Cinematic Discoveries Resonating with the Themes of A Bachelor's Wife: Cult Guide

Dir: Emmett J. Flynn

The successful operations of a lone bandit known as "The Night Hawk" terrorize a frontier town, and when a stranger arrives riding a fine horse, suspicions are aroused and he is mistaken for the criminal. Winifred, who is engaged to dam engineer William Kirk, shelters the stranger from the sheriff, but Kirk has him arrested. Kirk decides to steal the company payroll and dynamite the dam; he accomplishes these acts but is captured by the stranger, who is revealed to be a company agent detailed to investigate Kirk.

Dir: Emmett J. Flynn

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Yvonne from Paris perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Successful Parisian dancer Yvonne Halbert grows tired of the overwatchfulness of her aunt and runs away to America. Disguised and hiding out in the steerage of a boat, Yvonne meets violinist Luigi. She dances to Luigi's accompaniment in a Greenwich Village cabaret, where she is discovered by David Marston, the producer who had negotiated to bring the famous Yvonne to America. Marston signs the supposed unknown performer and intends to bill her under the name of Yvonne, whom he believes has broken her contract with him. Apache dancer Cecile claims to be the real Yvonne, but matters are straightened out with the arrival of Aunt Marie. Yvonne marries Lawrence Bartlett, the author of the play that features her in America.

Dir: Emmett J. Flynn

An abused wife is cast out into the street by her uncaring husband. Rescued by a gang of down-and-out patrons of the "End of the Trail" mission, Dawn soon falls for a dapper mission benefactor who is also a high-end burglar.

Dir: Emmett J. Flynn

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Virtuous Sinners perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

In a prologue, the evolution of banditry from the road agent to the modern automobile bandit is depicted. In the main story, Marian Calvert, traveling along the California coast with her uncle and his family to a weekend party, becomes infatuated with the infamous Lincoln Highwayman when he robs them of their jewelry and leaves in his high powered auto. At the party, when late arrival Jimmy Clunder drops one of the stolen jewels, Marian's suspicions are aroused even though he explains he found it on the road. Steele, a secret service man at the party, who is in love with Marian, vows to capture the criminal, while the Governor of California appoints Captain Claver from the Sacramento police and his assistant to catch him. When Jimmy, with the help of his very intelligent dog Spike, holds up Steele and Marian to prove Steele's incompetence, Marian, convinced that Jimmy is the thief, falls more in love with him. After Jimmy, masquerading as a paymaster of a copper mine, captures the real thieves, the policemen, he wins a reward and Marian's love.

Dir: Emmett J. Flynn

Lucille Cameron, the spirited daughter of a Kentucky colonel, discovers that her father is nearly bankrupt as a result of his dealings with New York horseman and stock promoter Jim De Luce. At a Red Cross benefit at the Cameron estate, which the family is sorely in danger of losing, Lucille meets and falls in love with Lieutenant Gregory Haines, who has been sent home from active duty in France to convalesce. Hoping to retrieve the family fortune, Lucille enters the Cameron filly, Southern Pride, in a horse race. Despite De Luce's plotting, Southern Pride wins the race, and Gregory, who has proved his love for Lucille, wins a wife.

Dir: Emmett J. Flynn

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Lincoln Highwayman perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Rancher Joe Cumberland finds "Whistling Dan" in the desert and gives the boy a home, rearing him with his daughter Kate. Dan, grown to manhood, remains untamed, possessing a hot temper which ignites his eyes into a yellow glow when he is angered. Dan's eyes glow and he vows revenge when outlaw Jim Silent tries to kill him in a saloon brawl. Kate goes to the outlaw camp to prevent Dan from killing Silent, but is taken prisoner. The confrontation between the two men escalates when Dan captures Lee Haines, one of Silent's men, and Silent retaliates by imprisoning Kate's father. After a trade of prisoners, Dan trails the outlaws and exterminates the entire gang except for Silent. The two adversaries then slug it out, with Dan strangling his tormentor. His revenge accomplished, Dan is somewhat tamed and settles down with Kate.

Dir: Emmett J. Flynn

Gerald Cranston, a successful financier and industrialist who worked his way up through the ranks, enters into a marriage of convenience with Lady Hermione, from which he hopes to gain social prestige; Hermione, for her part, desires financial independence. Gordon Ibbotsleigh attempts to win Hermione's affection, while Hermione's cousin Angela directs her wiles toward Gerald. Both efforts fail, however, and the threat of financial ruin finally and firmly unites the Cranstons.

Dir: Emmett J. Flynn

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Racing Strain perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

When Mamie Lee's father, Sam Corwin, is sentenced to jail for forgery, the sheriff, Ed Cass, offers to cover the debt in return for Mamie Lee's hand in marriage. The distraught daughter agrees, and Cass robs the saloon to obtain the money, placing the blame on Jim Kane, his rival for Mamie's affections. Jim is sent to jail an embittered man. In the adjacent cell he watches a condemned Italian stone cutter spend the night before his execution chiseling a figure of Christ. After the sculptor collapses from exhaustion, Jim is astounded to see the spirit of Christ appear and minister to the condemned man. The religious experience converts Jim to Christianity. Meanwhile, Mamie Lee discovers Cass's written confession to the robbery and brings it to the judge. Realizing he is doomed, the sheriff kills himself, thus freeing Jim to begin life anew with Mamie Lee.

Dir: Emmett J. Flynn

King Philip of Spain is jealous of his more popular brother, Don John, and sends him into battle against the Moors, hoping he will not return. Don John is in love with Dolores, daughter of General Mendoza, but the general discourages her, as Don John is betrothed to the Queen of England's sister. Don John returns victorious, and following a dispute over a secret letter, the king stabs his brother and leaves him for dead. When Mendoza accepts the blame, Dolores, who knows the truth, tells the court she had been dishonored by Don John, causing her father's reaction. Dolores then threatens the king that she will reveal his guilt unless her father is pardoned. The king pardons Mendoza, Don John recovers, and he and Dolores marry.

Dir: Emmett J. Flynn

Henry Potter is the irresponsible playboy son of a New York millionaire. Fearing he will disgrace the family name if he stays in New York, the father sends him to San Francisco to work in the family shipyards and, to make a man out of him, he is told he will have to start at the bottom and work his way up. Henry decides this is not a good idea and resents it to the point he will indeed start at the bottom but will work his way down from there, and disgrace the family name in San Francisco. On one of his drinking binges, he meets Marcelle, a cabaret dancer. He tolerates her and she falls in love with him and pleads for him to give up his drinking and carousing. The father sends a company-man out to check on him and he finds Henry an alcoholic and very much in debt. He pays off Henry's debts and then pays a freighter captain $500 to shanghai Henry to Shanghai, where the family name is less well-known. There Henry sinks even lower and frequents the worse dives in the worse sections of the city. He offers to buy a drink for a girl in an opium den and the girl turns out to be Marcelle. But Marcelle has changed a bit since he last saw her, and she is now hooked on drugs and is less inclined to harp on Henry about his drinking and/or carousing. But they decide they truly love each other, and begin the long, uphill fight back to respectability together, with the codicil that if he takes a drink or Marcelle uses a needle, the other is free to leave. Their regeneration path is so good that, a year later, they own a pineapple ranch outside Honolulu and making good. Henry's family, none too approving of Marcelle, shows up and asks him to return to New York where his father is gravely ill. Henry, because he thinks Marcelle needs him more, refuses. Marcell thinks she is holding Henry back from his true destiny, so she lets Henry and his family catch her with a needle in her hand. There is more.