The Auteur's Selection Complementing the Tone of Conceit: Cult Guide

Dir: Dallas M. Fitzgerald

Confidence artist Flossie Golden attempts to fleece foolish but wealthy James Venable with a breach-of-promise suit. Venable's shrewd attorney, Richard Harding, outwits Flossie by proposing that she marry Venable and live on an allowance of $3,000 per year. Flossie is determined to get even with Harding for ruining her plans. In an attempt to con him, she poses as Innocence Page, but falls in love and marries him instead. Larry, Flossie's former accomplice, endeavors to blackmail her with her errant past, but Harding is already cognizant of the facts and Larry fails.

Dir: Harley Knoles

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.

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

Dir: William Parke

Bruce Wendell, the son of West Virginia coal mine owner James Wendell, graduates from West Point and prepares to lead a fighting unit to the front during World War I. As his father lies dying, however, he convinces Bruce to remain at home and guard the mine. Bruce's fiancée Ann Blair assumes that he is a coward and breaks off their engagement, but her brother Bobbie remains Bruce's loyal friend. Meyer, a German agent, persuades railroad president Parrish to refuse to transport Wendell's coal, but when Bruce adamantly refuses to close the mine, the spy's men decide to blow it up. While Ann is being abducted by Meyer, Bobbie is buried in an explosion at the mine. Bruce rescues Bobbie and then sends a plea to Lieutenant Parrish to rescue Ann. Meyer and his gang are captured and Ann renews her vow of love to Bruce.

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.

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

Dir: Bruno Ziener

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Burton George

Lieutenant Robert Graham, commanding the Northwest Mounted Police at an obscure post, announces to his young friend, Corporal Emerson, of the Mounted, that his daughter, Edith, is coming from London to join him. Marie Beaubin and her brother, Pierre, a trapper, live on the outskirts of the post. Marie repulses the advances of Batiste, a whiskey runner, but falls easy prey to Reginald Annesley, the prepossessing factor of the trading post. Edith comes, and Emerson and Annesley become rivals for her favor. Marie determines to end the repulsive advances of Batiste, and proposes to lead Emerson to the scene of his illegal liquor traffic. Emerson captures the half-breed and locks him in a cell. Marie visits Annesley and confesses her predicament, "I die if you do not marry me." Annesley laughs. Emerson learns of the truth and warns the factor, "Look out for the Law of the North. A broken promise means death up here." Annesley scornfully bids him mind his business. Batiste escapes from prison, and Emerson again searches for him, aided by Marie. Annesley sees his chance, and persuades Edith that the frequent meetings between the corporal and the girl can have but one meaning. seeing the two together, and realizing that Marie is aiding in the search for him. hastens to Pierre and tells him that Emerson is trifling with his sister's love. Pierre swears vengeance. Marie informs Annesley that she will tell Edith of his perfidy, and fearing that she will keep her threat, he kills her, placing a handkerchief with Emerson's initials near the body. Pierre finds his sister's frozen corpse and goes to the post to demand justice, presenting the handkerchief as evidence that Emerson is guilty. Emerson once more captures Batiste and brings him to the post, where he himself is placed under arrest. Visiting the scene of the crime some days later, Edith finds a photograph of Annesley and a baby shoe. With her father's permission, she invites Annesley to her cabin and there proceeds to entertain him. She plies him with wine, and under its influence, Annesley flings caution to the winds. He makes love to her, and in a burst of passion, confesses the murder of Marie as proof of his devotion. A shot rings out. Pierre, thirsting for vengeance, has been watching the cabin, hoping for a sight of Emerson, and has overheard Annesley's confession. Edith and the corporal are later married, while over Annesley's grave, an inscription tells that Marie's death has been avenged by "The Law of the North."

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

Dir: Burton George

Eve Ricardo, a society girl, is sent to live with her aunt in a New England village by her father, a speculator who has lost all his money. She is initially attracted to John Sheen until she discovers that he is a violent thug and bully. She then falls for writer Paul Armitage. Sheen does not take rejection well, and conspires with his sister, Nina Carey--who is married, whose husband is in India and who is in love with Paul--to discredit Paul and break up their romance.

Dir: Burton George

Giovanni Pallazzi, a former member of the Black Hand, an Italian criminal organization, comes to America with his blind daughter Lucia and prospers. Hearing of his success, his former associates demand that he aid in their support. Giovanni refuses, and the organization decrees that he must die. Luigi, the leader, comes to America and tries to force Lucia to marry him, but she refuses. While praying one night, her father is killed. Though blind, her hearing is acute and she notices a peculiar cadence in the walk of her father's slayer. Luigi now takes charge and forces her into the street to play her violin for gratuities. After she is picked up by the prosecuting attorney, her eyesight is restored by physicians. When the police apprehend Luigi, Lucia puts on a blindfold and is able to identify him as her father's killer by the sound of his step.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Eva, wo bist du? perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Burton George

After watching her mother die gradually from a broken heart, Roberta, an illegitimate child, decides to seek vengeance from her father Bradley, who ran away before she was born. Bradley is wealthy now, and so Roberta secures a job as his secretary and schemes to ruin his financial empire. Meanwhile, she becomes friends with the hunchback Orloaf. Because of his physical deformity, however, Orloaf feels that he cannot tell her he loves her, and because she was born out of wedlock, Roberta believes that she is not good enough for him. Then, carrying out her plan, Roberta burns down Bradley's riverfront warehouses. Full of remorse afterward, she writes Orloaf a note that expresses her love and then tries to kill herself. When he finishes reading the note, however, Orloaf rushes to Roberta and revives her, and then the couple begins making plans for their life together.

Dir: Maurice Elvey

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