Masterpiece Selection that Capture the Essence of Dorian's Divorce: Cult Guide

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According to Richard Standhope's will, his daughter Laura and her long-lost twin brother Larry must be reunited by a certain date or the estate will revert to her avaricious guardian, Andrew Brean. Following Standhope's death, Laura and her sweetheart, Jim Watson, read in her deceased mother's diary that Andrew had broken up the Standhopes' marriage soon after the twins' birth by unjustly accusing Mrs. Standhope of infidelity. Laura was then sent to boarding school, while little Larry, placed in his father's care, was neglected and later became a thief. As Laura and Jim ponder Larry's whereabouts, the house is robbed by none other than Larry, now called "the Kid," and his cohort "the Snail." Reunited, the twins arrange to meet Andrew at a local restaurant. Fearful of losing the estate, Andrew and his henchmen attack Jim and the twins, but in the end, Laura and Larry arrive at the will reading in time to save their fortune.

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A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of When Broadway Was a Trail perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

The story deals with the coming of Henry Minuet, the son of the governor of New Amsterdam, to Danvers, now Salem, Mass., for the sake of buying grain for the helpless colony that he represents. Accidentally he sees Priscilla Elliott, the daughter of Danvers' physician, and while they do not speak the same language, they love each other from the start. Though Miss Elliott is sought for by Salvation Hibbens, she does not care for him because he is helpless away from his mother's apron strings. Then, too, she cares too much for Henry Minuet, and when her father dies, Salvation's mother tried to force her to marry Salvation through threats, but fails. The mother then makes trouble for Priscilla by having her declared a witch and while she is shunned by Danvers' society, she cares little, because Henry is with her. Finally the both of them are put in prison. A messenger comes from his father to learn what has been his fate. As soon as the governor of Danvers learns the name of the prisoner, he orders him set at liberty, but he has escaped in the meantime. Because of the escape, the mayor informs the Dutch messenger that he will not have anything to do with the colony of New Amsterdam under any circumstances. The soldiers capture Henry, while Priscilla is away. But Henry manages to inform her that it is best that she go and live at his father's house in New Amsterdam. Priscilla obeys, and leaves Henry, who, in the mean time, is released from prison and sent home. On his way to New Amsterdam, he meets Priscilla, who does not feel at home in his father's house, because his parents plan that Henry should marry Gretchen. Seeing that neither in Danvers nor in New Amsterdam could both of them find the peace and happiness that their love entitles them to, so they decide that by themselves, away from their friends they will find the happiness that only true love can give.

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The story relates how a hunchback in revenge against a woman who has repulsed him, lures her stepdaughter to the stage and assists her to become a dancer. The girl, whose name is Elaine, has two lovers, for one of whom, John Butler, she forms a sincere attachment. Her stepmother goes to see her dance, and the hunchback, still enraged at her, murders the woman. The hunchback goes mad and is killed by falling from a cliff. Butler, Elaine's lover, is accused of killing him. but Elaine clears him of the charge by proving the hunchback was the murderer of her stepmother. Elaine and Butler find that their mutual loves will make them happy in marriage.

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

Although Margaret "Peg" Martyn of the Carolina territory loves Terry, a poor poet, her father, Sir Wyndham Martyn, wishes her to marry the ancient Arthur Elliott. At the engagement party, Peg's wish that "the pirates might get her" comes true when Captain Bones and his men ransack Martyn's estate and carry Peg off to their ship. The most vicious mate of the crew, Flatnose Tim, wants to kill Peg, so to save herself, she feigns death. The pirates are about to bury her in their secret treasure cave when she fools them into believing that she is a ghost. After Tim discovers her deception, however, she is taken back to the ship, where Terry, now commanding his own ship and crew, rescues her. Impressed with Terry's bravery, Sir Martyn finally blesses the poet's marriage to his daughter, after which the couple returns to the cave to retrieve the pirate treasure.

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Howard Fiske is to marry June Paige, but in losing his fortune, she is forced to marry Bracken, a wealthy investor. Fiske reads Boccaccio's "Federigo's Falcon," and in a dream sequence we see the story enacted. The book inspires Fiske to take June back against all odds.

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

Phoebe Lester, a little country girl, whispers to her pet hen, "You've laid an egg for a man from New York. Ain't you proud?" and while taking breakfast to Philip, the new boarder, who came from that distant place, she gazes at him as if he has come from an unknown land. Returning to the city with a newfound love and regained health, Philip struggles to sell his poems to bring his "egg" girl to her New York. In the meantime, Phoebe's brown hen proves to be a golden one, and her egg money buys a ticket to Philip and her Wonderland. On the train, Laura, a flashily-dressed woman, meets Phoebe and, tempting her with a nice new dress, takes her to her house. There, Owen, a former employer of Philip, is fascinated by her simplicity. Such grandeur and strange "fizzy" drinks overwhelm her, but Providence intervenes, when the little brown hen hops into the street with Phoebe scrambling after. A big-hearted policeman finds her and takes her to Philip, and acts as "bridesmaid" at their wedding. Their little home, built on much love and little food, is brightened by the adoption of Johnny, an abandoned baby, that Philip finds on the dumbwaiter. Johnny brings good luck and Philip secures a good job through Owen and in nicer quarters their cup of happiness seems to be full, when Owen, to further his ends, contrives to get Philip to gamble with borrowed money. Phoebe, convinced by trickery, that Philip is unfaithful, is heart-broken and believes that love and her New York are unreal after all. But, the yielding, grief-stricken country girl awakens Owen's better self, and with his help the unhappy household is reunited.

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Because she has been dishonored by playboy John Radon, Stella Dean, a simple country girl, flees to the city to hide her guilt. There she develops a reputation as a profligate member of the chorus line, and eventually obtains great wealth as the courtesan known as the Black Nightingale. One day she meets Milton Taylor, an artist from her home town who knew her when she was an innocent country girl, and he prevails upon her to pose as his model of the Madonna. Stella agrees and is cleansed by the experience. When Milton discovers Stella's reputation, however, he begins to drink and leaves her, his illusions shattered. Repentant, Stella converts her mansion into a refuge for foundlings and returns to her home town of Pleasantville where, her soul cleansed, she is reconciled with Milton.

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

A Nihilist Russian, Olga Petcoff goes after her younger sister killer, only to find herself being the romantic interest of several military men willing to wage war to win her heart.

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A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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George Arden and his wife, Jeanette, enter a deserted house in the woods and Jeanette, in a weakened condition is placed by her husband on a straw-covered cot. He then hastens to camp for a doctor. As he is going past a saloon in the town, he is hit in the head by a stray bullet. He falls prostrate to the ground where he is later found by Joe, a Canadian half-breed, who, with the aid of three friends, tries to stop the flow of blood. Joe goes to the cabin where he sees that Jeanette has given birth to a child and is in a dying condition. The crowd from the dance hall is homeward bound when the light from the cabin attracts their attention and some of the women enter. Louise picks up the infant and another woman bends down over the still form of the mother. Next day we see George in the back room of the saloon. His reason is gone and he has lost the power of speech. He finds a cave and draws back into it for refuge. Joe is appointed godfather at the christening of the motherless infant. He says, "She came to us like the autumn wind. Let her name be Autumn." There is a lapse of fifteen years. Autumn has been brought up by her godfather. Outside the Golden Eagle Saloon stands "Nobody." Right below his eye is a scar from a bullet wound. In the gambling room of the Eagle saloon we see Kate, her lingers covered with diamonds. At the other end of the table sits a gambler known as Diamond Jack, with whom she is apparently in love. The scene shifts to the headquarters of the Royal Mounted Police, where Trooper Dick is told that a Chinaman, Hop Lee, has been trying for fifteen years to find George Arden. Dick is given an old-fashioned photograph with an autograph of George Arden and is assigned by his captain to make a search for the missing miner. Dirk arrives at Camp Eldora and makes the acquaintance of "Autumn." Joe induces Diamond Kate to provide a fine dress for Autumn, so that she can go to the ball that evening to attract customers. Dick proceeds to the dance hall and presently Autumn, clad in the new dress Kate has given her, comes in to watch the game. Dick and Autumn recognize each other. Thinking he is unnoticed, Jack spins the wheel quickly and moves his hand to the corner of the table to pull off a crooked deal. As Jack's hand disappears underneath the edge of the table we see Dick grasp it and hold it in a firm grip. With his other hand Jack draws a gun and shatters the lamp chimney, putting the house in almost total darkness. Autumn hides behind the shutter. A group of men move toward her holding on high the apparently lifeless body of Dick, which they throw into the river below. Autumn rouses "Nobody" and draws him toward the rapids, where they throw a rope to Dick, who has revived. By an investigation of the contents of a crevice in the wall of the cave in which "Nobody" lives Dick learns the identity of the mysterious person. Kate the next day watches Jack leave the saloon and follows him. Joe meanwhile leads Autumn up to the cross-road of the trail leading to Frenchy's cabin, where he has promised Jack to bring her. Kate sees Jack enter the cabin. He draws Autumn to him and kisses her passionately. Kate opens the door and dashes the contents of the pepper castor into Autumn's face. It blinds her. She then fires at Jack. Dick, walking along the trail, turns quickly as he hears the shot. Kate presses the gun into Autumn's hand and disappears into the next room. Dick enters and sees that Autumn still holds the hot revolver in her hand. Kate returns to the room with a surprised expression and Dick takes from her shoulders the shawl which shows a smoking hole through which the bullet had passed. Dick question the two girls and each denies her guilt. The crowd insists that Jack must be avenged and clamor to have both women hanged. A man seizes a coiled lariat from the wall and the mob leads the two girls to a tree nearby. Dick dispatches a boy to ride to headquarters to summon the mounted police. A horse is led under the hanging noose and as the mob makes a dash at the terrified women Dick holds up his hand and says. "Wait. The gallows shall decide between them; the innocent shall hang the guilty." Then addressing Kate, he says, "You say you are innocent. Are you prepared to hang this woman?" Kate shouts, "Fling the murderess on the horse at once and give me the whip." The mounted police are now in sight. Dick puts the same question to Autumn, asking her if she is prepared to hang Kate. Autumn moans, "I cannot." Dick exults at Autumn's answer and says to the crowd, "Judge for yourselves who is the guilty one." Kate makes a dash to escape through the crowd, which yells, "Hang the murderess." The mob gets Kate away from Dick. The mounted police pull up their horses and raise their rifles. The noose is about Kate's neck and the mob are about to draw it. Six rifles blaze away. The rope is severed and Kate falls fainting upon the horse's neck. Dick delivers his prisoner to the mounted police. Later we see Dick at the headquarters with "Nobody." Hop Lee enters and "Nobody" gives no sign of recognition. Captain Mills, who is on duty, questions both men searchingly. The surgeon declares it to be a case of lost memory resulting from a bullet wound which a successful operation will cure. Two weeks later "Nobody's" memory has been restored. He knows he is George Arden, but the past fifteen years remain a blank. He recalls that he left his wife in an old abandoned cabin near Camp Elora, but believes that this only happened yesterday. Dick takes "Nobody" to the old cabin in an effort to solve the mystery and "Nobody" remembers the cabin. Joe is prowling around the woods with his gun and with him is Autumn. Autumn, seeing the two men, approaches to ascertain what they want. "Nobody" sees her coming and takes her for his wife. A light dawns upon Dick. He summons Joe and asks, "Where is the girl's mother?" Joe answers, "She died here fifteen years ago." Then he points to her grave through the window. The mystery is solved and Dick makes his report to headquarters. A year later Dick and Autumn plan their marriage.