Scarlet Pages

Broadway and silent-screen legend Elsie Ferguson stars in her only talking picture, a scandalous tale of murder, sin and redemption. The most brilliant criminal lawyer in New York, Mary Bancroft (Ferguson) agrees to defend Nora Mason (Marian Nixon), a cabaret dancer who freely admits to murdering her own father. Staging a defense that inadvertently exposes her past, Mary reveals a 20-year-old secret that could win her the case but destroy her illustrious career. Based on the 1929 play in which she starred, Scarlet Pages is one of only two films made by Ferguson that still survive. It is also the last movie in which she appeared, preserving for posterity the golden voice that made Elsie Ferguson one of Broadway's greatest stars.

• drama