Must-Watch List in the Vein of A Kentucky Cinderella: Cult Guide

Dir: Rupert Julian

A propagandistic view of the First World War, showing the political greed of the German Kaiser Wilhelm, the resistance of some of his own soldiers, and fanciful prediction of the nature of the war's end.

Dir: Rupert Julian

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

In modern times Paul Winthrop visits an island and paints a picture of Joe, a picturesque pearl diver. He dresses him in pirate garb and when the picture is done Joe cannot take his eyes from it. The two men instinctively recognize each other. Joe is another Jean Lafitte, Paul is his antagonist of the years before. Later Joe stumbles across a case of pirate treasure buried along the shore. By a plate on the box he reads the name of the one-time owner, Jean Lafitte. With this treasure he is enabled to visit the United States, where in New York he again finds Paul Winthrop. Paul is in love with Lily Demorest, but her parents have signified their desire that she marry Robert Spurr, a millionaire. Joe is immediately attracted to her and decides to kidnap her. First his motive is charitable. He intends turning her over to Paul, who is timid about such action himself. Then he decides to keep her for himself, but Lily cries out for Paul and then to the pirate descendant dawns the true meaning of the curse fastened on his ancestor by the woman he coveted. So he returns her to Paul, and though it is difficult he finds some happiness in the thought of their reunion.

Dir: Rupert Julian

Lucille, a beautiful and romantic young woman, marries John Linforth, a wealthy businessman, who is twice her age, and too distracted by his business affairs to give her the attention she craves. John is pleased when she takes a liking to his young friend, Ronald Standish. After the friendship has grown to romance, however, John tries to keep the two apart. As he is about to depart on a short trip, John orders Ronald from the house. Later that night, Ronald asks Lucille to elope with him, but before they leave, they realize that an illegal union would only lead to unhappiness, and Ronald returns home. A burglar, who, in stealing certain securities from John's desk, witnesses the couple in an embrace, blackmails Ronald into purchasing the bonds. To save her lover, Lucille confesses everything to John, who promises to give his young wife her freedom. A year later Lucille and Ronald marry.

Dir: Rupert Julian

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

Ex-convict Dale Revenal arrives at Dudley Appleton's ranch bearing a letter of introduction from John Silver, Appleton's old friend. Appleton hires Dale, who, through his winning manner, soon wins the respect of the ranch hands and the love of the ranch owner's daughter Mary Jane. Believing himself unworthy of her, Dale tells Mary Jane that he has a wife and child in Arizona, and she reluctantly agrees to marry Jack Nelda, a local rancher. Nelda realizes that Mary Jane is still in love with Dale and plots with Bessie Dupont and her brother Pinto to kill him. Bessie, however, warns Dale, but when he confronts Nelda at the saloon, Pinto shoots him, wounding him in the shoulder. John Silver comes to Dale's aid and Nelda is killed. Silver reveals that Dale's "wife" in Arizona is really his sister, and Dale finally accepts Mary Jane's love.

Dir: Rupert Julian

In the act of robbing a set of rare jewels from a museum, a robber is wounded in the hand. Prentice Tiller, while dressing a wound in his hand, overhears the woman in the next hotel room, Gertrude Temple, telephoning Aaron Molitor, to whom she is to deliver some jewels. Posing as Molitor, Prentice calls on Gertrude but disappears when Molitor, who also has been wounded in the hand, suddenly arrives. Molitor's men capture Prentice, who narrowly escapes death in the ruins of an old church and then continues to track Molitor. Gertrude accompanies Molitor and her uncle, Simon Temple, to Paris, where they are met by master crook Chevat and the woman who loves him, Lola Montez. Lola becomes jealous of Gertrude and tries to kill her, but Prentice rescues her. Through a ruse, Prentice, who finally is revealed as a detective, captures Chevat and his gang, returns the jewels to their rightful owner and then proposes to Gertrude.

Dir: Rupert Julian

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

Anthony Eckhart, a student of Oriental music, meets Crocker in a Geisha house where he extricates the intoxicated man from the results of an attack upon a waiter. Crocker explains that his wife has left him and there is only drink left. Anthony discovers a woman with marvelous voice at the hotel and falls in love with her before he finds that she is Crocker's wife. He confesses to Crocker and offers to leave if Crocker will leave her alone. Crocker promises an answer, but comes to kill his wife. Anthony prevents him and at last Crocker proves a man.

Dir: Rupert Julian

Police headquarters has been plagued by a series of robberies, culminating in the theft of a priceless necklace smuggled from Europe. The detectives are on the track of a gang led by master thief Ramon Mordant and his accomplice known as "the Face" because of his twisted and hideous countenance. Among the detectives on the case is undercover agent Clara Hawthorne, masquerading as a mysterious, glamorous woman. The Face and Clara play a cat and mouse game until, while they are both in pursuit of Mordant, the Face secures the necklace and turns it over to Clara, at the same time revealing himself to be Prentice Tiller, chief of the Secret Service.

Dir: Rupert Julian

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

Christoper Foy, who is running away from the authorities, is injured during his escape and takes refuge at the mountain cabin of Colonel Vorhis and his daughter Stella. Stella takes pity on Foy, and the Colonel, admiring Foy's confession of guilt, takes steps to have him pardoned. He and Stella fall in love and Foy remains honest, but when he is accused of cattle stealing, he again runs away. When John Wesley Pringle, who also loves Stella, learns that Foy is innocent but is the object of a conspiracy, he helps Foy by uncovering the plot. Despite his love for Stella, Pringle helps to prove that Foy is innocent so that Stella can find happiness with the man she loves.

Dir: Rupert Julian

While Major Abercrombie and wife were hurrying through a Persian forest, in order that Mrs. Abercrombie might reach an English settlement to bear her child, a tent was hurriedly pitched, and there a little girl was born. The mother surrendered her life and Major Abercrombie went mad with grief. He ran into the forest and was killed by lions. Usun Hassan, while passing with his huntsmen, discovered the tent and sent Malec, his secretary, to investigate. Malec found the dead body of Mrs. Abercrombie and heard the faint cry of her baby. The body of the woman was buried and the babe was carried to Hassan's harem. There she grew to become a beautiful girl, with Malec acting as her tutor. They called her Rokaia. Hassan having decided she should marry a merchant whom she loathed, Rokaia readily listened to Malec's proposal that she go with him to France. Having provided her with clothes, money and tickets, Malec was detected while helping the girl escape. Malec hid himself away to save his head, while Rokaia proceeded to France. Arriving at Marseilles the girl was robbed of her purse, thus becoming easy prey for a young gallant who made her acquaintance and started to take her to his apartments. Rokaia was struck by an automobile and her admirer found safety in flight. The motor was owned by Marquis De Tonquin, who helped Rokaia into the tonneau and drove her to his home. There she was found to be little hurt. The Marquis about this time received a letter from the Parisian college where his son, Marcel, was being educated, stating that the boy was incorrigible. Believing that there must be a "woman in the case," the Marquis prevailed upon Rokaia to go to Paris as his son's companion. Marcel did not look upon the girl as his father would have him, but secured separate lodgings for her, where he lived, and treated her with utmost respect. The day Rokaia arrived in Paris she halted before a Persian bird-vendor and asked the directions to Marcel's lodgings. It so happened that Malec had just arrived from Persia and lived at the Asiatic lodgings where the bird-vendor stopped. He heard the man's gossip about the girl who spoke in his own tongue and bought his birds. Malec believed he was on the trail of the girl be sought, and went to the address the bird-vendor gave him, and there found Rokaia. Through hypnotic influence he controlled the girl so far as to cause her to go away with him. Marcel was informed by his fellow students, when he returned, after a brief absence from his lodgings, that Rokaia had just departed, and the note she left for him confirmed the story. When a drayman called for Rokaia's trunk, Marcel learned her address, and leading a party of students, went to her rescue. The happy ending was attained when Marcel and Rokaia were married.

Dir: Rupert Julian

Miner Dan Stuyvesant finally strikes it rich, but on his way to report his claim, he is shot. When Jack Dedlow, the head of a gang of outlaws, hears this news, he rides to Stuyvesant's cabin intending to secure the claim for himself. There the outlaws find Stuyvesant's daughter Hilda, the sweetheart of Tom Flynn, and are about to draw cards for her when Dago Sam pulls out his guns and spirits her out the door. Because Tom is his only friend, Sam determines to protect Hilda from the gang, but when Tom suspiciously questions his intentions toward Hilda, Sam decides to live up to the town's poor opinion of him. Hilda saves herself by declaring her faith in Sam and, his spirits restored, he returns her to Tom. Dedlow is killed in a fight at Sam's cabin, and Tom and Sam renew their friendship.