Hearts of Men on AllMovie

George Beban was famous for his ethnic characterizations, especially Italians, in films of the 1910s and early '20s. This simple, sentimental tale also features his son, George Beban Jr. Gardener Nicolo Rosetti (Beban) buys land in Arizona because his mother (Sarah Kernen) needs to live in a drier climate. When he arrives at his new home with his little boy, Beppo (Beban Jr.), he is disappointed to find that it's not only dry -- it's a desert. A railroad construction gang befriends Nicolo and Beppo and builds them a shack. Nicolo sends for his mother, but she dies. His new friends convince him that Beppo needs a mother, so he writes to his cousin in Italy. As a result of the correspondence, Tina Ferronni (Mabel Van Buren) comes into his life. They marry, but Tina's true nature soon reveals itself and she becomes involved with a dry goods clerk. She elopes with him and takes Beppo with her. Though Tina writes and claims the boy has died, Nicolo's friends don't believe it for a second. They pay for an investigation and locate the boy. Oil has been found on Nicolo's land, but only the reappearance of Beppo brings him real happiness. George Beban Jr. didn't go on to an illustrious film career, though he did go on to play bit parts in a few films of the 1940s.