The Cult Collection Inspired by the Vision of A Dream or Two Ago: C...

Dir: James Kirkwood

Even though he had saved her father from a financial crisis, Jennifer Hale refuses to marry wealthy Stephen Weldon, who tries to ruin the Hales. They leave for their summer home in the woods where Jennifer falls in love with wealthy James Murray, a lumber camp foreman. After Weldon finds them and threatens Hale with exposure unless Jennifer marries him, Murray marries Jennifer. Weldon then convinces him that Jennifer and he had a secret romance, and that she married Murray for his money. Murray's sister Agnes becomes Weldon's lover, and when he prepares to leave, she kills him. After Jennifer takes the blame to save Murray from learning of Agnes' disgrace, Murray, although he now hates her, takes Jennifer to the mountains to escape the law. Just as the posse overtakes them, a man rides up with the news that Agnes fell over a cliff and confessed before she died. Their love renewed love, the couple are now reunited.

Dir: James Kirkwood

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Fanchon, the Cricket perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Fanchon, a wild young girl, resides in a forest with her unconventional grandmother accused of witchcraft by villagers.

Dir: James Kirkwood

David Remon loves barmaid Dulcie, not by choice but by force of circumstances, and attempts to persuade her to marry him rather than submit to a life of drudgery. But Dulcie is thoroughly independent and prefers to earn her own living. Life at the inn, however, soon becomes irksome to Dulcie, who grows so tired of it that she is ready to accept the first wealthy man who proposes to her. A charity auction is held at the inn, to help the family of a poor man and Dulcie auctions off a kiss. David, bent upon preventing anyone from kissing her in public bids every cent he has in the effort to gain the prize himself. But Sir Brice, a bon vivant, doubles his offering and adds his hand in the bargain. Dulcie accepts the proposal, but soon finds that her husband, when under the influence of liquor, is a very ugly tempered man. As the years drag on, Sir Brice becomes more and more intolerable, until at last he openly humiliates Dulcie and insults her guests at a reception. He demands that someone gamble with him, and grows abusive when they refuse. Finally, David, who has remained faithful to Dulcie through all the years, in a desperate game, stakes his entire fortune against Dulcie herself. Sir Brice is penniless, having squandered his fortune, and he gladly offers his wife as the prize. After a nerve-wracking battle of wits, David wins. It is not before Dulcie, thoroughly disillusioned, accepts the verdict of the god of chance and finds a new happiness with the man whose love has remained constant.

Dir: James Kirkwood

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

Dulcie's once-aristocratic Southern family has fallen upon hard times, so her Aunt Netta decides to take her to California in search of a millionaire husband. While Dulcie pines for Harry, her sweetheart back home, Netta triumphantly arranges an engagement with a wealthy suitor. On her wedding day, preparing to sacrifice herself for her family, Dulcie discovers that her fiance's millions actually belong to other people when he is arrested at the altar on a bank robbing charge. Meanwhile, Harry, who has come West to get Dulcie back, arrives at the wedding just as the police interrupt it. He volunteers to take the arrested fiance's place, and Dulcie accepts his offer instantly.

Dir: James Kirkwood

A young girl, Anemone (Mary Pickford), who lives with her Aunt (Ida Waterman) is abducted by a crude family of Virginia mountain moonshiners. A fight between two of the young male relatives decides who will marry the girl. Lancer (James Kirkwood) is the winner and marries Anemone against her will. She is reunited some time later with her Aunt, but when she learns Lancer is in dire trouble she returns and stays by his side, realizing she had always been in love with him.

Dir: James Kirkwood

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Dulcie's Adventure perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

When Josiah Whitcomb's son gets into trouble with bad companions in New York City, Josiah leaves the farm and goes into the city to find the boy. There he finds that his country ways are not at all respected in the sophisticated city.

Dir: James Kirkwood

Ashby Leene, once a famous actor, but now poverty stricken, dies, leaving his grandchild, Lizette, in the care of Granny Page, his landlady. Lizette's new home is one of kindliness and she becomes a friend of Paul, Granny's young nephew, who runs a newsstand. Remembering her promise, Granny spends a good deal of time at the newsstand when Paul is away on deliveries. She resents Dan Nye's attention to Lizette. One day Lizette sells a paper to Henry Faure, an elderly millionaire, who is attracted to the bright-faced girl. Faure has been mentally depressed since the death of his wife and little girl. Longing for someone to love, Faure offers to adopt Lizette as his own daughter. Though Paul and Granny are heartbroken, they consent. For a time Lizette is happy in her new home. While Faure is away on business, Lizette visits her old friends. Faure unexpectedly returns. To his dismay Lizette begs that he let her stay a while longer with Granny. He reluctantly consents. His old depression returns. The housekeeper finally writes Lizette, begging her to return for Faure's sake. Lizette finds an abandoned infant on the doorstep upon her return. She is overjoyed. She is admitted by the butler, who is aghast to see that she has returned with a baby. When questioned, she tells them that she is the baby's mother, etc. Faure asks her about the child's father. Lizette innocently answers that she don't know. She realizes in a vague way that babies have fathers and, seeing that everyone is greatly upset, she decides that if the baby must have a father she will give Dan Nye the honor of naming him. Faure loves her so much that he cannot find it in his heart to denounce her. Nor can the kind old housekeeper, who is highly amused at Lizette's lack of knowledge about babies. Dan Nye is amazed when Faure calls to see him and charges him with being the father of Lizette's baby. He conceals his astonishment, quick to realize that he has an unusual opportunity for blackmail in the affair. When Faure declares he must marry Lizette for the sake of her good name, Nye admits he is the baby's father, but refuses to marry the girl unless Faure pays him an exorbitant sum. Faure agrees to this, upon the condition that he accompany him and marry Lizette at once. The young woman who abandoned the child calls to reclaim it, but Lizette is unwilling to give it up. But she is finally induced to give it back to the rightful mother. Nye is thrown out of the house, and Paul, who has long cherished a love for Lizette, is made happy by her acceptance of him.

Dir: James Kirkwood

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Eagle's Mate perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Montgomery Jackson, a man who possesses a deep fear of bloodshed, refuses to enlist in the American army during World War I, ignoring the appeals and insults of his friends and colleagues. Even when his fiancée, Bettie Adams, threatens to leave him, he refuses to fight, but after she volunteers to serve as a Red Cross nurse in France, he relents and joins the American forces. At the front, he proves his courage by fighting bravely and saving the lives of Bettie's father, Colonel Adams, and of the man to whom she had become engaged after accusing Montgomery of cowardice. Finally Montgomery is wounded, but through Bettie's care he recovers, and after his rival, realizing that Bettie still loves Montgomery, gives Bettie her freedom, she and Montgomery happily renew their engagement.

Dir: James Kirkwood

Nell Gwynne ( Mary Pickford ) and King Charles II ( Owen Moore ) fall in love after meeting at a fox hunt. Nell soon learns the jealous Duchess of Portsmouth ( Ruby Hoffman ) is a spy and conspiring with the Duke of Buckingham to place Charles at the mercy of the King of France. Nell boldly disguises herself as a fashionable young blade and wins the confidence of the Duchess. Now entrusted with the delivery of important documents, she makes sure they go to the King of England rather than the King of France. Now, Nell has the last laugh on the traitorous Duchess.

Dir: James Kirkwood

Sylvia is the niece of a man who leaves a fortune for her. He leaves it in the hands of his attorney, who is supporting an aspiring wife and daughter. Sylvia goes to the lawyer's home and is looked upon as an intruder. The lawyer's son sets out on a road of dissipation and soon becomes a devotee of gay life. He is saved just in time by the gentle influence of Sylvia and, upon discovering that his father is using all of the girl's fortune, he makes him give her the money. The family is horror-stricken at the thought of losing their fortune. They ask Sylvia's forgiveness for their treatment of her and she insists upon sharing her fortune with them. She also tells Arnold, the son, that his love is reciprocated.