Must-Watch List Comparable to the Style of Becket: Cult Guide

Dir: Maurice Elvey

A lady marries a horse trainer but withholds herself until her crippled brother is cured.

Dir: Robert N. Bradbury

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

A simple country girl, brutally mistreated by her stepfather, awakens first the sympathy, then the love, of The Boy. The Spider, who lusts after The Girl, makes a bargain with the stepfather and takes her to the city where, kept prisoner, she is soon broken in health and spirit. Cast out and near death, she is taken in by The Boy. Following the demise of The Spider, The Boy takes her to church, where he prays, and after many hours she is restored to health.

Dir: Eduardo Notari

A crime drama in the Gennariello-series. The police detective in Naples that is confronted with modern gangsters and crime events.

Dir: George Ridgwell

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

Count Giuseppe Rizzo, pressed by his creditors, marries June Baxter, heiress to a large fortune, for her money. As the wedding party emerges from the church, Phillipa Garrie, once mistress to the Count, but now cast aside, attempts to stab him. Humiliated, and realizing a. side of the Count's nature unknown to her, June secludes herself in her home and orders him out of her sight. To avoid notoriety, she leaves town to take up her home near the site of the plant left her by her father. Together, with Clay Foster, superintendent of the plant, she devotes her time to the welfare of her workmen. By threats of creating public scandal, the Count blackmails June, compelling the payments of large sums of money. As their work at the plant draws them closer together, the seeds of love take root within the breast of Clay Foster and with them a deep hatred for the Count, who refuses to give June a divorce. After a while, however, hard pressed by his creditors, and a heavy loser at gambling, the Count agrees to grant her a divorce if June will make a settlement upon him. June, determined, leaves for New York, and registers at the Count's hotel. Unbeknown to June, Clay Foster follows her to protect her from harm. The Count's demands upon June are staggering and she refuses to comply with them. The Count is enraged and June saves herself only by her presence of mind. Clay Foster enters the scene, and threatens to kill the Count if he does June any bodily harm. Adventure and complication follow each other in quick succession. Thirteen, the number on the door of .the Count's room in the hotel, has begun to cast its spell about. That night, the Count is murdered. Suspicion falls upon Clay, and he is arrested for the murder. Yet, as the numerous complications begin to untangle themselves, we find that the Count was killed, not by June, because of her fear of him alive; not by Clay, because of his hatred for him; not by Phillipa, because he had blighted her life; nor by Antonio, her father, who had sworn to take vengeance, but by one with no personal ties, urged on merely by the sight of the Count's winnings that night, and cursed by the awful spell, unable to escape the talons of number thirteen.

Dir: Frank Beal

During a raging Montana snowstorm, Doctor Jim Barnes collapses at Esther Anderson's cabin door. Esther offers Jim refuge, but when he discovers that their food supplies are running dangerously low, he braves the journey into town in order to replenish them. On the way, he is overcome with exhaustion and fails to return. Esther, unaware of Jim's condition and abused by her stepfather, joins a theatrical troop and leaves home. Time passes and Jim finally finds Esther, but a vindictive member of her troupe accuses her of having an affair with the manager and Jim believes the accusation. He leaves and Esther goes to New York City where she becomes engaged to a jealous artist, although she still loves Jim. Sam Tuttle, a long time friend, is aware of Esther's continuing love, and so brings Jim to New York City in time to save Esther from an unhappy marriage.

Dir: Harley Knoles

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Mystery of Room 13 perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Jim McDonald, the foreman of a shipbuilding plant and head of the labor union, strives to combat the anarchistic propaganda being put forth by Klimoff, the leader of a Bolshevik gang whose goal is to disrupt the country with strikes and anarchy. Despite McDonald's efforts, a strike is called, resulting in chaos. McDonald's child is knocked down by runaway horses abandoned by their striking driver, and dies. Mob scenes take place in America, as well as in Russia. Eventually, the unrest is quelled with an armistice called between Capital and Labor for a year, during which time wages are to be increased to reflect the cost of living, and leaders are to work out a common plan for their mutual advantage. The strikers now realize that they have been pawns of the Bolsheviks and call off the strike, agreeing to the plan.

Dir: Charles Horan

While working as a flower girl in Devlin Maddox's nightclub, Nellie Vaughan meets wealthy young Pelton Van Teel and falls in love. Maddox, desirous of using Nellie to blackmail Van Teel, spreads a rumor that she is his mistress. This makes Nellie uncomfortable, and she demands that Van Teel marry her immediately, to which he agrees. Meanwhile, Van Teel has been losing money gambling to Maddox, who threatens to break up the marriage by producing a worthless check that the young husband has written. Venturing to Maddox's apartment for a showdown, Nellie pulls a gun and demands the check, accidentally shooting Maddox when he throws a lamp at her. Maddox plans to charge Nellie with assault, but when the police arrive, his butler, actually a detective employed by the elder Van Teel, exposes Maddox, who is then arrested, clearing the path for the couple's happiness.

Dir: George Ridgwell

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

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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: Bruno Ziener

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.