The Auteur's Selection Complementing the Tone of Billy the Kid: Cul...

Dir: J.P. McGowan

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Edgar Jones

A mail-order bride arrives at a Maine lumber camp but doesn't like her prospective husband.

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

Dir: J.P. McGowan

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: J.P. McGowan

Thomas Emory, manager of a local branch of the Buckhorn and Antioch, finds one day that he is minus a position due to his negligence in office. In his place is appointed temporarily his former assistant, Gordon Holt. Later, on an unexpected trip to the branch office, General Coming, the president of the B.&A., and his private train are narrowly saved from accident by the act of one of the minor superintendents along the division, Dan Oakley. In reward for the deed of daring which shows to the company's president of what stuff the young mechanic is made, Oakley is made manager over the head of Holt. With the introduction of new blood into "the works" the old regime of banker's hours and shiftless work is dealt its death blow. As a consequence the radical young manager incurs the enmity of the editor of the Antioch Herald and the leader of the Labor Party, one Griffith Ryden, who stirs up the men against him. But in spite of opposition the new manager "makes her pay." Due to the activities of the Labor Leader, a strike is called. Although the subsequent turmoil, hunger and dissatisfaction among the strikers is distasteful to the fighting manager, he stands his ground and keeps up his record by means of the men who remain loyal. A personal bitterness grows up between Ryder and Oakley since Constance Emory, the daughter of old Thomas Emory, the former manager, has evinced an interest in both which sways from one to another as her father's sympathies vary. The strike culminates in the cutting of the pipes leading to the water tanks, which results in the explosion of an over-heated engine boiler and a fire. The journey for aid to the next town to get the fire-fighting apparatus through a roaring forest fire which threatens to lick up the puny train with its tongue of flame, falls to the brave young manager. On his return he has won not only the hearts of his men, but that of the beautiful Constance, who promises to become his partner for life.

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

Dir: Edward LeSaint

When famous opera singer Elinore Duane undergoes an operation on her throat, she has a series of ether-induced visions. In one, she is transported to ancient Rome where she appears as a much-admired woman in love with Paul, a young heretic, and at odds with Lutor, the high priest. To save her love, she poisons Lutor with her ring. After several other visions which involve variations on this love triangle, Elinore awakens to discover that Lutor is actually her doctor, Sascha Jaccard, and that Paul is the son of a friend who has come to visit the recovering prima donna.

Dir: Bruno Ziener

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: J.P. McGowan

A train that is carrying the formula for a valuable form of granulated gasoline disappears before it reaches its destination. Railroad investigators and the authorities try to determine where it is and who took it.

Dir: J.P. McGowan

Whispering Smith is a virile, fearless type of the true American whose theory of life is to give every man a chance to show what is in him. There is nothing of the bully or braggart about him. He is just a man who knows instinctively what is right and never falters in his steps to see that justice is given where it is deserved and crime punished on the same basis. Whispering Smith loved Marion, a carefree, beautiful Western girl. His love was that of the strong, clean-living man, who knows no physical danger, but is reticent and bashful in his love affairs. Lacking as a suitor the characteristics that made him esteemed and feared among his fellow-men, he was beaten out for her hand by Sinclair, a dashing devil-may-care sort of fellow among the women, but an unscrupulous and vindictive man at heart. Marion's life with Sinclair was not all joy and happiness. Slowly he was killing her love for him, but in the manner of his kind he believed that harshness was the way to rule women. When the story opens, Sinclair, who is foreman of a wrecking crew on a mountain section of a transcontinental railroad, is living in one of the company's cabins in the small division terminal, "Medicine Bend," a typical Western railroad and mining town. This town was located at the foot of a steep declivity, noted for the frequency of the wrecks occurring there, particularly among freight trains. The officials of the road were worried at the great number of the wrecks, but were more concerned with the robberies that took place after each collision. No trace of the thieves could be found. The railroad detectives had about given up in despair when Whispering Smith was sent to "Medicine Bend" to put an end to the robberies. Sinclair was never suspected. Smith, however, discovers soon after his arrival that Sinclair is the brains of the gang engaged in looting the freight cars. Smith, to save Marion the disgrace of having her husband branded as a thief, does not expose him, but causes the division superintendent, McCloud, to discharge him. Life for Marion soon becomes unbearable and she leaves him. This arouses to frenzy the desperate man, who plans to get revenge on the railroad by burning the "Smoky Creek" trestle. Assisted by several of the band who had been engaged in looting the cars, Sinclair sets fire to the trestle, causing a disastrous wreck. Smith, determined to capture the men responsible, discovers that Sinclair is at the bottom of the plot. Again his love for Marion induces him not to expose her husband until he talks with her. He effects a reconciliation between Sinclair and Marion and upon the former's promise to lead a better life and to leave "Medicine Bend," Whispering Smith lets him go with his wife, and the girl he still loves.

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

Dir: Robert N. Bradbury

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: J.P. McGowan

Two rival mountain clans that have been feuding for years begin a new battle over the moonshine whiskey trade. A young man and a girl from each of the different clans try to end the feud, and wind up falling for each other.