Ancestry

After the Duke of Lorenzo discovers the Duchess with her lover, Count Riccardo the men duel leading the Duke’s 20-year banishment. During that time, the Duchess and their daughter go to America, where her daughter dies. The Duchess returns to Italy with a young companion, Anna De Voe, who is taken by all as her daughter. American artist Harold Dean sketching the villa’s grounds assists the Duchess when she has an accident that renders her an amnesiac. Meeting Anna the pair share an attraction, but the Duke who has returned from his exile and assumes Anna is his daughter, insists she must marry in honor of her ancestors. Anna, who is in love with Harold, reveals the truth and Harold is happy to find that no line of ancestry separates them.

Directed by Henry Otto, Ancestry leans on a strong ensemble — Edward Coxen, Winifred Greenwood, George Field — 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.