The Perils of Pauline (1914)

In the most famous suspense serial in film history (presented in 20 episodes):

• the character of playful heiress Pauline Marvin (Pearl White) always in perilous situations as a 'damsel in distress' - i.e., tied to the railroad tracks on top of a trestle while a speeding train was rapidly approaching, abducted, or caught in a runaway hot-air balloon