classic crime movies

"The Evidence of the Film" is a short crime film, featuring Florence La Badie, a star of Silent Hall of Fame. 

The film is significant for the fact that it depicts "film within the film" as a method of proving innocence and guilt. Florence La Badie was the leading actress of Thanhouser from 1911 until her untimely death in 1917 at the age of 29. 

In 2001 the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

"The Penalty" (1920) is a powerful crime drama, in which Lon Chaney delivers one of his most memorable performances.  

An inexperienced doctor needlessly amputates a boy's legs after a traffic accident.  The boy grows up to be a criminal mastermind, determined to revenge himself on society and on the doctor that crippled him for life a long time ago.

The film has a strong 7.6 rating in IMDB.

"The Black Hand", True Story of a Recent Occurrence in the Italian Quarter of New York, is a short crime drama featuring cinematographer Billy Bitzer, a star of Silent Hall of Fame.

A gang by the name of Black Hand demands a big amount of money from a local businessman.  If the demands are not met it threatens his daughter. Then the gang kidnaps the girl anyway and sends one of its members to collect the ransom.

"The Black Viper"  is a short crime drama, featuring cinematographer Billy Bitzer, a star of Silent Hall of Fame.

A man saves a girl after she is attacked in the street by a thug nicknamed Viper.  Later the thug comes back with a gang, overpowers the man and takes him away on a cart. The girl organizes a pursuit with the help of friends, and they chase the gang on a rocky mountain terrain.

D.W. Griffith plays the role of one of the rescuers in addition to the director's job.

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