Masterpiece Selection Resonating with the Themes of A Case at Law: Cult Guide

Dir: Arthur Rosson

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

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

The story presents a series of gags and fast-action incidents based on a plot which is concerned with the romance of a girl who works in a laundry and a wealthy chap. The girl's parents believe her the prize which will win affluence for them and, deceived by the villain, who hires expensive clothes and poses as a rich man, they try to marry her off to him. But Betty loves the other boy - the one who saved her life and who is engaged to a society girl he doesn't love. With the help of circumstance and a lot of determination on the part of the two lovers, Betty and Jack realize their ambition to become husband and wife.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

John Drake, a college athlete, starts for South America, where he has been promised a good job on the strength of his knowledge of the construction of safes and vaults. Aboard ship, he falls in love with Dolores Darcy, the daughter of a leading Latin American banker. Arriving in South America, John discovers that he has been made the dupe of criminals, who want him to open the vault in Señor Darcy's bank. John refuses, and his passport and wallet are stolen. In desperation, he signs up to fight an exhibition bout with Dynamite Díaz, the South American boxing champion. Isaac Belding, the leader of the criminals, has John kidnapped, forcing him to open the Darcy vault. John locks the gang in the vault, telling the police of his actions on the way to the bout. John beats Díaz and then captures Pierce, the banker's secretary, who is in league with Belding. John becomes the hero of the town, and Dolores declares her love for him.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

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

The Hopkinses are a family of squatters struggling against the wealthy landowners or "hilltoppers." When Jerry Hopkins is unjustly imprisoned, his young wife and baby die as a result of the shock, but his sister Polly maintains the faith that has been instilled in her by her grandmother. Later, Polly meets hilltopper Robert Robertson and the two fall in love. Their courtship is disrupted when Robert's sister Evelyn is blackmailed by Oscar Bennett, the man to whom she is secretly wed. In her efforts to help Evelyn, Polly falls under unjust suspicion. Meanwhile, MacKenzie, one of the vindictive landowners, arrests Polly's father and sends her brother to an orphanage. Devastated by these events, Polly's grandmother dies of grief and Polly swears revenge. She has Evelyn kidnapped and brought to her cabin, but the memory of her grandmother prevents Polly from harming her tormentor. Polly's nobility inspires Evelyn, who exonerates Polly, thus clearing the path for her marriage to Robert.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

Andy Lanning, a peace-loving blacksmith, rescues Ann, the fiancée of Charles Merchant, from a runaway team. When the town bully picks a fight with Andy, he knocks him unconscious, and (thinking he has killed him) Andy rides into the hills. Merchant, jealous of Ann's admiration for Andy, bribes the sheriff to kill Andy, who has joined a band of outlaws in the wastelands. Forced to defend himself, Andy kills the sheriff, but later he saves the new sheriff's life and forces him to hear his story when he is placed in jeopardy by the outlaw band. Meanwhile, Ann, who has broken her engagement to Merchant, engages a lawyer to clear Andy, and he returns to find her awaiting him.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Polly of the Storm Country perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

John Carleton, a wild eastern youth, is sent west by his father in an effort to make a man of him. The cowhands at first mock John because of his foppish golf suit, but when he rides a mean bucking bronco he wins their friendship and respect. John falls in love with Beryl King, the daughter of a longtime enemy of his father, and is strictly forbidden to visit her. John defies this prohibition and rides to the King ranch, fighting off a number of unkindly disposed ranch hands; he later dances with Beryl at a village party and persuades her to run away with him and be married. On the way to the wedding, John stops at the King spread long enough to invite Beryl's irate father to see his daughter married. Carleton, Senior, turns up later, and the old enemies are finally reconciled.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

Steve Brent, a construction engineer with an excellent reputation, is blamed for having used inferior materials on a bridge that collapses. Bert Thornton, his employer's son, is actually responsible, but not wishing to expose him, Brent surrenders his position. Assuming another name, he goes west to work on a desert irrigation project where the manager's daughter, Mary Ralston, recognizes him but keeps his secret. Ralston is informed by an enemy of Steve's, but Mary helps to protect Steve's name until he is exonerated and becomes free to marry her.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

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

Millionaire spendthrift Sam Morgan marries Constance Winwood, who tries to break Sam's spending habits by convincing Downer, the trustee of Sam's inheritance, to pretend to abscond with Sam's money. During their honeymoon, Sam spends his $10.30 pocket money, then discovers that his checks are bouncing. Unable to pay an increasingly-large taxi fare, Sam and Constance keep the cab and its sleepy driver engaged after they are thrown out of a hotel. After a friendly thief gets Sam a job in a herring refinery, Sam uses his rudimentary knowledge of Spanish to buy a shipload of herring from a South American dealer and sell it to the refinery's directors, who know no Spanish, thus making enough profit to pay his now-exorbitant taxi bill. Constance confesses her scheme, and although it seems that Downer really has absconded, he finally returns. Wealthy again, Sam and Constance adorn their bedroom with taxi meters and headlights.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

Sky Parker, an Arizona cowboy, inherits a fortune from his eccentric uncle in San Francisco; under the terms of the will, however, he must live in his uncle's mansion for a year before claiming the bequest. Sky arrives in San Francisco accompanied by five cowboys, who immediately begin to raise western hell, stealing two Clydesdale horses from a brewery and shooting the gargoyles from the mansion roof. Sky's cousin, Miller, persuades a beautiful young girl, Maize, to help him prevent Sky from obtaining the inheritance, but she soon falls in love with the rugged ramrod and refuses to continue with their attempted fraud. Sky, not knowing of her duplicity, asks Maize to marry him; filled with shame, she runs away instead and boards a fast train. Trying to stop her, Sky chases the train in a car, which crashes; he then steals a cop's motorcycle, boarding the speeding train from that precarious perch. On the train, Maize confesses her guilt, Sky forgives her, and they declare their love for each other. When they return to his mansion, Sky punches Miller and throws him out of the house.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

Overcoming his addiction to drink, John Fairmeadow leaves the Bowery for a western logging camp posing as a minister. His fistic ability and his gentle manner reform the town drinkers and put the saloon out of business. Meanwhile, John also protects pretty orphan Pattie Batch from the attentions of Jack Flack; Flack is killed by saloon keeper Pale Peter after the body of his wife, Clare, who was betrayed by Flack, is discovered in the river; and John is united to Pattie.