Hearts of Men (1919)

Nicolo Rosetti leads a simple, happy life growing and selling flowers. When his ailing mother needs to move to a dryer climate, Nicolo purchases a plot of land in Arizona, which he later discovers to be an arid wasteland. A railroad construction gang attempts to drive Nicolo out of town, believing he is the forerunner to an influx of cheap Italian labor. However, the men are soon won over by the widowed Nicolo and his son, Beppo, and assist them in building a shack. After Nicolo's mother dies, his friends encourage him to remarry so that Beppo can have a mother. Nicolo writes to a cousin in Italy, who sends a bride named Tina Ferronni. The disillusioned Tina takes Beppo to Italy, ostensibly to visit his dying maternal grandmother, but in reality she is eloping with a clerk. Following her arrival, Tina writes to Nicolo claiming that Beppo has died. The laborers secretly pay for an investigation and arrange Beppo's return. Meanwhile, the grieving Nicolo discovers an oil well on his land. He is reunited with Beppo and shares his good fortune with his friends.