Visionary Picks Drawn from the Same DNA as Godless Men: Cult Guide

Dir: Reginald Barker

The Devil, in the guise of a human, meets a young couple who remark upon looking at a Renaissance painting of a martyr that Evil could never triumph over Good. The Devil, taking this as a challenge, decides to bring about the couple's downfall.

Dir: Reginald Barker

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

An American sailor falls in love with a fisherman's daughter and convinces her that Jesus is more powerful than the gods who have cursed her.

Dir: Reginald Barker

The bandit Jim Stokes, wanting to go straight and settle down with his new bride, strikes a bargain with the sheriff for his freedom.

Dir: Reginald Barker

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

When San Francisco social butterfly Octavia Van Ness falls into decline, on a physician's advice her grandfather, mining king Ezra Whitney, takes her to Alaska, hoping that she will regain health and find a mate more suitable than the gilded youths of the California city. In the far north they meet "Chuck" Hemingway, whom the girl supposes to be a "sourdough," but whom the grandfather recognizes as a young collegian from the east. When she rejects Hemingway's advances, the caveman instinct wakens within him. The day before she is to return to civilization, Hemingway kidnaps her, enters into a forced marriage with her, and installs her in his cabin--where she suffers no more harm than if she were with her mother. Six months later, Octavia is now well and strong and rejoices in housework, but is still antagonist to Chuck. When Kitty Malloy, the queen of the Arctic Cabaret, suddenly arrives in the city, Octavia's jealousy is excited. She realizes his true worth and for the first time loves her husband. They return to California, where they are united with Octavia's family.

Dir: Reginald Barker

Mark Horn, once a lowly shoeshine boy, grows up to become a millionaire on Wall Street, but because of his experiences as a youth, still harbors a grudge against the rich. His money and position gain him entrance to high society, and he decides to drive wealthy Wayne Madison to ruin, agreeing to save Madison only if he lets Mark marry his daughter Viva. However, things don't turn out quite the way Mark intended.

Dir: Reginald Barker

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

A parson, in love with a girl who is betrothed to a rich Count in her family's hope of partaking in the Count's fortune, uses his pulpit in a scheme to shame the family into allowing the girl to break the engagement and marry him instead.

Dir: Reginald Barker

"Honest Jim" Martin is elected by popular vote to the U.S. Senate in the fight against the Railway Land-Grab Bill. When Jim goes to Washington his mother accompanies him. At the first reception of the season, Jim is introduced to Harriet Lane, the most dangerous woman in the Capital, by Wm. Landers, chief of the secret railway lobby. Harriet is a lobbyist and is supposed to win the votes of the senators for the Land-Grab Bill. Jim becomes fascinated by Harriet's wit and beauty and she and Landers set a snare for him. Harriet writes him that she is in great trouble and asks him to call at her hotel. In his sympathy for her he places his arm about her and she leans against him, burying her face against his shoulders. As she does this she manages to loosen her hair, which falls in a tangled mass over her shoulders. She also disarranged her waist, giving evidence of a struggle having taken place between herself and Jim. While they are in this position Landers snaps their picture from a curtained doorway where he is concealed. He then confronts Jim and tells him that the negative will be given the newspapers if Jim doesn't give them his vote. Jim leaves the hotel in no pleasant frame of mind, first telling Harriet of his scorn for her. Harriet, who has become friendly with Jim's mother, is very unhappy because of the part she has been obliged to play and when Mother Martin calls on her that afternoon, bringing her a pie which she has baked herself for Harriet's birthday, Harriet determines to get the negatives from Landers and destroy them. To do this, she goes to Lander's office that night and unable to open the safe, because Landers has anticipated some such move on her part and changed the combination, she telephones to police headquarters and asks them to send up an expert to open the safe. This is done and while Harriet and the expert are still in the office (Harriet with the negatives in her hand) Landers enters and snatches the negatives from her. He has drawn his pistol and as he stands there talking with the safe expert, Harriet snatches the pistol from his hand and shoots the negatives to pieces as they lay on Lander's desk. The next day she sends them to Jim with a note telling him that all the evidence the lobby had against him is enclosed and asking him in future to try to live up to his mother's belief in him.

Dir: Reginald Barker

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

A poor ditch-digger, Pietro Massena, lovingly raises his motherless daughter Rosina. Phil Griswold, in order to throw a party to celebrate his expected inheritance, induces his friend Robbins to rob the flower shop where he works. After the inheritance goes to Phil's brother William, who refuses Phil money to return to the flower shop, Phil abducts William's daughter Dorothy and sends a "Black Hand" ransom demand to throw suspicion onto Pietro, who earlier frightened Dorothy when he delivered a Christmas tree to William's house. William drives into the slums looking for Pietro and accidentally runs down Rosina. The grieving Pietro goes to the flower shop on Christmas morning to buy a rose for Rosina's coffin and is accused of the kidnapping, because Phil arranged to have a man known by "the sign of the rose" pick up the ransom money there. Pietro threatens to kill the arresting detective so that he can return to his "bambino," when William arrives with news that Dorothy has been found. William offers Pietro compensation, but he refuses and sorrowfully returns home.

Dir: Reginald Barker

An Italian immigrant and his sweetheart search for a better life in America, but the harsh realities of life in the slums of New York City lay waste to their hopes and dreams.

Dir: Reginald Barker

Denton rides into Yellow Ridge with a money-belt filled after years of toil in the mines beyond the desert. The local gamblers covet the fortune but fail to get Steve to try the roulette table until the enticer, Trixie, comes to exercise her charms on him. He blindly follows her lead and is watching the wheel with stern stare when a telegram is received. He asks the woman to read it. She lies when she says it contains good news, for it tells of his mother's critical illness. In the morning Steve awakes to find his belt is empty. In his feverish search through his pockets, he comes upon the telegram. As the truth dawns he goes to the telegraph office to send home a wire. The operator hands him the news that his mother has died. Wild with rage, he shoots up the town and drives away with Trixie lying limp over his horse before him. His heart is now filled with hate for all women and Trixie becomes his slave in a community where he tolerates only the scum of the section. Across the desert comes a pack train of Mississippi farmers who have left their fertile valleys to hunt for gold. Their water is all but gone and their stock is fagged. Their leaders plead with Steve for aid, but the white race may expect nothing from him. Back to the wailing women and children go the despondent leaders. Mary Jane, a waif among them, is not cowed by the story they tell, and by night she goes to repeat their please to the harsh white man. He looks upon her as another victim to share Trixie's lot, but her innocent, fearless attitude toward him makes him hesitate. Meanwhile, his men have carried off the women of the train. As the men pursue and bloodshed is in the air, Steve yields to the little girl and trades the safety of those people for his rich mine, leaves his wealth to his followers and guides the strangers out of the desert.