The Auteur's Selection Complementing the Tone of Angel of Crooked S...

Dir: Wilfred Lucas

Brian O'Farrell (Snowy Baker), is an English 'new chum' who takes a job at an Australian cattle station. He is teased by station hands because of his appearance (including spats and a monocle) but he soon impresses them with his skills at riding and boxing. The station manager, John MacDonald (Wilfred Lucas), takes O'Farrell to Sydney to meet his daughter Edith (Kathleen Key) who is working in the slums. Edith is kidnapped by criminals after witnessing a crime but O'Farrell rescues her. It is later revealed he is the owner of the station.

Dir: David Smith

A hobo hires out as a sheepman. The owner of the ranch is a mysterious individual, who is suspected of being Black Bill, a badly wanted man.

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

Dir: David Smith

Ragged Patsy O'Reilly imagines herself as the descendant of Irish nobility. When her father, an impoverished contractor, invents an ore crusher, the family suddenly becomes wealthy and moves to New York City. Patsy is enrolled in a finishing school, and her parents tour Ireland, where they purchase, at their daughter's request, a coat-of-arms from the bankrupt Lord Windbourne family. After the O'Reillys return to the U.S., they are visited by Lady Windbourne and her son, the Lord, who do not mention that the adopted coat-of-arms is their own. Lord Windbourne becomes engaged to Patsy, but is later revealed as an impostor by the true heir to the Windbourne line, Larry Burke, an English officer. Larry marries Patsy and gives her an authentic ancestral name and coat-of-arms.

Dir: David Smith

"King" McAllister's word is law, judge, and jury in the cattle country where he lives with his daughter Panchita. His foreman, Price Purcell, believed he had a chance of winning Panchita's hand until the arrival of Buck Lumsden, who settled all doubts concerning the likely winner. Buck did not make a hit at first because he was "down and out" but he lingers and is made foreman of the year's round-up which was not altogether to Purcell's liking. Purcell plans to ruin Buck in the estimation of the boss as well as Panchita. After the round-up, all adjourn to the dance hall and gambling resort to celebrate, and Purcell lures Buck into a roulette game. Buck loses not only his own money but a large amount belonging to McAllister. Purcell returns to McAllister with the news of Buck's disloyalty. Buck has married Panchita. He is obliged to flee the country and sets out to raise enough money to repay McAllister for the amount he had lost to Purcell.

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

Dir: David Smith

Allen Spargo, a mining engineer betrothed to Theresa Kane, goes West to make his fortune and is seriously injured in an accident. Kate Leonard falls in love with him while nursing him to recovery. She jealously intercepts his fiancée's letters and writes Theresa that Allen is dead. Paralyzed by grief for a time, Theresa finally agrees to marry her former suitor, Lemuel Antree, but soon after the ceremony, Allen returns. Assuming that she no longer loves him, Allen leaves for the West, but Theresa follows him. Lemuel pursues the couple intending to kill them, but learns that Allen had once saved his life. Since Lemuel believes that his life, in effect, belongs to Allen, he drowns himself to allow the couple to marry.

Dir: David Smith

Having been discharged as the Van Smuythes' coachman for drunkenness, Thomas McQuade has joined the Bed Liners in Madison square. It is freezing cold. Standing beside him is a young man, shabby but neat. They exchange confidences and Thomas learns that the young man has just been discharged from a hospital without a penny, his wife and child having been obliged to return to her mother. He had married against the wishes of his unforgiving relatives. Just then an automobile dashes up Fifth avenue and, when opposite the Bed Line, drops an extra tire. Thomas catches it and returns it to the owner, expecting at least a dollar for the service, but, instead the imposing gentleman asks him mysteriously if he knows the Van Smuythes, and on learning that he does, Thomas is forthwith taken to a palatial house in the Seventies and fed on cold fowl, tea biscuits and wine. While thus pleasantly occupied two women are mysteriously ushered into a side room, where his host, Prof. Cherubusco, the great clairvoyant, tells them that the Chaldean Chiroscope has been successful, for had it not said "By the fifth wheel of the chariot he shall come?" But the professor, learning instead that Thomas is the Van Smuythe's ex-coachman, throws him into the street. So back to the Bed Line goes Thomas, where he resumes his conversation with his new friend. Suddenly a sturdy girl rushes up to him. It is Annie, his sweetheart and maid at the Van Smuythe's, whom he has not seen for a month. She says his old position is waiting for him, but suddenly catching sight of the other man she screams, "Mr. Walter!" And then it appears that she had accompanied her mistress to the great clairvoyant and he had hold her where she would find her sweetheart, and she had also found "Mr. Walter." After paying the car fares home she vows to give her remaining $11.85 to Professor Cherubusco, "the greatest man in the world." Moving Picture World, February 2, 1918

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

Dir: David Smith

Forced to wear quaint short dresses and pigtails so that she will inspire her grandfather's sentimental poetry, nineteen-year-old Joy Havenith longs for companions of her own age. One day Johnny Hewitt, seeing her confide her troubles to her Aunt Lucilla's portrait, tells her that if she wishes hard enough, her dreams will come true. Not knowing his name, she thereafter thinks of him as her "wishing ring man." Soon Joy meets a married couple who invite her to the city. Because her grandparents will not let her leave until she is engaged, she lies that she is the fiancée of a man of whom her friends have spoken, Dr. John Hewitt, not realizing that he is her "wishing ring man." John agrees to play along for a month, to the dismay of his fiancée, Gale Maddox. After the wedding presents and bridesmaids have arrived, Joy, thinking that John loves Gale, leaves the rehearsal and returns home. John then finds her confiding to the portrait and declares his real love for her.

Dir: David Smith

Jim Carvel, whose father Henry, a newspaper owner, has been killed by the local political boss for exposing a theft ring, shoots his father's murderer and escapes to the Canadian Northwest where he befriends Nepeese, daughter of a local trapper named Pierre. Brutal trading post owner "Bush" McTaggart attacks Nepeese while she is alone in her cabin. Pierre arrives home and tries to defend his daughter, but McTaggart kills him. To clear himself, McTaggart blames Jim for the murder, and while a group of Indians track Jim down, kidnaps Nepeese. Jim is rescued by his half-breed friend De Bar while Baree, Nepeese's dog, hunts down and overcomes McTaggart. Freed from McTaggart's clutches, Nepeese marries Jim.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of A Gentleman's Agreement perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: David Smith

Timid village schoolteacher Geraldine Farleigh supports her family and must pay off her late father's debt to Bruce Cartwright.

Dir: David Smith

Willie Robbins loses his heart to Myra Allison, the prettiest and liveliest girl in San Augustine, but she laughs at him and taunts him. Soon after the Spanish-American War starts, Willie volunteers and plunges madly into danger, and wins a captaincy by capturing a Spanish general. Myra marries Joe Cranberry, but when Willie hears of this, he seems indifferent. After the war Willie returns to San Augustine and is met by the Mayor, a brass band, and schoolgirls. He is the hero of the occasion. After the welcome, Willie makes for the little white cottage of Joe Cranberry. Myra is on the porch, untidy and unattractive. Willie waltzes up to her and the joke is on Myra.