Right to Happiness, The (1919)

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THE RIGHT TO HAPPINESS
("Children of one father.
Grand social life image.")

In the dubble lead of the twin sisters Sonia
and Vivian, America's most talented and
celebrated actress: Miss Dorothy Pillips.

Russia in , the land of
darkness and oppression.

The jewish quarter...

The house of Andrew Hardcastle, situated
at the edge of the jewish quarter.

Andrew Hardcastle, co-owner of the New
York firm of Forrester and Hardcastle.

Soon after Hardcastle's arrival in Russia
his wife d*ed and left the twins...

...the one, Sonia...

...and the other, Vivian.

The children's nurse, Leah, was a
second mother for the little twins.

"I have to leave for a short
business trip. Take good care
of my children during my absence.

And in that night a storm erupted...

And again the scourge of intolerance
and oppression hit the jewish quarter...

"Your fate is mine...! I, I am
a jewess too... but these poor
little ones must be saved!"

The all-revealing morning sun's rays light
the smouldering ash of what Hardcastle
called his home only the day before.

Nineteen years later, in .
The world w*r had broken out...
revolution was brewing in Russia.

A popular assembly on the first of May...

In this environment little Sonia
grew up and with her fiery character

it wasn't long before she too took an
interest in all that was discussed.

"Comrades, this day is ours!
The day of the people!"

Young Paul, whose mother had saved
little Sonia and raised her, had grown
up with her and felt a great love for her.

He didn't like untamed v*olence; on the
contrary, he was drawn to Tolstoy's
doctrine of universal peace and love.

Hardcastle, who thought that his
daughter was dead, d*ed, had returned
to America with hate in his heart

and become an enormous,
fabulously rich, yet unrelenting
force in a sound business world.

Henry Forrester, Hardcastle's partner,
stood for sound, progressive business
politics with fair, democratic ideals.

Hardcastle's daughter Vivian had grown up
and had everything that her sister lacked.

CHILDREN OF ONE FATHER. Part two.

George Winthrop, a rich do-nothing.

"I'll only listen to you if
you serve our cause."

"If our workers' wages can stay what they
are now, then we can make a five-million
w*r profit this year. It would be huge."

"But we'll have to raise the wages.
Just think how tremendously expensive
all the necessities have become."

"In spite of that, they can live just
as well, if they economize a bit..."

"How much?"

"Five thousand dollar for the Red Cross."

"Will you also be going
to the front, George?"

"Oh no, I couldn't bear the thought.
I can't leave Vivian alone, can I?"

The w*r was over. Sonia wanted
to see the world, to great America,
to acquaint herself with its conditions

and try to realize her ideals. In front of
the Passport Agency in the Russian capital.

"Please, leave me alone,
I quite know what I want."

"Even if you go to the end of the world,
I'll follow you and watch over you, always."

"The workers' wages may have been
raised, their living and other costs
have also become more expensive."

"There was a time when they
were able to adjust to circumstances,
why can't they anymore now?"

In another part of town a certain
Miss Hardy supported her high
living standard by renting rooms.

Tom Hardy, her son, foreman
in one Forrester and Hardcastle's
factories. William Stowell.

"To the success of my daughter Vivian's
latest plan, a home for sick and old lapdogs."

"If George gets old, he may go there, too."

Lily, one of millions who are have
to regard a strange boarding-house
as their hearth and home.

"Half of what I have is for you...
half of what you have is for me."

The next day.

"If you leave the wages of the workers
as they are, there will be unrest."

"They'll have to make
the best of it or else..."

"Why can't we discuss it now
that circumstances have changed
so much and business is going well?

We do not need to reject their
demands out of hand just like that?"

"Beautiful flower... born in sunshine.
If only the sun could penetrate

the darkness of tenements then the
world would be one flower garden."

"There is no sun in Russia. But here, in this
great country, the sun of freedom shines.

Living conditions are made by
the people themselves. People
should be improved through love!"

"People are the result of living
conditions. To change people,
we must change living conditions."

A poor victim of the darkness...

"If only the sun could come in."

"The sun will come... when love
comes into the hearts of people."

CHILDREN OF ONE FATHER. Part three.

"Boss, we'd like to have our old job back."

"I am sorry... our factory is
full up... I can't help you."

"Why do you send them away
like that? These people used to
give their best for the business."

"But with a little good will every
busy factory can still use
an extra hand these days."

"You're an impractical idealist. Your
plan would weaken the entire business!"

"No question of weakening... They'll be
grateful for the opportunity we'd offer...

We didn't force them to leave... What
they did was in the general interest..."

"You're a big fool! Twenty years I ran this
business the way I wanted to...and I'll do
so still, ENTIRELY THE WAY I WANT TO...!"

"From this moment on
our partnership is dissolved."

"Remember, Hardcastle, there is
nothing to be gained by imposing
your will... Think and consider.

I have different views on that and will
prove the veracity of them by practice..."

During evenings, at Vivian's, he often
thought with sadness of her twin sister
who had disappeared so tragically.

Henry Forrester set up his own
factory on a cooperative basis.

Sound cooperation and mutual respect.

While in André Hardcastle's factory...

"You cannnot achieve full results with
underpaid and disaffected workers."

"If you cannot stay in control
of the situation then I'll
appoint a foreman who can!"

Lunch break.

In Hardcastle's dissatisfied workers
Sergius found a keen audience
for Sonia's rebellious theories...

But when Sonia wanted to force
her ideals on Forrester's men...

"We have everything we want
here and are content...
quit your argumentations...!"

"Don't worry, my son... by God's
love everything will turn out RIGHT!"

Sergius, whose protestations of love
were left unreturned by Sonia, had
found an easier victim in the naïve Lily.

"Look, I just bought this for
you, as a pledge of our love!"

"Why hold on so tightly to all
those old, stiff customs...we're
free as the birds in the sky!"

CHILDREN OF ONE FATHER. Part four.

"How foolish... Father treats his
workers better than anybody else...!"

"Go to the factory, Miss Hardcastle,
and judge for yourself."

"You never refused me anything,
father, so you can't refuse me this."

"Let us preach LOVE instead
of rough v*olence and let us
seal our love in marriage."

After Lily had turned him down,
Sergius wanted to try his luck
once more with Sonia.

"Look, I bought this just FOR YOU."

"We're not in Russia, pal!"

"Great, this will buy milk
for a lot of poor babies."

Vivian kept her word
and visited the factory.

"I'll come back. I want to see how
these poor people are housed."

The streetcar took them to another
world, to the blue skies and
flowering meadows of the suburbs.

"So beautiful, so lovely, why, the
whole world could be like this!"

"But is there enough
goodness in people for it?"

"Oh, sure. It was there once... and it's
there forever. GOODNESS CAN NEVER DIE!"

"Well, is this another of those intruders
that you bring here to preach against
me? Get out or I'll throw you out!"

"HELP is what they need, not
pretty words and sermons."

Hardcastle's men became
increasingly discontented.

"When the world is full of love
and sunshine, I'll be yours."

"Tomorrow they want to strike...
now you can carry out your theories.
Speak to them at their meeting tonight!"

But Paul's words that afternoon
had affected a change in Sonia.
A fierce battle raged inside her heart.

How to attain her ideals? Through
v*olence or... through tenderness
and mutual understanding?

"The sun! The sun!!"

This harsh, harrowing suffering, this
blatant contrast between impassive death

and carefree youth were too much for her.
Her fiery temperament flared up again...

"If you have read my report about
conditions in your factory, you
MUST understand and... ACT."

"Your silly proposals would
make me loose half my profits."

"If Hardcastle won't listen
we'll MAKE him listen!"

"The men have stopped working
and ask for a meeting.
What do I tell them?"

CHILDREN OF ONE FATHER. Part five.

A storm of v*olence broke out at
Hardcastle's sumptuous villa.

Meanwhile, Vivian was...

In vain Paul tried...

"What have I done to you? What is it?!"

And suddenly...

"That is what accomplished with your
v*olence. You've k*lled her, she who
loved and supported you most!"

"Get a doctor, quick!"

"You did it to save me. Why?"

"Death is not so bad. My Paul was right...
only through love...and understanding...
can we live... and help."

"Sis... dear sis!"

"In , during the m*ssacre in Petrograd!"

"Sonia, my child!"

"Men, with v*olence you won't
accomplish anything. Let us know
your wishes in a meeting."

"Help them... understand them...
love them... for my sake."

"Her noble sacrifice made me understand!
All your needs will be provided for!"

"The company will be re-established
on a new, cooperative basis."

"The world is full of sunshine...
and I... I... will... always...
be with you... always."

Happily she lived for others... and happily
she d*ed... A greater love no one knew.

The sunny dawn of a new day with the
promise of a radiant, wonderful future.

"You were right after all, Forrester.
It's love and understanding
that solve our problems."

"By contentment and harmonious cooperation,
we have achieved much better results

with our content and happy people
than was ever possible to us before."

"I knew that everything
would end happy and well..."

The end.