Must-Watch List in the Vein of Alien Souls: Cult Guide

Dir: Frank Reicher

During the California gold rush, four unsuccessful miners assume that a woman prospector will give in without a fight, so they jump the claim of Kate Kenner and take her gold away from her. Afterward, although she is Sheriff Dan Deering's sweetheart, Kate decides to take the law into her own hands. Donning the trademark black mask of Silver Spurs, the noted bandit, Kate holds up the saloon where the crooks have stored the gold. As she makes her getaway, however, Dan catches her, and after unmasking her, is astonished to discover Silver Spur's true identity. The town puts Kate on trial immediately and a guilty verdict seems assured until the real Silver Spurs, who had greatly admired the masquerade, himself steals the gold and leaves a note exonerating Kate. Then, taking time out from his sheriff's duty, Dan, instead of pursuing Silver Spurs, starts making plans with Kate for their wedding.

Dir: Frank Reicher

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

Hazel Gray, a young nurse, is in love with Phillip Carson, son of Mrs. Carson-Morgan, a philanthropist. Phillip, having quarreled with his step-father, leaves home, secures a position, and lives at the same boarding house as Hazel. Called home by his mother's sudden illness, Phillip manages to have Hazel called on the case. Her recognition of the doctor as the man whose trickery she discovered in time to save her own honor, is concealed from Phillip, but her stay is rendered almost unbearable by the doctor's forced attentions. Mrs. Morgan dies suddenly and in terrible agony, from arsenic poisoning. Suspicion points to Hazel, proof of her knowledge of the location of a bottle of arsenic being established by Morgan. Her former supposed relations with the doctor appear as a reason for the crime. Phillip's testimony is against her, but Gordon Graham, a wealthy young man who is on the jury, is at once impressed with the girl's innocence, and succeeds in securing a verdict of "not guilty." Throughout the trail the spirit of the poisoned woman endeavors to point out the guilty person. The weight of public opinion, however, falls heavily upon the girl, sensational newspapers doing their share to increase it, until Hazel can find no place to stay. Finally Graham takes her to his sister's home where he declares his love for Hazel and an unshaken belief in her innocence. Smith, a dope fiend, refused drugs by Dr. Morgan, threateningly reveals his knowledge that the doctor has substituted arsenic for powders prescribed for his wife by the attending physician. During the struggle which follows, Hazel, Graham and a policeman appear, and Smith, having secured possession of the doctor's pistol, fires the shot which mortally wounds Dr. Morgan, who confesses in his dying moments that he is the guilty person. Hazel's innocence is thus established, the public opinion is quickly changed, and the girl goes to the waiting arms of the man who has so valiantly defended her.

Dir: Frank Reicher

The family of an Irish landlord want him to wed who they think is a visiting heiress from the US but the real heiress pretends she is just a servant and hides her identity.

Dir: Frank Reicher

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

Cinders, a news girl, with a love for books, idealizes as her hero a "Daddy Long-legs," who will someday make her a great lady. Bill Holt, a reporter, is one of her best friends. Walter Crane and Kirkland Gaige observe Cinder's independence as she turns over to a policeman a man who has been annoying her. Later Crane wagers $50,000 that within a year he can transform and improve the girl that one of the men will want to marry her. Crane places her in the care of his aunt, who sends her to a boarding school. At the end of a year she returns home and at once becomes a favorite. Cleo Duvene, an adventuress, demands of Gaige a necklace which he is unable to purchase. Crane meets with reverses and Gaige, anxious to win Cinders, reveals the bet, suggesting she marry him in order that Crane may realize the $100,000 stake. She refuses and goes to her friend. Holt, securing a position as reporter on the paper. Crane accepts the position of assistant cashier in the bank of which Gaige is vice president. In order to buy the necklace for Cleo Gaige takes a bag of currency and Crane, accused of the theft, is placed in jail. Cinders goes to Gaige and by placing chewing gum on the end of her umbrella, picks up the pieces of a receipted bill for the necklace. She gets into the apartment of Miss Duvene, and is demanding that she tell all she knows of Gaige just as he comes in. They bind Cinders but she manages to get the telephone receiver down, calls Holt, who hears the conversation of the three, and with Crane and a policeman apprehend the guilty man just as he is about to escape. Crane frees the brave little girl and takes her to his arms with the statement that it pays to lose some bets.

Dir: Frank Reicher

When a young girl is placed under hypnotism, it's discovered that she has a split personality.

Dir: Frank Reicher

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

The sound of merry voices and the clinking of wine glasses came through the closed door of a child's room in an apartment situated in a quarter of Paris where night life predominates and where revelers know they may come and go as they please. It was late at night. The child had been asleep, but awakening, frightened, she stepped to the door a moment to listen and then fearlessly, having heard the musical laugh of her mother, she opened the door and entered a large room. It was filled with men and women, whose gaiety may have had some inspiration from the bottles which poked their heads above the rim of ice buckets, which formed an outer fortification around the banquet table. At the sight of the child the conversation ceased for a moment, then burst forth at some indiscreet remark. A woman arising from the head of the table hurried across the room, caught the child in her arms and carried her back into her room. The woman was Cora May, the child her daughter Diane, age four. Cora May was one of the stirs of the Parisian demimonde. The next morning Cora took the child to a convent, bade her a tearful farewell, and returned, sorrowful, to Paris. In her ears there still rang relentlessly the words spoken by a friend the previous evening when he saw the child, "She has the devil in her eyes, Cora, just like you." The little girl, Diane, grew up in the convent, learned to love the sisters and their sweet ways, blossomed into lovely girlhood and at 19 she left the convent to pass a vacation at a friend's home by the seashore at Narbonne. "Monsieur le Chevalier" saw her one day. Her beauty attracted him, her innocence kept him at a distance, but her eyes, those eyes wherein the "devil" was lurking, baffled and confused him. There followed a flirtation, innocent enough, a few words between them, a declaration of love and Diane had fallen a victim to the worldly wiles of "Monsieur le Chevalier," who was, in fact none other than the Duke of Cluny. Meanwhile Cora May, Diane's mother, had died, never having seen her child from the day she had taken her to the convent. Deserted by her care-free friends she found sympathy in a woman of rank, Duchess of Cluny, who sat at her bedside and watched an unhappy life ebb swiftly away. The Duchess made one promise: she would seek out the child, Diane, and take her into her home and guard her from temptation. Diane, still stunned by the experience of her betrayal, dedicates her life to the friendship for the kind Duchess, never associating her with "Monsieur le Chevalier." Subsequently Diane and the Duke, filled with remorse because of his indiscretion, recognize each other yet spare the Duchess, whom each loves from their secret. The past would have remained untold had Diane and not Lieutenant Dodd, U.S.N. fallen in love. The young woman refuses marriage but withholds her reasons, but the young American is obdurate and in time the truth dawns upon him. In a duel he kills the Duke of Cluny who by death atones for his sin, and we are left with the reasonable conclusion that in time Diane and Lieutenant Dodd find happiness together.

Dir: Frank Reicher

Patricia O'Brien, known as "Pat" the "Chorus Lady,' is a keen-witted, clean-lived young girl easily holding her own amid the temptations incident to her profession. She is engaged to marry "Danny" Mallory, a young detective, whose great ambition is to own a farm, marry Pat and leave the bright lights forever. Pat has a younger sister, Nora, whose yielding and idealistic natures Pat knows and she keeps her working in a country store "a million miles from Broadway," under the guardianship of a strict old woman. Nora, stage-struck and envious of Pat, leaves the store and turns up at the theater when Pat is rehearsing. Nora announces that she is going on the stage in spite of Pat's protests. Crawford, a young man-about-town, who is backing the show, struck by Nora's beauty and youth, gives her a position in the company. Crawford plies Nora with attention until she falls in love with him and Pat in her efforts to open Nora's eyes as to Crawford's true character, only succeeds in antagonizing her. Realizing that she cannot convince Nora or control her for long Pat begins a flirtation with Crawford. Nora fights bitterly to hold him. Danny becomes jealous and refuses to believe Pat when she explains that she is flirting with Crawford in an effort to disillusion Nora. At the dress rehearsal of the play in which Pat and Nora are to appear the star sends word that she is ill. Pat is given the chance to play the part. Knowing that Pat cannot leave the theater, Nora leaves a note that she is going to Crawford and slips home to pack. Pat, half-dressed to go on, finds the note, gives up her great opportunity, wraps herself in a cloak and in a cab hurries to Crawford's apartment. She arrives at Crawford's apartment first and leads Crawford into a declaration of love just as Nora appears. Pat demands that Crawford choose between them. Crawford chooses Pat. In the meantime Danny has been sent to get divorce evidence for Crawford's wife. They break into Crawford's rooms and Danny finds the woman to be his own girl. In the stormy scene that follows Pat's borrowed cloak slips from her shoulders revealing her in her underwear. With all evidence against her Pat is unable to establish her innocence. Danny cannot believe her innocent, but makes up his mind never to appear against her. Nora and the detective go, leaving Pat alone with Crawford. She promptly tells Crawford what she really thinks of him and he dismisses her from the company and orders her out of his rooms. Danny resigns his job rather than appear against Pat and the divorce suit never comes to court. Pat, out of a job, is unable to find another engagement and is about to be turned out of her boarding house when Nora, convinced of Pat's loyalty, telephones Danny and tells him the truth. Danny gets his farm and they all go to it, taking along as helper, "Bobs," the young assistant stage-manager, who cherishes an honest passion for Nora.

Dir: Frank Reicher

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

Bad woman turns good, but as a recent widow finds her past a roadblock in terms of accepting remarriage.

Dir: Frank Reicher

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Frank Reicher

Stephen Stephani leaves Nordhoff with his daughter Mary to visit Zandria, an enemy country, where he tries to steal the war plans of the hostile nation. There, Mary meets Paul Ekald, a Zandrian captain, falling in love with him at first sight. While Mary remains in Zandria for the moment, Stephani returns to Nordhoff. Meanwhile, Vesta, Mary's illegitimate half-sister, has managed to get hold of important war plans stolen from Count Wenzel. But, to get them, she had to kill the count. While trying to reach Nordhoff, she is stopped at the border. There, she also finds Mary waiting to cross the border. Vesta convinces Mary to exchange her passport with her, in order to allow her to leave the country. She thus brings to Nordhoff the plans drawn with invisible ink on her petticoat. Meanwhile, Mary is arrested and, accused in place of Vesta, sentenced to be shot. Vesta, after having fulfilled her mission and learning of her sister's fate, goes back and redoes the exchange with her, allowing her to save herself. After some time, peace is declared and Mary can reunite with the man she loves.