Saturday, 20 April 2019

Released 100 Years Ago Today - 20 April 1919 (USA)

The Eternal Magdalene (1919)

Director: Arthur Hopkins
Writer: Robert McLaughlin (play)
Stars: Charles Dalton, Marguerite Marsh, Charles Trowbridge
Genre: Drama
Time: (5 reels) 50min
Country: USA
Release Date: 20 April 1919 (USA)
Production Co: Goldwyn Pictures Corporation
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain.

Plot

Leading citizen Elijah Bradshaw calls a town meeting to persuade citizens to pay $30,000 for an evangelist to lead a religious and moral clean-up to drive out the town's prostitutes. Only one person stands against Bradshaw and cites Christ's charity to Mary Magdalene as the example that they should follow. When Bradshaw discovers that his daughter Elizabeth is involved with his secretary Macey, he orders her out. He then dreams of Magdalene who shows him men in bread lines given hymn books instead of food; a church where the poor cannot reach the door latch; Elizabeth driven from a brothel and depositing her child in an asylum; his son Paul killing Macey and then his own wife dying when Paul is arrested. Horrified, Bradshaw awakens and stops Elizabeth from leaving. After Paul and Macey explain that Macey and Elizabeth have been secretly married, Bradshaw cancels the evangelist's visit and begins to implement compassionate reforms.  

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