Top-Tier Alternatives In the Shadow of An Innocent Adventuress: Cul...

Dir: Robert G. Vignola

Young Frank Stratton, the scion of a wealthy family who is temporarily short of funds, has borrowed a valuable bracelet and hasn't returned it to its owner. A crooked detective, Jim Foley, finds the bracelet in Stratton's possession and promises not to arrest him for it in return for Stratton signing a confession that he stole it, which Foley intends to use at a future date. Years pass and a political boss in danger of losing an election asks Foley's help in getting valuable papers from his opponent, Worthington Lawrence. Foley knows that Lawrence is a friend of Stratton and tells Stratton that unless he steals those papers Foley will make his signed confession public. Complications ensue.

Dir: Robert G. Vignola

Amina loves Rudolph and turns the powerful Count Wolfenstein down when he proposes to her. In a jealous rage, Wolfenstein throws Rudolph into a dungeon. Meanwhile, Hertzog, "The Black Crook," has a deal with the devil: he must hand over to Satan one soul each year or find himself banished to Hell. With only 24 hours left before the year ends, Hertzog focuses all of his attention on Amina and Rudolph, believing them to be weakened from despair and therefore easy prey.

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

Dir: Robert G. Vignola

Kate Tarleton grows up on a Southern plantation and becomes engaged to her guardian, Dr. Robert Manning, a famous surgeon. When Robert, Kate, and her younger sister Mary Lou visit New York, where the doctor wishes to conduct medical experiments, the superstitious Kate goes to the home of a fortune-teller named Stella Hill. Stella, whose principal business is white slave trafficking, drugs Kate and forces her to work in a "den of vice," run by Stella and her accomplice Jimmy Bristol, where she contracts syphilis and goes insane. Robert, Detective Ellis, and a lawyer named Billy Meredith rescue Kate, who recovers her sanity but remembers nothing of her bondage. Robert uses Stella and Jimmy in his experiments and through them discovers a cure for Kate's illness. District Attorney Scott is questioning Robert about the propriety of his experiments when Kate enters and sees Jimmy. Her memory suddenly returns, and she narrates her story to Scott, clearing Robert's name.

Dir: Robert G. Vignola

Seventeen-year-old William Sylvanus Baxter has fallen madly in love with young coquette Lola Pratt. After he has spent all his money on the fickle girl, she runs off with an older man. Now heartbroken, William contemplates suicide until May Parcher, a friend from childhood, visits him and decides to fall in love with him.

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

Dir: Robert G. Vignola

At her godmother's place in Paris, Ethel Cartwright meets dashing Stephen Denby but is reluctant to reciprocate her interest in her because he seems to be idle. Denby is actually a jewel smuggler and sells a $200,000 pearl necklace. Upon her arrival in New York, Ethel notices that her necklace is gone and claims her insurance money. The insurance company inspector finds Ethel's sister's behavior very peculiar and has her investigated by customs inspector Taylor; she soon reveals that she is the thief. Taylor tells Ethel he can forget the whole story if she helps him frame Denby. Ethel agrees and does it. As he is about to be taken to jail, Denby offers Taylor $30,000 to release him. Taylor accepts. Denby reveals himself a secret service agent in charge of catching a customs inspector who has been dealing illegally with smugglers for three years: Taylor. Ethel eventually marries Denby.

Dir: Robert G. Vignola

The children of a a novelist, Nicholas, contract scarlet fever. His wife Anne stays in the house to take care of them, but the house is quarantined by the authorities and Nicholas, not being allowed in the house, takes a room in town until the quarantine is lifted. Lonely, he begins to feel attracted to his illustrator, Esmee. They begin an affair, but soon Nicholas finds that Esmee's expensive tastes are driving him to bankruptcy. His wife finds out about the affair, and devises a plan to teach her husband a lesson and get his mistress out of the picture at the same time.

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

Dir: Robert G. Vignola

Molly McGill, a scrub-woman, labors long hours so that her children will not have to face life in the slums. Driven to desperation after her husband and baby daughter are killed in the streets, and fearful that her little son Jimmy will suffer the same fate, Molly accepts the proposition of Harvey Brooks, a broker in one of the offices that she cleans, to become his mistress. Keeping her life a secret from her son, she places him in a vocational school. When Jimmy finishes his education, Molly returns to her life as a scrub-woman. Then one day she reads in the paper of an heroic act performed by Jimmy, who is now a fireman. Unable to resist temptation, she creeps past the fire station where she sees Jimmy with his sweetheart, Dora Palmer. Later the girl seeks employment as a stenographer in Brooks's office where Molly is again working, and she keeps a watchful eye on Dora. True to Molly's suspicions, Brooks attacks Dora and Molly springs to her aid. In the ensuing fight, Brooks is killed and a fire breaks out. Jimmy comes to the rescue, but there is time to save only one of the women; and so Molly is left behind to die in peace, knowing that her son has escaped the slums.

Dir: Robert G. Vignola

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: Robert G. Vignola

Valerie St. Cyr, seizes a chance for excitement and money, deserts her infant daughter Joan and her impoverished husband and runs away to Paris with the Count Du Poissy. Years later, without knowing that they are mother and daughter, both Valerie and Joan fall in love with artist Julian St. Saens, who rejects the former but becomes engaged to the latter. Enraged, Valerie convinces the count to kidnap Joan, but after she is captured, Joan stabs the count to death. When Valerie learns that Joan is her daughter, she takes the blame for the murder and goes to the guillotine while Joan, still unaware that Valerie is her mother, makes plans with Julian for their marriage.

Dir: Robert G. Vignola

Fifi is seen as Pierrot in a French play that is a failure despite her effort to put ginger into the rest of the cast. Among the few in the last audience was Cartouche, a veteran, who had become an actor when his wounds no longer allowed him to follow Napoleon. Through Cartouche's efforts Fifi is employed at the Imperial theater in Parts. He takes her to his lodging, determined to protect her. Fifi fails to understand how much Cartouche is doing for her, and when he gives her money to buy clothes she purchases a toy dog sailed Toto. The veteran buys a lottery ticket and gives it to Fifi. The ticket bears the winning number and Fifi finds herself in possession of a fortune. Cartouche decides Fifi must be educated. He applies to his old general, who suggests that Fifi be sent to the home of Louis Bourcet, an attorney who lives alone with his mother. Instead of putting her money in the bank Fifi hides it and startles the Bourcet family by her extravagance. They decide she has even more money than they thought and Louis begins to see in the wealthy Fifi a very acceptable wife. He makes love to the girl, and she accepts his proffer. Then she sets about to make him break the engagement by squandering her money, realizing she is in love with Cartouche. Accordingly she buys the most impossible things, scandalizing the Bourcet family into a complete renunciation by giving the remainder of her wealth to a charitable benefit for old soldiers. Ejected from the house by the angry Mme. Bourcet, Fifi returns to the Imperial, where she demands more money for her services because she has been publicly thanked by the General for her donation to charity. She tells Cartouche she loves him, but the old soldier refuses. to permit her to "throw herself away" upon him until Fifi gets an inspiration of her own.