The American Beauty (1916)

Martin Ellsworth, a wealthy American, and his young wife and baby are returning from a trip to Newfoundland. The liner catches fire and in the ensuing panic the Ellsworths become separated from their baby. The child is picked up at sea in an overturned boat by Cleave, a fisherman. Being told the child's parents are dead, the Cleaves adopt it. The adopted daughter grows up, and as Ruth Cleave, works in a sweatshop. Mrs. Cleave, becoming a widow, is forced to scrub for a living. She is employed by Paul Keith, a wealthy young American painter. An Italian artist friend of Keith's gives a dinner to celebrate the sale of a painting. All his artist friends of many nationalities are invited, including Keith. At the dinner each painter toasts his country's type of beauty. A contest is decided upon. Each artist is to paint his national type of beauty, for a prize of $1,000 offered by Herbert Lorrimer, patron of arts and beautiful women. Lorrimer visits each studio in turn apparently watching the painting but in reality much more interested in the models. Keith tries several beautiful models but each lacks what he requires most, soul. Mrs. Cleave, the scrub woman, falls sick and Ruth loses her job, also. To make ends meet Ruth goes to do the scrubbing at Keith's. There in a very dramatic scene Keith finds the beautiful woman with a soul in Ruth Cleave. She becomes his model and a wonderfully beautiful picture is painted. His painting is awarded the prize. "The American Beauty" has won. The nationality of Ruth is challenged and cannot be established. Keith's picture is disqualified. Lorrimer becomes infatuated by Ruth's beauty and entices her with the promise of employment to come to his wonderfully luxurious studio. There she is drugged but Keith hears of the appointment and rescues her from Lorrimer. The realization then comes to Paul Keith that he loves Ruth Cleave. Ruth, because of her lowly station in life, refuses his offer of marriage. Ruth's own father, now an art patron through "The American Beauty" painting, finds her. In a series of very dramatic scenes Myrtle Stedman, the star, plays the roles of both mother and daughter at the same time. An example of phenomenal photography. Established in her new station of life, Ruth in a pretty ending, asks Paul Keith, "If he thinks she would make, a model, wife?"