The Soul of Youth
Cast & Crew
William D. Taylor
Lewis Sargent
Ernest Butterworth
Clyde Fillmore
Grace Morse
Lila Lee
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Maggie, the mistress of dissipated politician Peter Moran, attempts to force Moran to marry her by passing off the infant Ed Simpson as his child. Seeing through the ruse, Moran throws Maggie out and sends Ed to an orphanage. Thirteen years pass and Ed, suffering abuse at the asylum, runs away. Taking to the streets where he is forced to steal for survival, Ed is arrested while robbing the Hamiltons' pantry and brought to Judge Ben Lindsey's court. Lindsey awards custody of the waif to Mr. Hamilton, a wealthy man who is running against Moran in the mayoral race. Maggie possesses incriminating papers which could ruin Moran's career, and the crooked politician arranges for his henchman to purloin the documents. Ed, who has promised to give up stealing, renounces his vow in order to slip into Moran's house and secure the evidence, which eliminates Moran from the race while elevating Ed to the rank of hero in the Hamilton home.
Director
William D. Taylor
Cast
Lewis Sargent
Ernest Butterworth
Clyde Fillmore
Grace Morse
Lila Lee
Elizabeth Janes
William Collier Jr.
Claude Peyton
Betty Schade
Fred Huntley
Sylvia Ashton
Russ Powell
Judge Ben Lindsey
Mrs. Ben Lindsey
Jane Keckley
Eunice Moore
Barbara Gurney
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
After visiting a male brothel in Los Angeles, director William Desmond Taylor decided to include a scene in which the film's protagonist was sold into white slavery.
This film is considered lost. Check your attic.
Possibly the first film to portray male prostitution.
Notes
The film was based on a magazine story about Judge Ben Lindsey's juvenile court in Denver, CO. The working title of the production was The Boy.
