Visionary Picks Drawn from the Same DNA as Dawn: Cult Guide

Dir: J. Stuart Blackton

A young Englishman falls in love with the children's governess in his stepsister's home. His stepsister, however, cannot abide the class differential in the romance and sabotages it. The young man, in a state of boredom and depression, begins to invite into the house anyone who happens to pass by in the street.

Dir: J. Stuart Blackton

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of My Husband's Other Wife perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Popular actress Adelaide Hedlar, cherishes her career and ambitions more than a home and children, much to the chagrin of her husband, Dr. Mark Ridgewell. Following their divorce, Mark goes West, meets country girl Nettie Bryson and marries her. Meanwhile, Adelaide refuses to marry playwright Wilifred Dean until she is certain that her husband has remarried. Upon discovering Mark's marriage, she decides to win him back and subsequently travels West, meets Nettie and determines to regain Mark's love. On the verge of accomplishing her goal, Adelaide realizes Nettie's devotion to her husband and repents, informing the girl that Mark's former wife is dead.

Dir: J. Stuart Blackton

The plot revolves around two rival towns in the Canadian Northwest, which are connected only by a bridge. Ingolby, a determined, idealistic engineer, is saved from destruction by the wild-eyed Fleda Druse, whose father is the local gypsy monarch.

Dir: J. Stuart Blackton

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

A wealthy financier is tricked by a pair of spies into giving millions to foreign powers. His daughter is suspicious and hires a Detective, who is able to foil the foreign agent's plans. Meanwhile, the daughter has fallen in love with a fellow from the enemy camp, but all ends well as his true identity is revealed as a member of the U.S. secret service.

Dir: J. Stuart Blackton

An Earl's cousin survives drowning and saves a lady from the Great Fire of London.

Dir: J. Stuart Blackton

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

Rich Southerner John Stanley Hale meets flirtatious actress Elizabeth Roddard, she induces him to marry her, but after several days of quarreling, he flees to Russia. After John's vessel is sunk in mid-ocean and he is reported dead, Elizabeth convinces her destitute and ailing friend Betty Blair to pose as John's widow in order to inherit his fine home in Alabama. Betty complies and becomes indispensable to Mrs. Hale, who is despondent over her son's death and has become the victim of scheming relatives. One day, John returns, and discovering that Betty has protected his mother from his greedy relations, falls in love with her. Elizabeth then reveals that her marriage was never legal and that he is free to marry his "proxy wife."

Dir: J. Stuart Blackton

Enemy agents under the leadership of "Emanon" conspire with pacifists to keep the American defense appropriations down at a time when forces of the enemy are preparing to invade. The invasion comes, and New York, Washington, and other American cities are devastated.

Dir: J. Stuart Blackton

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

Eugene Solari is fanatically jealous of his beautiful wife Enid. While on a mission for her father, she visits Major Trevor. Her husband finds out and, enraged, rushes to Trevor's house. Enid tries to beat him there to warn Trevor, but is too late--when she gets there Eugene shoots her and then kills himself, but not before he names Trevor as his killer. Trevor is arrested for his murder. A foreign agent, wanting a secret formula that Trevor is in possession of, kidnaps Enid and gets word to Trevor that he will clear Trevor's name and return Enid to him if Trevor will give him the secret formula.

Dir: J. Stuart Blackton

Orphan Mary Lord, the ward of Sir Arthur Stanhope of Parliament, is attracted to Philip Carmichael, a young politician, who ignores her and goes through a supposedly mock marriage at a wild party with actress Sheelah Delayne. Years later, Philip falls in love with Mary, now married to Sir Arthur, who dies from a stroke when he sees Philip and Mary together. Remorseful, they try to keep apart but eventually marry in France. Later, Sheelah confronts Philip with their son and proof that they are married. When Philip is arrested for bigamy, Mary testifies, to her humiliation, that she and Philip are not married, and then disappears. After her son dies, Sheelah goes to France as a canteen worker and finds Mary wandering in a daze. Feeling pity, Sheelah has her marriage annulled and sends for Philip. When Mary hears soldiers sing a song she used to sing to Philip, she recognizes Philip and they resume their marriage.

Dir: J. Stuart Blackton

Big Steve and Little Lefty, a pair of hobos, are happily drifting through life until the First World War comes. They enter it and find their lives forever changed.