Cinematic Discoveries Resonating with the Themes of American Methods: Cult Guide

Dir: Frank Lloyd

The story tells of the troubles started by the fondness for gaiety of three mature French judges. With an eye to securing his good graces, they enjoy losing an occasional game of whist to their superior, Judge Galipaux. M. Galipaux's life burden is an ambitious wife. An escapade with the leading lady of a theatrical troupe, Mlle. Gobette, lands the three judges on the carpet for a severe reprimand. The offending actress is evicted from the hotel. Like an inspiration, a way out of their predicament comes to one of the offenders. That night on returning from seeing his wife on her train to Paris, M. Galipaux finds his house occupied by a strange but very beautiful woman, who refuses to leave. Unexpectedly M. Gaudet, the handsome and irreproachable Minister of Justice, arrives. He is fascinated by Gobette whom he believes to be Mme. Galipaux. Still posing as Mme. Galipaux, Gobette comes to Paris to call upon him. Scenting a possible scandal, Marius, the head usher, lays a trap. Mlle. Gobette calls and the trap is sprung. From then on events crowd quickly upon poor Gaudet, but through humorous situations and startling perplexities he remains undaunted to emerge triumphant.

Dir: Frank Lloyd

Barney Kemper works hard on a farm so his younger brother Dick can go to college. However, Dick squanders Barney's money. Margaret Danford, daughter of the village doctor, loves Barney from afar and tries to educate him. A girlfriend of Margaret's comes for a visit and steals Barney's heart. The young girl turns to Dick, and Barney discovers them together. Embittered, Barney goes west to work in a lumber camp. But Dick reforms, and becomes a minister, and is assigned to the lumber camp. Margaret goes along to start a hospital. Tex Daly, leader of the lumbermen, resent Dick and try to frame him with a saloon girl. When Dick is shot by Tex, Barney appears and helps his wounded brother by taking charge of the church. Dick dies, and Barney kills Tex. Barney and Margaret are united.

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

Dir: Frank Lloyd

Florence Brent is the daughter of Bennington Brent, who runs a successful laundry business. Florence's childhood friend, John Oglesby, is a Congressman. When Florence visits her friend, Eleanor Williamson, in Washington D.C., she meets Eleanor's fiancé, who is a Count. The Duke of Buritz, a countryman of the Count, tries to corrupt Oglesby for political reasons. Meanwhile, the Count breaks his engagement to Eleanor, having become enamored of Florence. Oglesby eventually exposes the duplicity of the Count and Duke.

Dir: Frank Lloyd

Returning home to find that his sister has died after being abducted and violated by an unscrupulous man, sailor Larry Smith ships out as mate with Captain Sutton. After an altercation with the captain, Larry leaves the ship at a South Sea port where he meets and falls in love with Violet North, a woman of questionable reputation who is the mistress of millionaire Lewis. Larry proposes, but Violet sails with Lewis anyway. Sutton also sets sail, leaving behind inveterate drunk Logan, who informs Larry that Sutton was the man responsible for his sister's death. Sometime later, Lewis' yacht is wrecked and Violet is cast upon an island. Sutton picks her up and tries to sell her to the natives as punishment for resisting his advances, but Larry rescues her and kills Sutton. His sister thus avenged, Larry marries Violet and settles down.

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

Dir: Frank Lloyd

Jean Valjean, a good and decent man who has committed a minor crime, is imprisoned but escapes. He is pursued thereafter for years by Javert, the cruel and implacable arm of the law.

Dir: Frank Lloyd

A sci-fi/espionage film in which world powers vie for control of a death ray during World War I.

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

Dir: Frank Lloyd

Alcoholic lawyer Sydney Carton travels to Paris during the Reign of Terror to rescue French aristocrat Charles Darnay, husband of the woman he loves.

Dir: Frank Lloyd

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: Frank Lloyd

When John Langdon suspects--wrongly, as it turns out--that his wife Claire is having an affair he divorces her, and gets custody of their daughter Florence. Later Florence marries the city's District Attorney. Meanwhile Claire, in dire financial straits, gets involved with an infamous gambling resort in the city. A political rival of Florence's husband discovers Claire's secret and tries blackmailing Florence by threatening to expose her mother's "secret life".

Dir: Frank Lloyd

Realizing that his mayoral campaign is in serious trouble, reform candidate Frank Grandell sends his people out to dig up some dirt on Art Hoke, the boss of the city's political machine. Their investigation leads them to Hoke's flunky, nicknamed "Looney Jim". Jim implies that he has some damaging information about Hoke's daughter, but he dies before he can reveal it. Grandell eventually finds out what the "secret" is, however, and must decide whether to use it in his campaign to defeat Hoke's candidate.