Ned Burton

A 1917 silent drama film

When composer Anselm Kardos leaves his alcoholic wife, he gives his daughter Lily an unfinished love ode entitled "The Song of Songs" and warns her to keep her artistic temperament in check.

A bank clerk forges a check to help his girlfriend's father. He's found out, but instead of being arrested he becomes a member of a gang of forgers.

In order to help her poverty-stricken family, Jonnie Consadine, a strong-willed young woman from the Blue Ridge Mountains, comes to the city and takes a job in a mill, while her uncle, Pros Passmore, continues his endless search for a lost silver mine.

Wealthy Clytie Rogers writes a novel in which a society girl commits a burglary, but it is "roasted" by critic Jimmy Gilpin, who writes that her story is completely implausible. To prove him wrong, Clytie decides to feign a robbery and enters an apartment through an open window. She is apprehended by a policeman, who mistakes her for local robber "Powder Nose Annie." Gilpin sees her in jail and, posing as crook Jimmy of the Dives, arranges to break her out and take her on a robbing spree. Finally, Jimmy returns her to her parents and then calls at her home as Gilpin, the critic. Clytie is suprised but forgives the deception and agrees to marry him.

On the trail of counterfeiters Detective Craig is on their trail. Suspicion falls on James Dalton who passes bad money through unsuspecting "fences." Dalton plants bad bills on young Bob Brierly and when it is detected Dalton, as usual, escapes while the innocent Bob is caught and convicted. Upon his release Bob meets Mae Edwards who gets him a job in her bank. When Dalton comes to the bank to case it for a robbery he runs into Bob and tries to recruit him as an accomplice. Bob, who has married Mae, refuses. Dalton causes him to lose his position and because of Dalton’s persistent efforts forces Bob to join the crook. Craig, shadowing Dalton, knows Bob is taking part against his will. Craig foils the robbery and after a motorboat chase Dalton is captured and exonerates Bob.

While vacationing in America, Prince Adolph of Syravia meets Jo Sheldon and they fall in love. Wealthy Mr. Bote, a friend of Jo's family whose ambition is to become a baron, gives Jo's stepmother money to pay her creditors, in return for a forged note in Jo's name which promises that Jo will marry the prince and have him bestow the title on Bote.

Thou Shalt Not is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by Charles Brabin and starring Evelyn Nesbit, Ned Burton and Crauford Kent.