
When Henry Howland, the great philanthropist, feels his health failing, he makes his will and entrusts it to his nephew, Walter, to file away in his private safe. Impelled by curiosity, Walter opens the will and discovers that his uncle has cut him off with a mere pittance, leaving the major portion of his estate to charity. He cleverly forges a new clause to the will, and is in the act of substituting it for the original when surprised by his uncle. After a heated argument, Howland dies of heart failure and Walter, panic-stricken, carries him to his own room and notifies the coroner. Later, Walter accompanies Gladys Brooks, with whom he is in love, to the retreat of a Hindoo mystic, a crystal gazer, who bares Walter's life while in a mesmeric trance.
Directed by —, The Crystal Ball leans on a strong ensemble — Jack Hopkins, Marian Swayne, Henry Bergman — 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 1914.
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Rory is an ambitious entrepreneur who brings his American wife and kids to his native country, England, to explore new business opportunities. After abandoning the sanctuary of their safe American suburban surroundings, the family is plunged into the despair of an archaic '80s Britain and their unaffordable new life in an English manor house threatens to destroy the family.
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