The Esterbrook Case

Paul Sturgess is engaged to Grace Van Austin. At a party at their Newport home, Grace flirts with Howard Esterbrook leading to a fight between the two men. Later that night, a servant witnesses Paul, with a revolver entering Esterbrook's room. The servant follows, sees a hand emerging from a window curtain, stab Esterbrook then vanish mysteriously. Paul is arrested based on circumstantial evidence. Six months later, a woman known as "The Woman of Mystery" is shot during a raid while trying to assist the police. Moved by hearing about Paul's denied pardon and impending execution, the "Woman of Mystery" reveals information to the detective leading the raid. This revelation leads to a call to the Sing Sing Warden just in time to halt Paul's electrocution.

Directed by —, The Esterbrook Case leans on a strong ensemble — L. Rogers Lytton, Julia Swayne Gordon, Zena Keefe — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1915.