The Essential Watchlist that Capture the Essence of A Stranger from Somewhere: Cult Guide

Dir: William Worthington

Yano Masata, a struggling Japanese artist living in a mountainous area in America, refuses to tint counterfeit bonds for wealthy John Furthman. Yano's sister, O Haru San, comes from Japan to look for her husband who deserted her, and finds Yano with aid from a woman in the Japanese mission. When she recognizes Furthman as her husband, Furthman and Yano fight until Furthman's gun goes off, killing O Haru San, and Yano throws Furthman off a cliff. Later, Yano thanks the woman in the mission, they develop a friendship, and he agrees to paint her husband's portrait from a photograph. The husband is Furthman and his wife thinks that his fall was an accident. After Yano paints the portrait, he destroys it in a moment of wrath and confesses the killing to Mrs. Furthman's financial adviser. Later, Yano burns the evidence of Furthman's crimes so that Mrs. Furthman and her son will remain unaware of Furthman's treachery and not be disgraced. The police then arrest Yano.

Dir: William Worthington

In childhood Cecile and Felix were playmates. Felix was gifted as a violinist and Cecile was fond of dancing. When Cecile's mother died her rich uncle, a domineering Frenchman, adopted her. Felix wandered the country over as a vagrant musician, until after ten years he secures employment as violinist in the orchestra at the opera house in the city where Cecile dwells. Wandering one evening Felix leans over a garden wall to behold a young girl dancing on the green. Having his violin under his arm Felix begins playing a measure, attracts the girl's attention and in the end they recognize each other as childhood sweethearts. The crabbed old uncle comes in search of the girl, and upon discovering the unconventional conduct of the young folks, strikes the girl with his cane and orders Felix from his grounds. Cecile rebels and leaves the grounds with Felix to begin living with him without the formality of marriage. There are weeks of happiness for Felix and Cecile, until the uncle demands of the police that they arrest Felix for unlawful practices and restore the girl to her guardian. At the opera house Cecile has met the director of the orchestra, who compliments her upon her dancing and flatters her vanity by declaring she should go to Paris as a premier dancer in the opera. When Felix is thrown into jail the uncle takes Cecile home with him. The girl takes advantage of an opportunity, and goes to Lecoq, the orchestra director, and begs him to take her to Paris. Lecoq has that day had an offer to become director at the Paris Grand Opera, and the girl conceives the idea of helping Felix from his predicament by effacing herself from the situation. To Paris she goes with Lecoq and the officials liberate Felix. With heavy heart the musician buries his grief in composing an opera. When the score is completed he sends his manager to Paris with the work. Lecoq is interviewed and discredits the value of the composition, but says he will present it to the management. Months pass and Felix hears nothing from his opera. He goes to Paris for the purpose of investigating. That day Felix arrives at the Paris Opera House. Lecoq is hailed as the author of a new opera. The premier of the ballot is advertised as Mlle. Genze. Felix goes that evening to the opera, discovers that Lecoq has stolen his composition, and also sees in Mlle. Genze the Cecile who deserted him and thereafter left him uninformed. Forcing his way to Mlle. Genze's dressing room, he finds her prostrated from an injury to her ankle that will keep her forever from dancing. Denouncing the girl Felix forces Lecoq to publicity admit his plagiarism. He then retires to seclusion crowned with the laurels of genius. Cecile languishes with a broken heart. Her physician learns her story, prevails upon her uncle to take her once more into his home, and when the girl still shows no sign of recovery, the uncle goes to Felix and tells him that Cecile lingers at death's door because of a broken heart. Felix forgets everything but his love for Cecile, goes to her and there is a blissful reunion.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Love Never Dies perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: William Worthington

When Sasamoto commits treason during the Great War to pay off gambling debts, his twin brother Yamashito assumes his identity and tracks him down.

Dir: William Worthington

Jeffrey Wall, the dissipated grandson of a wealthy man, requests that a farewell party be given in his honor before he is disinherited. During the wild banquet, a Mexican dancer assaults Mary Drew and then shoots a man, but suspicion is cast on Jeffrey. At the death of her father, Mary is called home to her little village on the Mexican border but is followed by the lecherous dancer, who soon becomes the head of a gang of bandits. Jeffrey traces him and learns that the outlaws have taken control of a small rancho, shot its owner and kidnapped Mary. Jeffrey visits the rancho disguised as a ghost, and as the outlaws are fleeing in terror, the sheriff and his men arrive and arrest them all. Wall, Sr., pleased with the improvements in his son's character, comes West to bless the marriage of Jeffrey and Mary.

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

Dir: William Worthington

An opium smuggler is marked for murder in this story of the Chinese Mafia.

Dir: William Worthington

Wanting her sweetheart, Judd Minot, a Maine fisherman, to develop his sculpting talents, Mary Garland encourages him to accompany art connoisseur Henry Bliss to New York City. Once there, Judd forgets Mary and becomes smitten with Bliss's attractive daughter Myrna. Although he wins fame as an artist, the party society life he leads with Myrna causes his work to suffer. When Mary learns of Judd's stagnation and fast style of living, she rushes to New York to rescue him. When he sees her, Judd realizes that Mary is the prime inspiration for all his statues and renews his love for her.

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

Dir: William Worthington

Peter Drake meets and falls in love with Jackie Swazey, the daughter of a feisty suffragette and incipient politician. In order to impress her, he agrees to help Mrs Swazey in her campaign to become elected. His first task is a difficult one - Mrs Swazey's ticket is Prohibition, and her husband, Jackie's Pa, is little more than a drunk. Instead of reforming him, Peter gets on with Pa Swazey like a house on fire, and they end up drunk and in jail! Fortunately the are helped out by a man named Mike Clancey. Unfortunately, he is Mrs Swazey's main opponent in the election - and the price he demands for his help is her elimination from the race. Peter comes up with the perfect solution: he spikes her drink at a Prohibition rally and gets her drunk! Before she sobers up and the sparks fly, Jackie and Peter elope.

Dir: William Worthington

Monty Gray returns to the US after spending 10 years building railroads in China. As he enters a hotel he runs into an old friend from college whom he hasn't seen in years, and they begin catching up on old times. Monty notices a picture of a young woman that his friend is carrying and, bowled over by her beauty, he instantly falls for her. However, his friend tells him that he doesn't have a chance in a million of meeting the girl, who happens to be his cousin, because her mother rules the girl's life with an iron fist and is determined that she will marry royalty and not some untitled commoner. Monty is determined to have the girl, and devises a plan to win her.

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

Dir: William Worthington

Stuart Adams, the advance-agent for a traveling burlesque troupe, arrives in Weston, Illinois, his hometown, to publicize the coming show, "The Girl and the Garter". The Purity League, led by banker James Richards, the father of Stuart's sweetheart Hazel, attempts to stop it from opening. After kissing Hazel in public - thus outraging the League members - Stuart builds curiosity about the show by having the newspaper print Richards' admission that he viewed it in New York "to see how shocking it was". He also attaches a banner which advertises the show to Hazel's roadster during a Purity League parade. After Stuart challenges Richards to a debate, Stuart helps detective Vera Vincent, whom he met on the train, capture two crooks trying to rob Richards' bank. During the debate, Stuart, knowing that the show has been canceled, offers to end the bickering by withdrawing the show. Richards then insists that Stuart, who plans to meet Hazel at the train station to elope, come to dinner. Fortunately for Stuart, Hazel had been locked in her room by her aunt, and is still at the house.

Dir: William Worthington

A wild man and genius becomes a master painter's disciple, but loses his divine gift when he finds love.