Naomi Childers

A Russian peasant girl rises to fame as an operatic diva. She becomes beloved of a Russian prince. When the 1917 revolution overthrows the czar's government, the pair attempts to cross the icy steppes and find their way to America. (imdb)

This short promotes the premise that movies often create a demand for the fashions seen in them. It starts with a vignette in rural America. A mother and daughter go to town to buy a new dress. In the dress shop window is a designer dress worn by Joan Crawford in a recent movie. We then go to Hollywood and visit Adrian, MGM's chief of costume design, and see how multiple copies of a single clothing pattern are produced. The film ends with short segments of several MGM features. (imdb)

MGM short film questions whether Napoleon Bonaparte died on the island of St. Helena in 1821 as recorded in history. It is noted that for many years Napoleon employed a look-a-like by the name of Francois Eugene Robeaud. This allowed the Emperor to work on matters of State while Robeaud attended public functions. There are several other anomalies including Robeaud's sudden disappearance and his family's acquisition of wealth; the fact that Robeaud is also recorded as having died on St. Helena.

Inspired by a statue of the infant Christ in the hands of the Madonna, Bernice who lives in a convent in Naples, Italy conceives of a deep passion for babies. Learning that there are infants dying of hunger and neglect in America, Bernice determines to come to their aid. Dressed as a boy, she arrives in New York where destitute, Bernice meets artist Robert Bruce who hires her to pose for a painting of the Madonna.

The story of John Peter Zenger, who was tried for sedition based on what he printed in his newspaper. His subsequent acquittal established the concept of freedom of the press. (imdb)