt's New England hometown are as ill-tempered as her aunt. But Pollyanna's incurable optimism - exemplified by her "glad game", in which she looks for the bright side of every situation - brings a change to the staid old community.

Rev. John Morton, who is determined to follow as closely as possible the teachings of Jesus, inherits a considerable fortune when his uncle dies. Shortly thereafter he succumbs to the wiles of Mary Carlson and marries her. To Mary's dismay, John uses his money for charitable work. When John learns that not only has Mary been unfaithful to him but she was also his uncle's mistress and became Mrs. Morton in order to share the inheritance she believed to be rightfully hers, he sends her away with his secretary.

On his way to Steer City, Buddy Hale rescues Janet Lane from a runaway horse. Unknown to Buddy, the woman's brother Ward just shot the sheriff. Heading a ring of indignant ranchers whose cattle are being systematically rustled, Ward suspects that the sheriff and Justice Bert Wagner are leading the gang of thieves. Justice Wagner makes Buddy sheriff and sends him to arrest his predecessor's murderer.

Following the Spanish-American War, a soldier is given the assignment of finding the leader of a band of rebels in the Philippines. In order to do this, he must romance Roma, a cabaret spy working for the rebels. This does not please the daughter of his commanding officer, whom he is romancing.

From the Universal synopsis: Retired Inspector Blake of Scotland Yard learns that Lord Blanton has acquired the sacred "Love Ring"---a cursed jewel that has brought grief to its previous owners. Prince Darius seeks to obtain the ring, and the mummy of a princess of an ancient country to return them to his homeland.

Teddy Harmon, a society girl preoccupied with pleasure, is persuaded by her father's serious-minded secretary that she is in love with him, but meeting his family, she becomes bored and seeks the society of Gary McVeigh, a wealthy neighbor. At a gambling house, she finds her father with a dashing young widow, and later, the proprietor, though ostensibly a friend, tries to force his attentions on her and she is taken to jail in a raid. She is rescued by Gary, and the secretary, learning of her father's financial difficulties, breaks the engagement.

Someone in India is deciphering secret codes and passing information from London's Downing Street to the natives, so Captain Robert Kent comes down from London to investigate. He disguises himself as a Rajah, and Colonel Wentworth introduces him to the colony.

Trusting country girl Marie Downey falls in love with touring stage-actor Clifford Dudley. As he becomes a matinee idol on Broadway, she turns a chorus girl.

Resentful college graduate Eagle Eye, disguises himself as a white man and persuades James Harbison to create a new breed of cattle by crossing cows with bison. The first of the strain, a wild bull called Diablo, escapes from Harbison's ranch and goes to Skull Mountain, headquarters of a band of savage Indians led by Eagle Eye and dedicated to the destruction of the white man. Eagle Eye trains the bull to lead away the rancher's cattle and to gore anyone who attempts to stop him. Dan Allen is sent by the government to investigate and goes to the Harbison ranch, where he falls in love with Eleanor, the rancher's pretty daughter.

Cecelia Carne, dubbed "the little 'fraid lady" because she shuns society, seeks the solitude of the forest in order to perfect her talents as a painter. By chance one day, Cecelia wanders into the estate of Judge Peter Carteret where she meets Saxton Graves, who is assisting the judge in decorating his house. Recognizing her talent, Saxton hires Cecelia and soon falls in love with the artist.

A cocky, arrogant young playboy is expelled from his American polo team shortly before the big match with England.

Virginia Tremont, her guardian Kenly Lounsbury, and their guide Bill Bronson set out for the Northwest in search of her fiancé, Harold Lounsbury. After being left by Kenly without horses, Virginia and Bill find Harold living as a Native American. Her affections are transferred to Bill when he twice rescues her from danger and when Harold is revealed to be worthless.

Spaulding Nelson moves into an apartment after his uncle has been driven from it by the sounds of screams and whispers. Upon undertaking an investigation, he meets neighbor Barbara Bradford, whose sister Clara is being tormented by the recurring sounds of her dead husband Roldo's voice.

Richard Talmadge plays John Drake, a safe expert who gets work managing a safe company in South America. On the way to his new job, he gets into a fight with Dynamite Diaz (Dick Sutherland), a prize fighter who thinks that Drake has flirted with his wife (Peggy Shaw). Drake has found love on board, but it's with Dolores D'Arcy (Lorraine Eason), the daughter of a banker (Charles Hill Mailes). Once he lands in South America, however, he discovers the job was a fake and is robbed of his money and passport.

Jim Joyce runs a garage with old Abner Hope. When Hope's granddaughter, Mary Ellen, comes to visit, Joyce falls in love with her. Joyce has a number of bizarre inventions and he dreams of harnessing the nearby falls for power, but he can't get any financing from the town banker.

Millionaire's son Duke wants to be a champion boxer but takes time out to enroll in college when he sees co-ed Susie. The students wonder about his having a chauffeur and house full of servants. Susie likes him but, to get rid of her, his manager tells her Duke already has a New York chorus girl. As the students listen to a radio broadcast of his victorious fight from San Francisco, she learns that the student Duke is the boxer Duke and that there is no chorus girl.

Skyball Smith is a Texas Ranger, assigned to investigate a series of ranch bombings.

While vain Lenore Hastings busies herself with her romantic pursuits, Lenore's kid sister Mildred tries to keep the family of her boyfriend Thomas from going broke. Mildred works up a business arrangement, whereby she will sell Thomas' father's 250 pigs for a dollar each. Though Lenore is appalled by Mildred's "disgraceful" behavior, the younger girl quickly earns the respect of everyone in town

Jack Joyce, who worked in old Abner Hope's garage, was always dreaming of big schemes, but had no capital with which to realize them. Abner Hope, who is regarded as a "queer one," tell Jack that the world will end on September 1st, and gives him his savings to spend during the few remaining weeks. As a result, Jack becomes a king of power, and becomes engaged to Curt Horndyke's daughter, although he loves Mary Ellen, Abner's granddaughter. Then comes the climax - the end of the world - which, with its dénouement, makes one of the most fascinating endings ever screened.

Richard Jones is the assistant to the district attorney. He decides to single-handedly expose a drug ring that is terrorizing Madison, a reformer. Madison's son, Bob, has become a hophead because of the ring, and Greer, Jones' rival for the hand of Madison's daughter, Constance, is the ring's leader. The district attorney himself is in league with Greer as well. Jones disguises himself as an Asian, leaps over tenement roofs, beats up a mob of Chinese gangsters, and performs several dozen other daredevil feats.

Gwen's family is rich, but her parents ignore her and most of the servants push her around, so she is lonely and unhappy. Her father is concerned only with making money, and her mother cares only about her social position. But one day a servant's irresponsibility creates a crisis that causes everyone to rethink what is important to them.

Owing a twenty-year jail sentence to Dr. Burnell, Morgan returns after serving his term to find his son has been adopted by the Burnells. Dick is engaged to Virginia Denton, and to keep his secret from her he permits Morgan to make him his accomplice in a series of robberies. They are caught in the Denton home by Virginia, herself, who is heartbroken to discover that her fiancé is a thief, but the discovery leads to a fresh complication and extrication from a seemingly impossible situation.

Orphan Pip discovers through lawyer Mr. Jaggers that a mysterious benefactor wishes to ensure that he becomes a gentleman. Reunited with his childhood patron, Miss Havisham, and his first love, the beautiful but emotionally cold Estella, he discovers that the elderly spinster has gone mad from having been left at the altar as a young woman, and has made her charge into a warped, unfeeling heartbreaker.

A young man learns how to open safes to thwart a railroad takeover plot, accidentally forces a conspirator's daughter to marry him during a heist, and ultimately wins her love.

Socialite Thomas Wentworth Duncan reunites with his former lover, Sally Reeves, after a trustee absconds with his fortune. Realizing he cannot afford to support Sally in the manner to which she is accustomed, Duncan impulsively accepts an offer of $250,000, then discovers that he has sold his heart to Dr. Spleen, a surgeon who plans to exchange the organ with that of Sally's uncle, Judah P. Corpus, believing it will restore the old man's youth

Dearie Lane refuses to marry Fred Millard, whom she loves, because of her previous affair with roué Mark Winfield. When she confesses, Fred forgives her, and they marry and live happily in a modest home until the owner, who turns out to be Winfield, comes to collect a delinquent payment and suddenly dies. Dearie, afraid that the absent Fred will misunderstand, hides the body with the help of a boarder and a cook until midnight when they carry it down the stairs to the countryside, but the creaking of the steps is heard by Fred.

A young girl living a secluded and unsophisticated life is suddenly thrust into a great wealth and a frightening social whirl.

The feather-brained wife of the level-headed Mr. Leffingwell. As the fashionable young couple wend their way through such standard social obligations as weekend parties, tennis matches and polo games, Mrs. Leffingwell becomes innocently involved with a couple of would-be philanderers.

This western, with its simple story set in a gold mining camp, recycles many of the elements found in David Belasco's influential play, THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST, produced a decade earlier.

This holiday-themed melodrama released by Edison Studios in 1910 concerns Robert, a young man who leaves his mother’s home in New England to forge a career in the big city. When he achieves “fame and fortune” six years later, his proud mother can’t wait to welcome him home for Thanksgiving. Robert, however, intends to stay in the city to enjoy a holiday feast with his society friends and beautiful fiancée. When Mom decides to pay a surprise visit on Thanksgiving Day, she is saddened to find that her son is so ashamed of her that he relegates her to an upstairs room, out of sight and out of mind.

First, the eye is introduced to the old mill itself, with a gay betrothal party in progress, and laughter and merriment on all sides. Suddenly the laughter is hushed by the martial tread of feet, and the smile of joy fades from the two young lovers' faces as the French soldiers march into the courtyard and prepare to defend the mill against the oncoming attack of the German army. The mild summer afternoon has but half way run its course towards its western home when a wounded outpost comes staggering into the courtyard with the news of the advancing German army stamped upon his blood-stained forehead. Suddenly the courtyard is filled with the smoke of battle, and we know that the long-expected attack is on.

An important customer at Armande's, where Iva Seldon works as a model, is Billy Ravensworth, who purchases expensive gowns for a heartless vampire named Rita Challoner. When Billy pays for a number of gowns with a bad check, Iva is sent to Rita's home to collect the finery, and there she meets Bertrand Seldon, whom she recognizes as her own father, a society man who had deserted his wife years earlier and never acknowledged Iva. Rita learns that Billy is poor and breaks off their affair, after which Iva persuades him to pose as her fiancé so that she might enter society. Billy is content to maintain the masquerade in exchange for Iva's money, but soon finds himself jealous over her apparent romance with Bertrand. Iva agrees to accompany Bertrand on a drive, but the car plunges down a cliff, whereupon she reveals her identity. Before his death, Bertrand at last recognizes his daughter, and with his fortune, she and Billy begin a new life.

Helen Moore (Grace Williams) runs off with the nephew of Senator Foote, but when their car breaks down, they go to a hotel. A conference is going on there, and the boss politico is choosing his candidate for district attorney. Hugh Graham is the boss's favorite, and also Helen's ex-fiancee. The nephew tries to force himself on her and Graham hears her cries for help. When he rescues her, he is seen by his rival, Gregory, who assumes they are having an affair. He threatens to expose this, and to protect Helen, Graham withdraws from the nomination.

Mr. Danbury, a theatrical manager, is visited by Ellis Harcourt, who seeks a position with one of Danbury's companies. Danbury tells him that, since he is unknown to him, he must prove his ability to act before being given any encouragement. Danbury takes a vacation, and invites some of his friends to go for a cruise with him on his yacht. One of his guests produces the latest edition of the Animated Grouch Chaser.

A man arrives home late and drunk as usual. His wife reminds him that he's supposed to take their daughter out to a play. While watching the play, he's faced with his own drinking evils and how his life would be without them.

A gang of thieves lure a man out of his home so that they can rob it and threaten his wife and children. The family barricade themselves in an interior room, but the criminals are well-equipped for breaking in. When the father finds out what is happening, he must race against time to get back home.

A son leaves to seek his fortune in the city. Many years later he returns and checks into his parents' inn. They don't recognize him, but noticing his fat wallet, plan to rob him.

A young couple must endure a tedious visit from their aunt until their friend offers to find a way to make her leave.

The amateur dramatic society chooses the Joneses' residence as the location of its next meeting, and both Joneses catch 'the acting bug' in this split-reel subject.

Mrs. Kendrick borrows a jeweled necklace from a friend for an important social event. The necklace is stolen, and Mr. Kendrick goes into debt to replace it. The thief discovers it's costume jewelry, but the Kendricks never learns the truth; Husband and wife struggle for years to pay off the huge debt.

A contest is being held in Cremona for the best violin, with Giannina's hand in marriage as the prize. Filippo is secretly in love with her, but is also ashamed of being a cripple, so he switches his superior violin with that of another apprentice, Sandro, whom Giannina loves.

"Fine feathers make fine birds", and handsome gowns make handsome women. Hence it is when Isabelle appears on the scene clad in a gown that is a masterpiece of the dressmaker's art she easily fascinates the male contingent, among whom is Enrico, the sweetheart of Veronica, a street singer. Enrico is so enraptured at the sight of Isabelle in her resplendent attire that he becomes her abject slave, casting aside the poor, peasant-clad little Italian street singer, who has loved him devotedly. Crushed almost beyond endurance the poor girl stands sobbing at the entrance of the park where the inconsistent lever left her. Her tears attract the attention of a wealthy young couple who happen to pass. In answer to their queries she tells them how contemptibly her sweetheart acted, and all because of the fascinating influence of a gown.

A woman is scarred in an accident and refuses to stand in the way of her lover's marriage to another.

A disfigured violinist mistakes a token of appreciation for a love bouquet. When he realizes his mistake, he loses his mind.

Mrs. Jones leaves her baby with the maid and goes shopping for a new hat. Meanwhile, the maid invites a band of gypsies into the house for a palm reading. After the gypsies leave, no one can find the baby, and everyone assumes it's been kidnapped-- until the baby is found under a hatbox.

A music teacher is in love with Helen, one of his students, but she rejects him. In his hurt he joins an anarchist group who plan to blow up a rich capitalist's house. When he realizes it's Helen's house, he tries to stop the plan.

One of the members of a suicide club learns he has inherited some money, but only after he drew the fatal lot and is expected to kill himself. Presumed to be a lost film.