Editor's Top Picks Following the Footsteps of Garments of Truth: Cu...

Dir: George D. Baker

A gypsy girl whose mother committed suicide after being seduced and abandoned by a rich man finds herself twenty years later being wooed by the same man.

Dir: George D. Baker

The disgrace and suicide of her father drives Eleanore Marston from her comfortable existence into a life as a department store clerk in New York. There she meets wealthy Powers Fiske, who offers her a life of luxury if she will consent to an operation on her brain which would deprive her of her memory. Eleanore agrees, and after the operation, Fiske is horrified to learn he has robbed her of her individuality and that she has become cruel, selfish and remorseless. Dr. Trow, a friend of Fiske, hypnotizes Eleanore to learn of her previous incarnations. Eleanore first remembers herself as a heartless Viking woman, then progresses to a Borgian princess, ending as a woman persecuted as a witch in Salem. Continuing to exercise his power over her, Trow draws Eleanore to the edge of a cliff. They are followed by Henry Johnson, one of Eleanore's compatriots from the department store, who traced the girl to Fiske's house. At Eleanore's plea for help, Johnson leaps upon Trow and the two plunge to their death over the cliff. Fiske arrives just in time to lead Eleanore back to the house. He appeals to a great scientist who restores her memory by means of a second operation, and Eleanore then becomes Fiske's bride.

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

Dir: George D. Baker

An imperious Egyptian princess awakens from a 3000-year trance and wreaks comic havoc in the modern world, but it all turns out to be the dream of a young man, inspired by a mummy left in his care overnight.

Dir: George D. Baker

When Silas Pettingill strikes oil and becomes immensely wealthy, his wife Maria and their daughter Helen demand to move from their Middle-Western home to a mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Even then they are dissatisfied, for they have so fashionable friends. Helen is constantly reading books about royalty, and she bewails her fate because she knows no lords or earls. Wearying of their complaints, Silas goes out and makes friends with a taxicab driver, as agreeable young man named Hubert Stanwood, and as the hour grows late, takes him home with him to bed. In the morning Mrs. Pettingill demands to know who the stranger is. Not daring to tell her he has brought home only a chauffeur, he introduces Stanwood as Count Erfitt. Mrs. Pettingill runs to tell Helen the glad news, and they plan a series of social functions to introduce their guest. Soon the "Count" is seen everywhere with Helen. He does not want to pose under false colors, but Pettingill implores him not to let them know that he has deceived them. At a tea-dance they met Macklin Thurston, who is introduced to them as the Earl of Bradwood. Stanwood starts when he hears the name, for his own grandfather is the heir. He does not know that both have died, and that Thurston, discovering that the second son, Hubert, has been missing for several years, has appeared as a false claimant for the title. Stanwood decides to say nothing, but to investigate. Thurston is really the proprietor of an international employment agency. He uses this position to supply Huntington Lodge, the Adirondack home of the Pettingills, with two servants, Rita and Dugan, who are clever crooks. Both Thurston, as the Earl, and Stanwood, as the Count, are invited to a house party at the Lodge. Helen and Stanwood have fallen in love with each other at their first meeting. Stanwood proposes, and Helen accepts him. But Thurston tells Rita she must find a way to compromise Stanwood. She does so, and Helen breaks her engagement to Stanwood, and announced her engagement to Thurston, known as "the Earl." Stanwood engages a detective to unmask Thurston, but he has manufactured credentials, and Stanwood himself is unmasked as a false count by a man who knew him as a chauffeur. Helen orders him to drive her guests back to their hotel from the lawn fete that is in progress. Thurston goes to Helen's room and tries to persuade her to elope with him, but she refuses. Under cover of night, Rita and Dugan attempt to steal Helen's jewels. Stanwood returns in time to prevent them, but he is injured in the struggle, and when Helen enters she thinks it is he who is the thief. Still loving him, however, she urges him to escape, but the real thieves are apprehended. Detective Burke is about to take both Thurston and Stanwood into custody, not knowing which one of them is the tales Earl of Bradwood, when the lawyer arrives from New York and identifies Stanwood as the genuine Earl. Thurston is led away, and Stanwood and Helen, soon to be Lady Bradwood, are reunited.

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

Dir: George D. Baker

Young attorney John Norton is in love with Broadway star Mona Mainard. Mona's young brother Tommy has served a term in Sing Sing. When he is released, he comes at once to his sister and tells her he is going away to begin life anew. She urges him to remain, but he refuses, and she gives him money for his railroad fare. He knows of her love for Norton, who has now been made assistant district attorney, in recognition of his ability, and does not want to stand in her way. Mona leaves the stage and marries Norton. Boss politician Ryan is in love with adventuress Pearl Le Claire. He has installed her in a handsome apartment in the Arcadia, the leading hotel, where he guards her jealously. Norton wins case after case. Mona realizes that less-clever lawyers are no match for him, and knows that based on circumstantial evidence, he secures many convictions of innocent persons. District attorney Daniels becomes ill and Norton succeeds to his position. He convicts on circumstantial evidence an old man who obviously could not have committed the crime and is not guilty. As sentence is pronounced, the old man dies on the witness stand. Mona, in the gallery, is amazed at the injustice of it, and writes to a newspaper a scathing denunciation of the case under an assumed name. The breach widens between husband and wife. Mona pleads with Norton to change his tactics, but he knows that his record has made him a favorite with the public, and that he is in line for the governorship of the state. Tommy has secured work as bell-boy in the Arcadia Hotel. In a jealous rage Ryan kills Pearl Le Claire, but the evidence points directly to Tommy. The boy gives the name of John Smith, not wishing to bring disgrace upon his sister, and is taken to the Tombs. Mona sees his picture in the newspaper. She rushes to him. He insists that he did not commit the murder, and convinces her of his innocence. She goes to her husband and begs him to give up this case, but he tells her that Ryan will make him governor of the state if he wins it. She confesses that Tommy is her brother, but even that does not influence him. Norton has a laboratory adjacent to his library. where he experiments with poisons and chemicals in preparing for his cases. Among his bottles is one containing a harmless sedative. Mona changes the labels on some of the bottles. That night, while her husband is working with his stenographer in the library, Mona feigns hysteria. Norton rushes to the laboratory, snatches up the bottle which he supposes contains the sedative, and gives her some of the contents. Mona now simulates an agony of pain. Servants and policemen rush in, and she accuses her husband of having poisoned her. He swears that he did not, but all the evidence is against him. Circumstantial evidence proves that he has attempted to kill her. He begs her to forgive his hard-heartedness; he promises to do anything in the world for her if she will only live. Obtaining his promise not to prosecute her brother, Mona sits up, smiles, and makes him admit that circumstantial evidence may be wrong; also, that she is the best little actress in the world. Tommy is released, and as Ryan confesses, the real culprit is brought to justice without the aid of circumstantial evidence.

Dir: George D. Baker

"Beauty Smythe is at his old tricks again. Look at the raving beauty he's got on the string now." This was Manning's contribution to the discussion, which was taking place in one of New York's most exclusive clubs. All seemed to take a jolly view of the matter, except Van Allen, who, the others noticed, looked with disapproval on the flirtation. They could not understand his mood, and prodded him for his prudishness. When Smythe joined them, Van Allen called him over and asked him to listen to the story he was about to tell, the story of one man who paid for his loose habits. First, he drew from his pocket, a picture of a young man, about Smythe's age. "My sister's only boy," he said. "Two years ago he was leading the kind of life you are now, Smythe. He came down to Mexico to visit me and met Chonita, a pretty Mexican girl. He immediately became infatuated with her, to the consternation of Pedro, another of her lovers, who soon saw that Teddy held a higher place in her heart than he. When her father heard of the affair, he sent her away to their summer hacienda, hoping that she would forget Teddy. Then Ted received an invitation from a friend to spend the summer with him, and accepted. Out hunting one day, he met Chonita and both were happy at the reunion. He told her of his love for her, and she believed him. Of course he promised to marry her. One day, while walking through the forest. Ted just missed stepping on a tarantula, and shrinking from the hideous thing, told Chonita that he feared those terrible spiders worse than anything on earth. Sometime later, Ted received a note from her telling him to meet her at the usual place, and from the tone of the note he knew what had happened. She came, and brought a minister with her, but Teddy was married, and had two children, so even if he had wanted to, he could not have married her. Before word got back to the hacienda, Ted had hopped on a horse and started at a mad gallop for the railroad station, to avoid the wrath of her father and Pedro. Back in New York once more, he felt secure. Chonita meanwhile was thrown out of her father's house, and her child was born in an abandoned cabin. It lived but a few hours. Then Chonita got a position as dancer in a cheap music hall and became popular immediately. The proprietor of a New York café, seeing her perform, asked her to come to the city and dance for him. When she remembered that her betrayer was also in the city, she accepted. Hearing of her proposed trip, her father sent her a dagger, so that she might first kill Teddy and then herself, but she returned it, telling him that she would choose her own method of death for both of them. In the city she met Teddy once more. She responded to all his advances and finally induced him to invite her to his apartment. Here she presented him with an elaborate jewel case, which, she said, contained a gift. When his anxious hands opened the case, a giant tarantula crawled out. Need I tell you that he died a terrible death?" In a meditative mood, Beauty Smythe sat in his room and reflected on what he had heard. Then the moral hit home, and the letter he had intended sending to his latest "sweetheart" never went further than the trash basket.

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

Dir: George D. Baker

Peter is smitten with Winifred, a model, whom he met on board the steamer returning from Europe, but is discouraged by his sister, Ena, who is more ambitious for him. Peter is the son of Peter Rolls, the wealthy New Yorker. Ena tells Winifred that Peter is engaged to Eileen, sister of Lord Ravglan and that he is just trifling with her. Winifred believes her and refuses to speak to him. Before disembarking, Ena gives Winifred a stylish gown which she bought in New York. Winifred is working in a stylish modiste's shop. One of the best customers insults her and she slaps his face. Mme. Nadine, the modiste, sees her action, and fearful of losing the customer, discharges her. She tries to get a position in the other shops, but in each case finds herself blacklisted by Madame Nadine. In sore straits, she moves to cheaper quarters. She meets Lily, a salesgirl in Roll's department store, and the former takes her to Megeison, the store manager to get her a position. The manager, at first says he has no opening, but when he sees what a handsome girl Winifred is, he employs her. Ena Rolls comes to the store to do some shopping, and sees Winifred against whom she harbors a dislike. She makes various remarks calculated to arouse Win's anger, and when Win resents them she complains to Megeison, who pretends to discharge her. When Ena leaves, he tells her that she may remain and transfers her to another department. Megeison arranges a party for that night at which Winifred, Lily, a floorwalker and himself are to be present. Megeison tells the floorwalker to escort the girls to the party, but to keep them ignorant of the fact that it is to be held at his house. Winifred dons the dress Ena gave her, the only decent gown she possesses. They start off, but when Winifred sees that she is being taken to his apartment she tries to back out, but she is persuaded to continue by Lily. Meanwhile, Peter in his hunt for Winifred, gets a clue which leads him to the department store. Here he learns that she has been discharged and is told that Megeison could give him her address. In Megeison's apartment, all drink except Winifred and after a while, she feels sheepish and drinks with them. She catches Megeison trying to "dope" her drink and denounces him. He catches her and tries to kiss her and a struggle follows in which her dress is badly torn, the pieces falling on the floor. She manages to elude him and escapes to another room where she locks herself in. Peter enters and asks for information about Winifred, but Megeison tells him that he knows nothing about her. Then the pieces of Winifred's dress catch his eye and he demands to know the truth. Megeison's valet, who went through another room to admit him, opens the door and Peter sees Winifred within. Winifred shrinks from Peter, thinking he is in league with Megeison, but when she realizes that he really loves her and has come to claim her for his own, she leaves misery behind, and goes with Peter, her suffering relieved in the knowledge of his devotion.

Dir: George D. Baker

Ira Wilton and his son-in-law Harry Bennett resort to the subterfuge of telling their wives that they are members of the Thirteenth Regiment, to be sure of having a night off each week, Friday night, for the regiment drills. They substantiate their deception by bringing into their little game Ira's daughter Laura and her fiancé Jack Brent, a genuine member of the Thirteenth. Their deception runs along nicely until one Friday night when the men have gone to the club, their wives find the invitation, and are just about to start out when they discover that the water pipe has burst. Laura informs the men by telephone what is discovered, and warns them to hurry home. They arrive and find that the kitchen and dining room are flooded, and, after all has been given a good soaking, Lord Dudley, an admirer of Laura, manages to stop the flow of water. Just as the trouble concerning the flood has subsided, Jack Brent arrives home and tells the men that the Thirteenth has been ordered to the front. The husbands, seeing a good chance to take a little vacation, purchase soldiers' clothing and fall in behind the Thirteenth Regiment as it passes their wives, but slip out as soon as it is out of sight. They then go to the barn, where they substitute their soldiers' habiliments for civilian clothes and then make all possible haste to the lake, where they intend to spend a little vacation. But their vacation is short-lived, for one day they see in the newspapers that the entire Thirteenth regiment has been wiped out. They hurry home to the old barn, where they get into their regimentals as quickly as possible--not forgetting to add a few rents here and there, to make it appear as if they have had a terrible struggle at the front and in escaping. When they arrive home they observe that Mrs. Wilton's brother has returned from the West and promised to take care of the "widows." In reply to Lena's (the fat cook), question concerning her lover Conrad, they were just about to tell her that he died with her name on his lips, when in come Harry and Conrad with the news that the newspaper report was all wrong. Ira and Harry fix it up with Conrad, and Jack, desiring to keep on the right side of the old man, tells the women that the men had a terrible fight, and brother Tom forgets about asking questions when a couple of good cigars are shoved into his mitt.

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

Dir: George D. Baker

Jim Lassells travels to Africa to obtain proof that his cousin Harold Brooks is dead as rumored, and learns that an Algerian sultan killed the rich American. Since it is assumed that Brooks was childless, Jim inherits his cousin's fortune. At a slave market he buys a young girl named Perdita and sends her to a convent in Corsica to be educated. Years later, Jim meets Perdita again while traveling through Corsica with the impecunious Duchess of Westgate and her daughter, Lady Lilah Grey. When the party stops at an inn, Jim discovers that Perdita is not only a Persian princess, but also the long-lost daughter of Brooks, and therefore the rightful heir to Brooks' fortune. Perdita, who has fallen in love with Jim, engages the romantic Count Theodore de Seramo to abduct the duchess and her daughter, and later the count and Lady Lilah become engaged. Jim offers to turn over his wealth to Perdita, but she declares her love for him and they wed.

Dir: George D. Baker

Gordon Allen works hard to support his wife Dorothy, but she becomes bored with Gordon and her marriage. She takes a trip with her friend Evelyn to a farm for a vacation, and there meets and flirts with handsome but native farmer Jed. She thinks nothing of it, but Jed takes it very seriously, and his sister Mary tries to break up the relationship. When Gordon pays a surprise visit to the farm to see Dorothy and she greets him warmly and kisses him, Jed realizes that he's been played, and after Gordon beats him in a fight, Jed kills himself. Mary, outraged, vows vengeance on Dorothy.