Essential Cult Cinema Mirroring the Impact of Gambling Wives: Cult ...

Dir: Dell Henderson

Kid Kelly, a gangster in New York's Lower East Side, attempts to rob Goldberg's millinery store. When the police arrive, Flo Haines, who had come to the building to look at an apartment, hides. When the police find her, they charge her with the crime, but the Kid turns himself over to the law instead. After his release, he again meets Flo, who works in an artificial-flower factory by day and at Reverend Roberts' relief mission by night. The Kid soon falls in love with Flo, and his jealous sweetheart Mamie tricks her into coming to her apartment, where she drugs her and turns her over to Joe Carelli, the flower factory's lustful owner. The Kid saves Flo, but when Carelli is found murdered the next day, he is arrested for the crime. The confession of Annie, who had stabbed Carelli in a jealous rage, frees The Kid, who reforms himself and marries Flo.

Dir: Dell Henderson

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

Lucille Vale is in love with struggling architect Paul Arden, but her mother believes that Allen Granat is a more suitable match. Lucille's mother prevails, and Lucille leaves Paul a note in their secret hiding place saying that she is going to marry Allen. Paul is injured when thrown from a horse and does not receive the note. He is nursed back to health in the home of entomologist Thomas Wiggan, whose son Johnnie is in love with Marion Vale, Lucille's younger sister. Two years later, Lucille and Allen return to the estate, very much in love, and engage Paul's services. The note is found, still waiting in the secret hiding place. After many complications, and with the help of her friend Suzanne Russell, Lucille recovers the possibly incriminating note.

Dir: Dell Henderson

Pampered Frederic "Freddy" Pritchard, warned by his father that he must work or be disinherited, learns how to crack safes to help his girlfriend Gloria Nevins, whose villainous uncle holds security for the family jewels, as well as the right to vote on the disposition of the Nevins Motor Works. After Freddy steals the papers with the aid of his valet Smithson, Gloria's uncle locks him in a warehouse to prevent him from attending a crucial stockholders' meeting. Freddy escapes and saves the factory for Mrs. Nevins, who gives him power of proxy. Pritchard, Sr., pleased with his son, consents to Freddy's marriage to Gloria.

Dir: Bruno Ziener

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of By Hook or Crook perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Dell Henderson

Press agent J. Butterfield Conroy, known affectionately as "Butts," is left only $500 when his wealthy father dies--until he can show that he has been "of service to humanity" in a scientific capacity. In a New York restaurant, Butts meets Mary Bruce MacDowell when her uncle Angus, an entomologist, chases a butterfly around his table. Smitten with love, Butts follows Mary to Bug Hollow, a resort where the professor is searching for a rare insect. After losing all his money playing poker, Butts starts to walk to Manhattan, when he meets Frank Morrison, an acquaintance, who hires Butts to invent a reputation for him as a scientist so that the professor will allow him to court Mary. Although Butts is successful, Mary, loving Butts, refuses Morrison. After Butts rescues the professor from his burning laboratory, set on fire by Brazilian swindler Ybor Cavallo, the professor consents to Butts' and Mary's marriage and Butts is awarded the rest of his father's estate.

Dir: Dell Henderson

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Eva, wo bist du? perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

To prevent her niece from becoming an old maid, Beatrice Hammond's aunt stipulates in her will that the girl must be married by the age of eighteen or sacrifice a million dollar inheritance. Beatrice is in love with Ronald Farwell, but he has been called to fight against the Germans in France, so Beatrice approaches her guardian, Gerald Eversleigh, with a plan: Gerald will marry her, thus insuring that she will inherit the fortune, but divorce her as soon as Ronald returns. The wedding is staged, and all goes well until Gerald falls in love with his wife. Meanwhile, Ronald falls in love with a French nurse and, upon his return home, offers to pay Gerald to remain married to Beatrice. Gerald happily accepts the offer but refuses the money, and Beatrice discovers that she has loved her husband all along.

Dir: Dell Henderson

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Dell Henderson

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

Alice Avery, the orphaned daughter of an actress, is raised to adulthood in a small town by her strict Aunt Jane and Uncle Ezra. When artist Richard Danforth comes to town to rest, Alice falls in love with him. When he leaves, he promises that if Alice comes to New York he will care for her, so Alice decides to follow him there over the objections of her aunt and uncle, who want her to marry a local boy. In New York, Richard is surprised by her appearance and sends for Sarah, Alice's childhood guardian, to look after her. Nancy Arnold, one of Richard's models, is in love with him and jealous of Alice, and Alice is jealous of her. When Alice interrupts a quarrel between Richard and Nancy over her, she decides to run away and get a job on the stage. She becomes a famous actress and eventually is found by Richard, who realizes that he is in love with her. She then gives up the stage to become his wife.

Dir: Dell Henderson

Stubborn Emily Delmar sneaks out of the house to go to a nightclub, and when she discovers that she has left her house keys at home, decides to spend the evening at the apartment of Richard Trotter, a young man who is pursuing her. Trotter comes home to find her there, and proceeds to take her to the house of her Aunt Geraldine. On the way there they stop at a beachfront hotel for dinner, and Emily, not ready to go to her aunt's house just yet, hatches a scheme to stay overnight and have a swim. Unfortunately, her Aunt Geraldine and Herbert Threadgold, a rival for Emily's affections, arrive at the hotel, see Richard and Emily there and assume "the worst". Complications ensue.

Dir: Dell Henderson

Helene De Travillac, a sweat little French girl, loves her handsome cousin, Andre D'Eguzon, but a scheming aunt has engaged her to Valentin LeBarroyer, a methodical, statistic-loving "stick," but wealthy. On the wedding morning Andre suddenly appears on the scene and pleads with Helene. She hesitates, a little, tears off her veil and flees with her lover to her old home in the country. There her grandmother makes the natural mistake of thinking Andre is the husband. The resulting complications are amusing. Finally arrives the discarded Valentin, hunting for his bride. When he dins her he proves himself a man, and "The Beautiful Adventure" ends happily for the lovers.