The Essential Watchlist that Capture the Essence of Easy Money: Cult Guide

Dir: Travers Vale

When lawyer Philip Wentworth goes hunting in the woods to escape a broken heart, he meets and later marries Joan Travers. Philip brings Joan to the city, but soon deserts her to resume an affair with his old flame, who is now married. Some months later, Joan dies of grief, leaving her baby daughter, also named Joan, to be raised by a pawnbroker and his wife. Eventually Philip helps his mistress to obtain a divorce and then marries her. Her son, Norman Dicks, flunks out of college, prompting Philip to send him into the Navy. Before he ships out, however, he meets and secretly marries Joan, who has grown to womanhood. Some time later, Joan is accused of murder after their baby dies because she was unable to care for it. She is taken before Judge Wentworth, who recognizes her as his daughter by the cross she wears around her neck. Norman returns home and the family is reunited.

Dir: Travers Vale

Christine Brent, living with her father in a small Texas town, is wooed by Maurice Maxwell, an unscrupulous New York businessman. Christine rejects Maxwell's advances, befriending instead Carl Randolph, a young man who seeks refuge in her cabin after shooting a Mexican for insulting the American flag. Christine gives Carl money and advises him to go East, which he does. Left helpless after her father is injured in a crippling accident, Christine agrees to marry Maxwell so that her father can live in comfort. Brent, however, demoralized, kills himself and soon after, Maxwell and Christine move to New York. Stung by her husband's constant abuse, Christine learns to hate Maxwell, and when Maxwell hires Carl, now a successful attorney, as his counsel, Christine feels her old love rekindled. Unscrupulous as ever, Maxwell robs the inventor Brinkeroff of a valuable patent, and then murders him. Brinkeroff's wife Metta, suspecting Maxwell of her husband's murder, secures a job in the Maxwell home to obtain evidence against him. Her prudence is rewarded when she overhears Maxwell admit to the crime, and outraged, she kills him but is acquitted by a sympathetic jury. All obstacles now cleared from their path, Christine and Carl begin a new life together.

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

Dir: Travers Vale

After John Cuddlestone, an officer in the Queen's regiment, is accused by his brother Andrew of cheating at cards, he leaves England in humiliation. In India, he marries a Hindu woman, but shortly after their son is born, John is killed in a tiger hunt. Young Lorin is placed in the care of Buddhist priests, and on his twenty-first birthday, he is released from the temple and given his father's papers. Learning of John's disgrace, Lorin is filled with the desire for revenge and immediately sets out for England. Nan, a girl whom he saved from slavery, resolves to follow the man she loves and steals the sacred eye of Buddha, a precious gem, to pay for her passage. In England, Lorin earns renown in society circles as a swami. One of his clients is Andrew's ward, Lady Elsie Drillingcourt, whose fortune Andrew is rapidly squandering. Lorin catches his uncle cheating at cards, and when the old man realizes the swami's identity, he dies of shock. Lady Elsie recovers her money, while Nan, who has been pursued by angry Buddhist priests, returns the sacred gem and then journeys back to India as Lorin's wife.

Dir: Travers Vale

Violet Galloway, in charge of her grandfather's home, was accustomed to bossing things. But when she married Roger Kendall she was petted and pampered and had hardly anything to do outside of looking pretty and being well dressed. So she became discontented. At this time George W. Graham, a former lover, made violent love to her. Graham was district attorney and Kendall was Graham's assistant. Kendall was prosecuting the gamblers, but Graham tried to call him off when political pressure was brought to bear. The gamblers decided to "get" Kendall. Graham knew of the secret and a man who had been befriended by Violet found this out. The man sent a note to Violet. She risked everything by getting Graham to come to her home and was learning the secret from him when the murderer hired by the gamblers shot and killed Graham, thinking he was Kendall. Kendall, being told what his wife had done for him, turns out his maiden aunts, who created much of the trouble, and he and his wife are happy once more.

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

Dir: Travers Vale

On the promise of marriage, Sylvia Smith, a simple girl from Lone Meadows, follows her lover to the city only to discover that he already has a wife. While wandering along the docks, Sylvia stumbles onto a suicide note written by Fitzhugh Castleton, a wealthy gentleman who has planted the note to avoid a loveless marriage. Rather than go back to Lone Meadows humiliated, Sylvia pays Crosby, a convicted forger, to impersonate Castleton, forge his name in a marriage ceremony, then disappear. Once Sylvia installs herself in the Castleton mansion, Castleton returns from a sea voyage and, disguised by a long beard, hires on as the gardener. Castleton soon becomes enamored of the impostor widow and she falls in love with him, but neither one will admit his deception to the other. When Crosby shows up and demands blackmail money, Sylvia slips away to the country. Through the jealous interference of Crosby's wife, Castleton discovers the truth about Sylvia and goes to Lone Meadows to marry her.

Dir: Travers Vale

Louis La Farge journeys to a little Alsatian village and there makes love to a pretty shepherdess named Marie Beaupre. Following his departure, Marie is cast out of the village, and, forced to survive in the mountains alone, she goes mad. On a hunting trip, hypnotist Dr. Cochefort and his friend Delaunay meet the "witch woman," as she is called, and take her to Paris, where she is cured and then named the heir to Delaunay's fortune. Her adopted guardian introduces her to Louis's twin brother Maurice, and she, believing him to be Louis, flirts with him while searching for an opportunity to obtain revenge. Andrea Montignac, Louis's mistress, begs Marie to give him up, not realizing that it is Maurice who courts her, and, at a masked ball, Marie announces that Louis and Andrea are engaged. Louis only laughs and seizes Marie, whereupon Andrea shoots him. When Maurice enters, both women realize their mistake, and Andrea commits suicide. Maurice then gives Marie his forgiveness and his love.

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

Dir: Travers Vale

When a woman becomes ill and dies on a journey through Pennsylvania with her little daughter, the girl is adopted by a local group of Shakers. In a nearby village, Scott Mallory becomes paralyzed while trying to save his fiancée, Faith Palmer, from drowning, but she loses interest in him and breaks the engagement, leaving him broken and bitter. Scott and Hopama, the Shaker girl, are brought together when Mrs. Mallory, on a visit to the Shaker community, offers to adopt the girl, whose high spirits and love of music are considered sinful by the sect. Under Hopama's influence, Scott regains his faith in life, and later a famous surgeon cures his paralysis. Because Hopama's background is unknown, however, Mrs. Mallory resolves to thwart the romance and tells her that Scott still loves Faith. Bewildered, Hopama runs away and becomes a famous violinist. Scott finds her and professes his love, and Mrs. Mallory, having learned that Hopama is actually Hope Palmer, Faith's sister, finally blesses her son's marriage.

Dir: Travers Vale

Betty Fairchild decides to follow the advice of her mother and marry for money. Thus, when Tom Connolly arrives from the West with his fortune, she accepts his proposal even though she does not love him. The idealistic Tom is completely disillusioned when he learns why his wife married him and promptly leaves her. Rupert Brantley, a wealthy cad, seizes this opportunity to win Betty, but she gradually realizes that she has been wrong and repulses him. One day a letter from Tom's mother arrives and Betty innocently opens it. It contains letters and a photograph of a man who betrayed Tom's sister, with a plea to Tom to avenge the family. Recognizing the man as Brantley, Betty rushes to his apartment to warn him and thus prevent her husband from becoming a murderer, but Tom follows her and accuses her of infidelity. To prevent a fight, Betty remains silent. When she returns home, however, she shows Tom his mother's letter, which leads to a reconciliation between them.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of A Self-Made Widow perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Travers Vale

Told by her aunt Annabelle that she will be disinherited unless she earns her own living for a year, party going Sybil Drew sets out for New York, armed only with $125 and a sincere determination to succeed. Relaxing in the Plaza Hotel lobby, Dr. Ross Alger catches sight of Sybil at the registration desk and is strongly attracted to her, but because of her faltering manner, he begins to suspect that she is a crook. Following a difficult search for work, Sybil becomes a companion to the eccentric Oleander Berwick, who lives in the apartment above Ross's quarters. Although Ross's attraction has turned into love, circumstantial evidence convinces him that Sybil is a thief, and the situation becomes even worse for her when Miss Berwick's nephew Paul tries to seduce her. Miss Berwick dismisses Sybil, who soon afterwards is hit by a taxi. Mistaking her identity, a nurse has the girl taken to the home of Mrs. Alva Penfield, who operates a disreputable gambling establishment. Following several more adventures, Ross rescues Sybil and finally, realizing that she is not a crook, proposes to her.

Dir: Travers Vale

Vesta Wheatley and Dick Mortimer have been friends from childhood, but when he declared his love and asks her to marry him, she tells him their friendship is too pleasant to spoil it by love-making. John Randolph, a wealthy city man, is attracted to Vesta and a romance develops which culminates in a quiet wedding. Although Vesta is happy she enjoys tasting of worldly pleasures unknown to her. However, after a short fling she returns to her husband with increased love and respect. Unable to stand village life, after Vesta's marriage, Dick comes to the city. He and Vesta meet by chance and he avails himself of her invitation to call. John, returning home unexpectedly, is surprised to find Dick talking to his wife; he recalls a scene in the country before his marriage, when he saw Dick making love to Vesta. However, he hides his suspicions and he and his wife go to their country lodge. Beset by thoughts of Vesta, Dick follows and during her husband's absence, enters the lodge. Vesta resents his declaration of love, and hearing a noise on the outside, begs him to leave before her husband returns. The door is burst open and Skinny, a gangster, enters. In the struggle that ensues Dick is killed by Skinny. Vesta grabs the pistol and holding Skinny at bay, prepares to call the police, but Skinny tells her that she bad better think before phoning, as the news will create a scandal. Cowed by his threats, Vesta is compelled to watch in silence as he drags Dick's lifeless body away. Although her husband suspects nothing, Vesta is haunted with memories of Dick's murder, and Skinny, by frequent blackmail, helps keep alive the memory. At last she feels that she can bear it no longer and when Skinny comes with a demand for an enormous sum, she seizes a pistol and kills him. She then phones to the police, telling them she is alone in the house and hears a burglar entering; there is a pistol in her husband's room. The burglar is approaching, what shall she do? The officer tells her to hold the burglar off until help comes. With the receiver down, she fires a shot into the air. When the officers arrive they pronounce the killing is self-defense, and Vesta is happy with her husband, knowing that her tormentor is out of the way.