The Essential Watchlist that Capture the Essence of Ghost of the Rancho: Cult Guide

Dir: William Worthington

The Japanese Prince Maiyo is in London to avenge the death of his father who years earlier committed hara-kiri because he had been financially ruined by an English swindler. The Prince warns his friend, the Duke of Devenham, that the Count de la Mar is attempting to seduce the Duke's bored American wife, and then is told by his servant Soto that the Count is the man who killed his father. During a foggy night, the Count, planning to elope with the Duchess, is killed in a taxi with the sword that the Prince's father used to kill himself. Although the American sister of the Duke, Penelope Morse, who loves the Prince, pleads with him to leave before being arrested, he will not perform such a cowardly act. After Soto confesses murdering the Count because he wronged his daughter years ago, the Prince is freed, but because of the racial barrier, he bids a sad farewell to Penelope and leaves.

Dir: William Worthington

Stuart Adams, the advance-agent for a traveling burlesque troupe, arrives in Weston, Illinois, his hometown, to publicize the coming show, "The Girl and the Garter". The Purity League, led by banker James Richards, the father of Stuart's sweetheart Hazel, attempts to stop it from opening. After kissing Hazel in public - thus outraging the League members - Stuart builds curiosity about the show by having the newspaper print Richards' admission that he viewed it in New York "to see how shocking it was". He also attaches a banner which advertises the show to Hazel's roadster during a Purity League parade. After Stuart challenges Richards to a debate, Stuart helps detective Vera Vincent, whom he met on the train, capture two crooks trying to rob Richards' bank. During the debate, Stuart, knowing that the show has been canceled, offers to end the bickering by withdrawing the show. Richards then insists that Stuart, who plans to meet Hazel at the train station to elope, come to dinner. Fortunately for Stuart, Hazel had been locked in her room by her aunt, and is still at the house.

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

Dir: William Worthington

Monty Gray returns to the US after spending 10 years building railroads in China. As he enters a hotel he runs into an old friend from college whom he hasn't seen in years, and they begin catching up on old times. Monty notices a picture of a young woman that his friend is carrying and, bowled over by her beauty, he instantly falls for her. However, his friend tells him that he doesn't have a chance in a million of meeting the girl, who happens to be his cousin, because her mother rules the girl's life with an iron fist and is determined that she will marry royalty and not some untitled commoner. Monty is determined to have the girl, and devises a plan to win her.

Dir: William Worthington

Wanting her sweetheart, Judd Minot, a Maine fisherman, to develop his sculpting talents, Mary Garland encourages him to accompany art connoisseur Henry Bliss to New York City. Once there, Judd forgets Mary and becomes smitten with Bliss's attractive daughter Myrna. Although he wins fame as an artist, the party society life he leads with Myrna causes his work to suffer. When Mary learns of Judd's stagnation and fast style of living, she rushes to New York to rescue him. When he sees her, Judd realizes that Mary is the prime inspiration for all his statues and renews his love for her.

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

Dir: William Worthington

A wild man and genius becomes a master painter's disciple, but loses his divine gift when he finds love.

Dir: William Worthington

Toyama's wife Sada secretly earns money as a Geisha girl to finance his studies in America, but she says that the money comes from her deceased grandfather. In America, Toyama becomes an assistant to Dr. Stone, studying cures for inherited vices. When Toyama learns that Sada has been sentenced to death for murdering a prominent banker who attacked her, Toyama disappears and gives in to his hereditary tendency to drink until Dr. Stone cures him. Unknown to Toyama, Sada's sentence is commuted to life imprisonment when she gives birth to their daughter. Meanwhile, Toyama marries Stone's half-Japanese daughter Emily to fulfill Stone's dying request. In Japan, after Toyama lectures women prisoners and recognizes Sada, he discovers that the child he and Emily adopted is really his own daughter. When Sada escapes and finds Toyama, he decides to commit harakiri, but as the prison guards approach, Sada drowns herself to save him.

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

Dir: William Worthington

Only a seven-passenger motor and $100, to be spent exclusively for gasoline or repairs, was Arnold Baird's share of his father's property. Light-hearted by nature, Baird made the most of his legacy and started a "jitney bus" line. When James Bennett, general manager of the Consolidated Traction Co., learned Baird had been practically cut off in his father's will, he informed Baird that his daughter would never marry a pauper and to go out and make his fortune. Bennett's decision suited Mrs. Bennett, who was eager to shine in society and planned to gain her ends by marrying Ruth to Wm. Mott-Smith, who controlled the traction company. When Ruth got the chance to tell Mr. Mott-Smith what she thought of him, she left no room for doubt. Ruth met Baird secretly and she was first to know of Baird's jitney-bus plans. Israel Helmstone, leader of organized labor, decided that the employees of the Consolidated Traction Co. deserved an increase in pay. Bennett refused Helmstone's demands and the labor leader called Baird into consultation. Helmstone's daughter, Wanda, employed as stenographer by Mr. Mott-Smith, furnished inside information that showed the weakness of Bennett's defense. The car strike was called and traffic paralyzed. The next morning the "Social Rapid Transit Company" sprang into operation. Mott-Smith, Bennett and their associates were filled with consternation. Baird's pals in society entered their cars for public patronage and "jitney bused" the traction company to its knees. When strike-breakers were called in there was nobody to ride, for the public preferred the limousines. When Bennett cried for mercy, Baird was the intermediary. Fate decreed that Baird should be the one to rush to Mott-Smith's office to rescue Wanda Helmstone from the clutches of the drunken society leper. Settling with Bennett was no hard matter for Baird. His terms were $10,000 a year for becoming assistant general manager and six months' vacation to enjoy a honeymoon on which Ruth was to be the bride.

Dir: William Worthington

When Sasamoto commits treason during the Great War to pay off gambling debts, his twin brother Yamashito assumes his identity and tracks him down.

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

Dir: William Worthington

Yano Masata, a struggling Japanese artist living in a mountainous area in America, refuses to tint counterfeit bonds for wealthy John Furthman. Yano's sister, O Haru San, comes from Japan to look for her husband who deserted her, and finds Yano with aid from a woman in the Japanese mission. When she recognizes Furthman as her husband, Furthman and Yano fight until Furthman's gun goes off, killing O Haru San, and Yano throws Furthman off a cliff. Later, Yano thanks the woman in the mission, they develop a friendship, and he agrees to paint her husband's portrait from a photograph. The husband is Furthman and his wife thinks that his fall was an accident. After Yano paints the portrait, he destroys it in a moment of wrath and confesses the killing to Mrs. Furthman's financial adviser. Later, Yano burns the evidence of Furthman's crimes so that Mrs. Furthman and her son will remain unaware of Furthman's treachery and not be disgraced. The police then arrest Yano.

Dir: William Worthington

A young man trades places with a lookalike boxer and learns to fight for what he wants.