The Shadow of Rosalie Byrnes

• 1920

• Watchlist

Elaine Hammerstein plays twin sisters in this drama. Leontine Maddern is a vampy vaudeville actress, while Leona, an artist and singer, is down-to-earth. Because of one of Leontine's scandals, Leona has changed her name to Rosalie Byrnes to keep from being associated with her. Rosalie is in love with Gerald Cromwell (Edward Langford), a lieutenant she met while singing at a canteen. When he is called overseas they quickly marry before he has to leave. Cromwell's sister, Eleanor (Anita Booth), is engaged to the scheming Hugo Stone (Alfred Hickman). Stone wants Cromwell to marry a millionaire's daughter so that money will come to the family, and he is determined to see him divorce Rosalie. He believes that Rosalie is Leontine and sets out to pay her to get a divorce. He happens to go to Rosalie's to make this offer when she is away and Leontine is there. Since Leontine is in financial trouble and trying to escape her latest flame, Casco Lamar, a drug addict (George Cowle), she is happy to take ten thousand dollars from him. Cromwell, meanwhile, believes that Rosalie has divorced him. Rosalie is devastated when she finds out. Not long afterwards, Leontine confesses to Rosalie that she has killed Lamar in self-defense. Rosalie heads for his apartment to retrieve her purse, and finds Cromwell there. He reveals that he knows the truth and that he has just talked to Leontine, who has admitted her part. They discover that Lamar is not dead, but merely wounded, so they quickly leave and take off on a belated honeymoon.