Curated Recommendations Seeking the Same Brilliance as Draft 258: Cult Guide

Dir: Christy Cabanne

Gerald, the somewhat frail son of a wealthy New York family, is bested at the beach by Bill, a strapping young cowboy from Arizona. His fiancée Mary, ashamed of his "yellow streak", leaves him and goes by train to visit some friends in Arizona, with Bill in tow. Gerald follows them, and he and Mary wind up captured by Yaqui Indians and Gerald must prove to Mary that he is not the "weakling" she thinks he is by coming up with a plan for them to escape their captors.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

Phillips Christy, a strait-laced amateur sociologist from a wealthy family, subscribes to the theory that people are shaped by their environments. When he fall in love with Diane, a showgirl from the Follies, he sees a chance to prove that his theory is correct: he will marry her and mold her to be "cultured" and "sophisticated." However, fate intervenes to put a crimp in his plans.

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

Dir: Christy Cabanne

In Mexico, a humble peon has great difficulty retaining his small farm because of the greediness of those controlling the government. While he is in another town, two federal officials search for loot in his cottage and attack his two sisters. The elder, lame from birth, shoots herself rather than succumb to their lust. Her 14-year-old sister loses her mind and dies after telling her brother what occurred. The peon vows vengeance and is branded an outlaw by the frightened officials. After he escapes from jail with help from an old family servant, he is aided in eluding his pursuers by Americans traveling in a covered wagon. Years later, the outlaw, now the commander-in-chief of the Constitutionalist Army, wins many victories and kills one of the officials who attacked his sisters. When he learns that the Americans who helped him are in trouble, he leads a cavalry charge to rescue their wagon train from being attacked by revolutionists. He recognizes one of the attackers as the other official and is about to exact vengeance as the film ends.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

While with the French Foreign Legion in Algeria, Lt. Dubois seduces the lovely Zora, leaving her with a child and his medal for bravery. Sheik Achmed generously befriends Zora, and when she is killed in an accident he raises her son, El Rabb, as his own, and soon El Rabb and Achmed's biological son Bel Khan become best friends. Years later Lt. Dubois, now a general, is dispatched to Algeria to crush a revolt led by El Rabb and Bel Khan--and he doesn't know that El Rabb is his son--who wears his father's medal around his neck.

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

Dir: Christy Cabanne

Naive country girl Jigs Blodgett makes friends with Gene Giles, the nephew of a wealthy judge. Shady John Harland is courting the judge's daughter Blanche because of her father's money and position. To amuse herself, Blanche invites Jigs to a party with her "sophiscated" friends, intending to humiliate and embarrass Jigs. Things don't quite go the way Blanche planned.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

The home of Mrs. Bryson and her two daughters is happy except for the poverty that prevents the girls from sending their sick mother away to the mountains. Both help to support the household, but it is Shirley who feels the responsibility of her mother's approaching death and her worry is evident to all about her. She is employed in a manicure shop frequented by wealthy men and meets Wilfred Templeton, who invites her to dine with him. He questions her about her dejected air and she tells him of her mother's illness. This is Templeton's opportunity, and he asks her to make a bargain with him. He will give her all the money she needs and in return she is to live with him in an apartment which he will establish for her. Shirley refuses, but when her mother grows worse she yields and leads her mother and her sister to believe that she has married Templeton and Mrs. Bryson is happy. When James Lowery, the butler in Shirley's new home, finds that she is not married to Templeton, he forces his way into her boudoir when she is dressing. With the greatest difficulty Shirley repulses him. She informs Templeton and Lowery is discharged. Everything runs smoothly until Shirley invites her sister to visit her. Emma wants to see this wonderfully generous husband. Shirley is unable to conceal her secret, and Emma wrings a confession from her. The news so preys upon Emma's mind that she is unable to keep it a secret from her mother. Stricken at her child's dishonor, Mrs. Bryson gives up her battle for life. Shirley leaves Templeton and goes to work as a cabaret entertainer. Lowery again forces his attentions upon her. He openly insults her and a young man at a nearby table comes to her rescue. The man is Harold Templeton, "Wilfred's son, who is the "black sheep" of the family, and is living away from home. The acquaintance finally ripens into real affection. The young people are married, but their happiness is clouded by the girl's fear that her husband will discover the truth about her past life. The expected happens when Wilfred Templeton forgives his son and comes to call on him and his bride. Shirley and her husband's father are brought face to face, and their manner accuses them before either makes a confession. Harold turns against his wife. Later, however, his better nature asserts itself, and he drives his father away. Realizing Shirley's mistake was made, not for her own sake, but for her mother's, he forgives her and takes her into his arms.

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

Dir: Christy Cabanne

The Prologue shows man as 'Power,' garbed in Greek-classic costume, standing at the parting of life's highway. One road leads to 'Success' - the other to ''Failure'. He (Power) is confronted by a figure emblematic of 'Pleasure,' who points out to him "the easiest way," then 'Ignorance' leads him to the end of the road. where 'Destruction' stands. The classic figures disappear and the story begins: 'Power-The Absentee' leaves his factory in charge of his manager 'Might." who wrecks the property in order that his wife, 'Extravagance," and his daughter, 'Vanity,' may devote themselves to lives of selfish pleasure. It is only when 'Justice,' the office stenographer. forces 'Power' to right the harm done to his employees that he sees the error in believing that 'Might' is right. Then comes the realization that 'Justice' should go hand-in-hand with 'Power," and so they are wed, and 'Ambition,''Opportunity' and 'Success' array themselves on his side.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

Rich, spoiled social butterfly Pamela Sayre lives the good life with her two maiden aunts. Bertie Holden, the somewhat slacker son of a wealthy couple, is in love with Pamela, who seems to prefer muscular, daredevil-type men, which Bertie definitely isn't. Pamela flirts with the wealthy but much older Charles Van Gordon in order to make Bertie jealous, but her plan seems to backfire.

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

Dir: Christy Cabanne

A poor Russian girl's beauty leads her unscrupulous uncle to bring her to the United States. There he is going to sell her into a marriage with a rich old man she has never met. But her lover, an returning immigrant visiting Russia from the U.S., sails on the same ship. When they arrive he learns, to his surprise, that the American police, unlike those of his native country, are not oppressors of the poor, but friends that will aid in securing the release of his beloved Maria.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

Romeo and Juliet type story loosely based upon the famed Hatfield/McCoy feud.