The Essential Watchlist that Capture the Essence of Fruits of Passion: Cult Guide

Dir: George Ridgwell

A headstrong but titled suffragette slips into the power of a murderous con artist.

Dir: George Ridgwell

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: George Ridgwell

An inspector and a private detective fight each other to dismantle a blackmail gang.

Dir: George Ridgwell

Young Buffalo sets out on the trail of a criminal sheriff who works recklessly and commits murders and holdups with considerable regularity and no evident fear.

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

Dir: George Ridgwell

A Secret Service man on the trail of counterfeiters.

Dir: George Ridgwell

Two women are waitresses in a cheap restaurant. None of the male customers ever look Tildy's way, while Aileen is the recipient of many attentions. One day one of the customers, who has lost his job and imbibed too freely, hugs and kisses Tildy. She is so elated she cannot keep her secret; takes various steps to beautify herself, and sees visions of future happiness. After a lapse of a few days, the customer reappears and apologizes for his disgraceful conduct, and departs leaving the poor waitress almost broken-hearted.

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

Dir: George Ridgwell

Count Giuseppe Rizzo, pressed by his creditors, marries June Baxter, heiress to a large fortune, for her money. As the wedding party emerges from the church, Phillipa Garrie, once mistress to the Count, but now cast aside, attempts to stab him. Humiliated, and realizing a. side of the Count's nature unknown to her, June secludes herself in her home and orders him out of her sight. To avoid notoriety, she leaves town to take up her home near the site of the plant left her by her father. Together, with Clay Foster, superintendent of the plant, she devotes her time to the welfare of her workmen. By threats of creating public scandal, the Count blackmails June, compelling the payments of large sums of money. As their work at the plant draws them closer together, the seeds of love take root within the breast of Clay Foster and with them a deep hatred for the Count, who refuses to give June a divorce. After a while, however, hard pressed by his creditors, and a heavy loser at gambling, the Count agrees to grant her a divorce if June will make a settlement upon him. June, determined, leaves for New York, and registers at the Count's hotel. Unbeknown to June, Clay Foster follows her to protect her from harm. The Count's demands upon June are staggering and she refuses to comply with them. The Count is enraged and June saves herself only by her presence of mind. Clay Foster enters the scene, and threatens to kill the Count if he does June any bodily harm. Adventure and complication follow each other in quick succession. Thirteen, the number on the door of .the Count's room in the hotel, has begun to cast its spell about. That night, the Count is murdered. Suspicion falls upon Clay, and he is arrested for the murder. Yet, as the numerous complications begin to untangle themselves, we find that the Count was killed, not by June, because of her fear of him alive; not by Clay, because of his hatred for him; not by Phillipa, because he had blighted her life; nor by Antonio, her father, who had sworn to take vengeance, but by one with no personal ties, urged on merely by the sight of the Count's winnings that night, and cursed by the awful spell, unable to escape the talons of number thirteen.

Dir: George Ridgwell

Sherlock Holmes investigates the murder of an amanuensis who clutches a pince-nez and whose last words were, "The professor--it was she."

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

Dir: George Ridgwell

Holmes faces an antagonist he declares is "the worst man in London." To what lengths will he go, accompanied as ever by the trusty Watson, to protect his client from a viscous blackmail plot?

Dir: George Ridgwell

A country girl runs away to town, and achieves success as an actress. A struggling actor desiring a part in her company visits her home town, absorbs local color, and on his return brings a faded rose from the girl's mother, and poses as one of her country neighbors with such success that the girl cancels all engagements and returns home. Then the actor decides to follow her.