Dawn of a Tomorrow on AllMovie

Mary Pickford starred in the 1915 version of this film, based on the Frances Hodgson Burnett story, and it's easy to imagine her in the Pollyanna-like role of Glad. Jacqueline Logan is good enough as the sunny girl of the slums, but she's no Pickford. When Sir Oliver Holt (David Torrence) has a nervous breakdown the prognosis is not good. In despair, he goes to the slums to shoot himself, but one of the residents, Glad, convinces him he has much to live for. Sir Oliver takes her cheerful attitude to heart and uses her as an inspiration. Glad's sweetheart, Dandy (Raymond Griffith, is a burglar who is accused of a policeman's murder by two other crooks. Dandy is innocent -- when the murder was being committed he had been sent by Sir Oliver to rob his own safe. While on the job, he discovered Sir Oliver's nephew, Arthur (Roland Bottomly) already there, also trying to break into the safe. Glad goes to Arthur, thinking that he will provide an alibi, but the young wastrel attacks her. Dandy rescues Glad from Arthur's grip, and Sir Oliver clears him with the police. Dandy promises Glad that he will go straight, and Sir Oliver decides to use his fortune to help the poor.