THE RED KIMONA (1925):
Gabrielle Darley shoots a man, Howard Blaine, in the back, as he is buying a wedding ring, then asks his pardon and expresses love to his corpse as she waits for her arrest (okaaay!). At her trial, she is asked to explain how she came to shoot Blaine and she narrates her story. Blaine courted her and claimed he would marry her, and she left her unloving family to go with him to New Orleans. There, Blaine did not marry her, but only took her to a house in a sleazy neighbourhood; in a bedroom there, a mirror vision of herself in bridal attire gave way to a vision of herself in a red dress, indicating that she knew she was entering on a life of prostitution. She gave in for love of Blaine, and spent several miserable years servicing men he sent in to her, spurred on by little love notes from him.
DVD-R has English intertitles with no subtitles. Approx. 76 mins. See film sample for audio and video quality!
THE BELLS (1926):
Mathias, an innkeeper, seeks to be burgomaster of a small Austrian hamlet. In order to gain favor with local leaders, he offers food and alcohol on credit, but often refuses to collect, much to the dismay of his wife Catharine. Mathias is deeply in debt to Frantz, who seeks Mathias' businesses. He will forgive the debt, if Mathias allows him to marry his daughter, Annette. Mathias refuses and is worried about the debt which will come due soon. One evening a Polish Jew enters Mathias' inn. The man displays a money belt filled with gold, which Mathias, having had much to drink with the man, eyes closely. Tragedy soon follows.
DVD-R has English intertitles with no subtitles. Approx. 68 mins. See film sample for audio and video quality!