Nell Dale's Men Folks

John Dale runs a small, decent road house on a main trail between distant towns. Nell is his right-hand man. Nell has a half-witted brother, Zeb. She keeps their house and tends the small bar in Dale's absence. Zeb is trusted only with simple, odd jobs about the place. Nell is self-reliant and well able to hold the guests of the place at their proper distance. She is devoted to her incompetent brother. Bart Trevis and young Remsen are rivals for her favor. Trevis is favored and Remsen is not. Through circumstantial evidence Trevis is involved in a crime, Though innocent, he dare not risk standing trial. He escapes to the road house, tells Nell of the fix he is in and asks her to jump the country with him. He remains hidden there for the day, Zeb nearly betrays him while the pursuing sheriff and his son also stop at the road house. But in the end Zeb makes a supreme sacrifice and Nell runs away with Bart at nightfall.

Directed by Frank Borzage, Nell Dale's Men Folks leans on a strong ensemble — Ann Little, Frank Borzage, Harvey Clark — 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 1916.