August of 1922 Northbridge, Massachusetts John Doe

 In August of 1922, the body of a man was found in Linwood Pond in Northbridge, Massachusetts. It's possible he died from an accidental drowning. There is little information on this case.

John Doe was a man "beyond middle life".

SOURCES:
Find a Grave

February 1922 Cranston, Rhode Island Jane Doe

 In February 1922 a woman drowned on Edgewood shore near Norwood Ave. in Cranston, Rhode Island. She was never identified. 

SOURCES: 

Find a Grave

Murder of Mary Doherty

 On December 23, 1922, in Blackpool, England a vehicle would run over 66-year-old Mary Doherty killing her. The vehicle would then drive off and the driver would never come forward. It was unbelievable that the killer did not know that they had run over Mary. A search for the vehicle was said to have happened all over Lancashire and Yorkshire, but the driver was never found. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Lost Film: The Virgin of the Seminole (1922)

 The Virgin of the Seminole is a 1922 Race Film directed, produced, and written by Oscar Micheaux. This film came out on December 5, 1922, and is considered lost.

CAST:

• William Fountaine
• Shingzie Howard
• Louise Borden

PLOT:

A young black man joins the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and goes on an adventure to rescue a captive biracial woman. She's being held by a hostile American Indian tribe. He rescues the woman and acquires a great reward. He would then purchases a ranch that becomes the foundation of great wealth.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

IMDB

Silent Era

Reel Black Talk: A Sourcebook of 50 American Filmmakers pg 249

November 10, 1922 Tucson, Arizona John Doe

On November 10, 1922, a man died a mile south of the city limits of Tucson, Arizona. He had died near the railroad tracks, and his death certificate is hard to decipher, but it mentions that the body was mangled, and back broken meaning he may have been hit by the train. 

He was a Hispanic male.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Unidentified Wiki

February 1922 Mason County, Kentucky Baby Doe

  In February 1922 the body of a newborn (a day old) baby was found in Cabin Creek in Mason County, Kentucky. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

August of 1922 Santicoy, California John Doe

 In August of 1922 several small boys playing near the S.P. tracks and Edwards Ranch four miles east of Santicoy, California. The boy noted a strong odor and found a body. They would then tell S.S. Beaman who inturn informed the Sheriff. 

It was determined that the body belonged to a man and he had recently committed suicide with a .32 caliber. There was a pile of ashes near the body presuming that the man may have burned anything that would identify him. His glasses also had a name that was scratched off. He was found parlty undressed and wrapped himself up in some blankets. It was as if he had gone to sleep for the night only to kill himself.  He was recognizable, but his features were swollen

He was a male around 30-years-old. He had fairly good clothes, blanket, $9 in change, and a watch.

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Find a Grave

Lost Media: North of the Rio Grande (1922)

North of the Rio Grande was an American silent Western released on May 14, 1922. The film was directed by Rollin S. Sturgeon and produced by Adolph Zukor and Jesse Lasky. The film was based on Val of Paradise (1921) by Vingie E. Roe. It was filmed in Southern Arizona. The film is now considered lost. 

PLOT:

Bob Haddington, a young cowboy, becomes a vigilante after his father is killed and one of the prize horses stolen. He sets his mind on revenge and turns himself into Velantrie the leader of a gang of outlaws. He would befriend a priest, Father Hilliar. On a mission, he meets Val Hanon and falls in love with the girl. She is the daughter of John Hannon, a wealthy rancher. This is when Bob gets falsely accused of cattle rustling and finds out the truth. John Hannon is the one hiding under the name "Black Rustler" and was responsible for the stolen cattle and Bob's fathers death.

Bob decides to leave but comes across John wounded. In an act of sacrifice he exchanged places with him. John while dying in Vals arms admitted the truth to her. As Bob is about to be hanged but it's prevented when Val comes and proves his innocence. 

CAST:

• Jack Holt as Bob Haddington
• Bebe Daniels as Val Hannon
• Charles Ogle as Colonel Haddington
• Alec B. Francis as Father Hillaire
• Will Walling as John Hannon
• Jack Carlyle as Brideman
• Fred Huntley as Briston
• Shannon Day as Lola Sanchez
• Edythe Chapman - Belle Hannon
• George Field as Paul Perez
• Westcott Clarke as Clendenning
• Chief Tahachee- Cowboy

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

IMDB

AFI

The Library of Congress

All Movie

Lost Media: The Heart Specialist (1922)

The Heart Specialist is an American silent film directed by Frank Urson. The film was released on April 9, 1922 and was 5 reels. This film is now considered lost. 

CAST:

• Mary Miles Minter as Rosalie Beckwith
• Allan Forrest as Bob Stratton
• Roy Atwell as Winston Gates
• Jack Mathis as City Editor
• Noah Beery as Dr. Thomas Fitch
• James Neill as Fernald
• Carmen Phillips as Grace Fitch

PLOT: 

Rosalie Beckwith works for a New York City newspaper as an editor of a column devoted to affairs of the heart. The City Editor wants to drop the column as there is no such thing as romance. Rosalie not wanting the column dropped wagers a month worth of her salary that she can find proof of romance within 40 miles of the newspaper's office. 

Rosalie would choose a small random town to find romance. When she arrives she is mistaken for a Muriel Murat Bay, the cousin of a war hero turned millionaire. She decides to play along and goes to the war hero's home as their cousin. It was found out that Dr. Thomas Fitch with his accomplice Grace Fitch (the real Muriel) has embezzled the millionaire's funds and is planning to poison him. After several complications, the Dr. introduces his accomplice Grace Fitch as Muriel in a way to cover for the missing money and stating she had gotten the money. Dr. Fitch would attempt to murder Rosalie, but the hero comes to the rescue and save Rosalie. Rosalie and the hero fall in love and she wins the wager. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia
IMDB

All Movie

Library of Congress

Silent Era

March 15, 1922 Phoenix, Arizona John Doe

 On March 15, 1922, an unknown man drowned in Phoenix, Arizona. There is little information in this case. 

He was a white male around 50-years-old. 

SOURCES: 

Unidentified Wiki

Find a Grave

Lost Media Uncle Jasper's Will (1922)

Oscar Micheaux circa. 1913

Uncle Jasper's Will is a 1922 race film directed, written, and produced by Oscar Micheaux. The film is intended as a sequel to another Oscar Micheaux Within Our Gates (1920). Both films feature racial violence against African Americans.

CAST:

• William Fountaine
• Shingzie Howard
• Alma Sewell
• Harry Henderson (Wikipedia lists him but IMDB doesn't)

PLOT:

The film is about the last will and testament left behind by an African American sharecropper. He had been lynched after being falsely accused of the murder of a white plantation owner. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

IMDB

Feb 14, 1921 Phoenix, Arizona John Doe

  On Feb. 13, 1922, a man was brought to the St. Joseph Hospital in Pheonix, Arizona with pneumonia. He would pass away the next day. There is little information in this case.

He was presumably of East Indian descent and around 40-years-old. 

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Lost Media: A Doll's House (1922)

 A Doll's House is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Charles Brant and produced and starred by Alla Nazimova. The film was released on Feb. 12, 1922, and was 7 reels. This film is for now considered lost. This is the fourth silent film based on the 1879 play A Doll's House. It's a slightly modernized (for the time) version of the story.

CAST:

•  Alan Hale as Torvald Helmer
• Alla Nazimova as Nora Helmer
• Nigel De Brulier as Dr. Rank
• Elinor Oliver as Anna
• Wedgwood Nowell as Nils Krogstad
• Clara Lee as Ellen
• Florence Fisher as Mrs. Linden
• Philippe De Lacy as Ivar
• Barbara Maier as Emmy

PLOT:

Torvald Helmer is sick and is ordered by his physician Dr. Rank to go to southern clime. His wife, Nora,  would forge her father's name on a banknote to raise money to save Torvald.  Six years later, she has one payment left on the note. This is when Nils Krogstad threatens to expose Nora's crime if she doesn't help prevent her husband from firing him from the bank. Nora would beg Torvald to keep Nils job. Torvald would find out the reason for her wanting him to stay and accuse Nora. Nils would then return Nora's note as paid and Torvald is overjoyed because his reputation was saved. He would agree to overlook the past, but Nora decides to leave him and the children. She has to live for herself, and while she walks out into the storm she declares that it is "The end and the beginning."

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

IMDB

Silent Era

All Movie

Lost Media: Little Miss Smiles (1922)

 

Little Miss Smiles is a 1922 American Drama Film directed by John Ford. The movie was released on Jan. 15, 1922, and was 50 minutes long. This film is considered lost.

CAST:

• Shirley Mason as Esther Aaronson
• Gaston Glass as Dr. Jack Washton
• George B. Williams as Papa Aaronson 
• Martha Franklin as Mama Aaronson
• Arthur Rankin as Davie Aaronson
• Alfred Testa as Louis Aaronson
• Richard Lapan as Leon Aaronson
• Sidney D'Albrook as 'The Spider'
• Baby Blumfield as Baby Aaronson
• Violet Radcliff as Jewish Girl

PLOT:

The description is from a film magazine

A Jewish family, the Aaronson family, live in humble quarters in the ghetto of a large city. The family consists of Mama, Papa, David, Louis, Leon, Esther, and the baby. After Mama is stricken blind and taken to the hospital Esther, the ray of sunshine of the family, assumes the duties as the head of the family.  Doctor Jack Washton takes interest in Esther and saves from The Spider when he invades the Aaronson flat. On the day Mama comes home Davie is arrested for shooting The Spider for insulting his sister. The doctor, in order to shield Mama from seeing her son arrested, assumes the blame for the shooting. The Spider recovers from the shooting and Davie is absolved of all blame. It ends with Esther marrying the Doctor.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

IMDB

The American Film Institute Catalog

All Movie

November 29, 1922 Brighton to Victoria, England Baby Doe

 On November 29, 1922, on the 10:00 a.m. train from Brighton to Victoria, in England, the body of a baby boy was found wrapped in satin and brown paper. The baby was a newborn and had likely been suffocated from direct pressure on its mouth. There was evidence of the baby being placed in an oven and baked, but it's unknown if this happened before or after death. The baby was placed there at Brighton or one of 14 stops between Brighton and Victoria. It was assumed that the mother was a young woman and who was a cook.

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

(Partially) Lost Film: Anna Acsends

 

Anna Ascends is a 1922 American Romantic silent film directed by Victor Fleming, it's based on the 1920 play of the same name by Henry Chapman Ford. The film was released on November 19/20, 1922. Out of the hour and 2 minutes, only a 6-minute fragment remains of the film. 

ACTORS:

Alice Brady as Anna Ayyob
Robert Ellis as Howard Fisk
David Powell as The Baron
Nita Naldi as Countess Rostoff
Charles K. Gerrard as Count Rostoff
Edouard Durand as Siad Coury
Florence Dixon as Bessie Fisk
Grace Griswold as Miss Fisk
Frederick Burton as Mr. Fisk
Benjamin De Casseres as City Editor

Betty Bronson as Bit Part

PLOT:

A Syrian American waitress, Anna Ayyob, works at Siad Coury's coffeehouse in a Syrian neighborhood of New York City. Anna would fall in love with the reporter, Howard Fisk, who is investigating a jewel smuggling ring. Anna discovers her coworker "The Baron" is involved with international thieves Count and Countess Rostoff. Anna phones Howard with the information, but she is attacked by Barron as a result. During the encounter, she accidentally kills the Baron and disappears.

Three years later Anna would anonymously write the popular novel "Anna Ascends" based on her life. She would then meet Howard again. To save Bessie Fisk, Howard's sister, from marrying Count Rostoff she exposes him as a jewel thief. In the process, she admits to the Baron's murder. This was when Howard told Anna she didn't kill the Baron and he was very much alive. Anna and Howard then get married.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

IMBD

American Film Insitute Catalog

All Movie

Turner Classic Movies

May 4, 1922 Epping Forest, England Baby Doe

 On May 4, 1922, a decapitated newborn girl was found in Epping Forest. The baby was decapitated with one cut with a knife. The body was then left in Epping Forest. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

March 21, 1922 Kilburn, London, England Baby Doe

 On March 21, 1922 boys walking down Woodville Rd in Kilburn, London, England. They would see a parcel on the gutter and began kicking and throwing it around thinking it was trash left on the ground. The string unwrapped and that was when they found a baby inside of it. The baby had died less than 24 hours after it was born and was found to have been strangled to death. There were distinct marks of twine being wrapped around his neck. 

SOURCES: 

Unsolved Murders UK

September 5, 1922 Kearney, Missouri John Doe

 On September 5, 1922, a man had robbed a post office in Kearney Missouri. He had been shot by the city marshall Frank Milbourn. his identity is unknown and he had broken into several buildings in town. 

He was a white male and was around 20-years-old. His hat had an Iowa town mark and a picture of a woman and child photographed in Clinton, Illinois. 

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wikipedia

Find a Grave

Missouri Digital Heritage: Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1970