The Global Archive For Devotees of Hearts and the Highway: Cult Guide

Dir: Wilfrid North

At first sight of Elizabeth Van Vorst, Hallock loses interest in her cousin, Amanda, whom he professed to love. Bereft of parents at an early age, Elizabeth was left in the care of a matronly aunt, Cornelia. Now, at twenty, she is a charming young miss. While visiting her cousin, Amanda, she meets Hallock, a wandering artist and musician. Attracted by her loveliness and charm, he forgets his avowed love for her cousin, and becomes infatuated with Elizabeth. Elizabeth's old-fashioned aunt objects to her friendship with a man whose affections are so easily swayed, and forbids her to see him. Piqued at her aunt's objection, Elizabeth continues to see him and he asks her to be his bride. After much pleading, she goes with him to a neighboring town where they are married. Fearing her aunt's ire, she pledges her husband to secrecy. She continues to live at home, while Hallock returns to the city, where he soon forgets his wife. Through an accident, Elizabeth meets and becomes interested in Julian Gerard, a gentleman from New York. Later, at the home of a mutual friend in New York they meet again. Their interest rapidly ripens into love. A prominent artist paints her portrait and when it is shown, she becomes the belle of the season. She goes to many social affairs with Gerard, and at one of them, is seen by her husband, who determines to use her apparent love for Gerard to his own benefit. In sore straits, he demands that she help him socially and financially, holding their marriage over her should she refuse. Elizabeth, unable to meet his demands for money sells her jewels. When she takes the blackmail to him, she is seen by Amanda, who is in Hallock's power. Thinking Elizabeth's relations with Hallock are the same as her own Amanda, in a fierce tirade, upbraids her for coming between them. Gerard, deeply in love with Elizabeth, persistently pleads his suit and is puzzled by her attitude. Although he can see that she loves him, she refuses to give him an affirmative answer, nor will she explain her action. Finally, he demands an explanation and she tells him of her unfortunate marriage. Despondent, he leaves the country to go on a long hunting trip to try and forget his sorrow. Soon after Gerard's departure, Hallock is found dead in his room, with a bottle of poison by his side bearing mute evidence to the cause of death. Elizabeth attracts suspicion to herself by a display of emotion, is taken into custody and held without bail. The trial begins. In connection with other damaging evidence, the testimony of the maid, who heard Elizabeth express a wish for Hallock's death, seems to nullify her chances of acquittal. In London, Gerard reads of the murder and the trial of Elizabeth. He leaves at once for America, where, on his arrival, he gives evidence which sways the case in Elizabeth's favor. After hours of deliberation, the jury returns the verdict of not guilty, and Elizabeth is freed. After the trial she is summoned to the bedside of Amanda in a hospital. Here, with her life blood fast ebbing, Amanda confesses to the murder of Hallock telling of the disgrace and humiliation he had caused her. Her confession finished, her lips are sealed forever by the hand of death. After their marriage, Elizabeth and Gerard leave for a honeymoon in the country, where Elizabeth will have an opportunity to blot the terrible ordeal from her memory.

Dir: Wilfrid North

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

Ann reluctantly agrees to leave her beloved New York City to accompany her sick brother on a trip out West, which he must take for his health. There she meets hunky ranch foreman Bob Raymond. He's interested in her, but she feels so lost outside of New York that she rebuffs his advances. However, the more she gets to know him, the more she begins to rethink her attitude--although she still cant wait to get back to New York. Bob has his own ideas about that.

Dir: Wilfrid North

Lily Upjohn leaves the London slums after her father dies and becomes a chorus girl at the Pandora Theatre. When a scene painter drops some paint from a scaffold, Lily's screams prompt the show's composer to create a hit song entitled "Mind the Paint Girl," which warns men about made-up actresses. After Lily becomes an overnight sensation singing the song, she is courted by Nicholas Jeyes, a young officer who gives up his commission so he can remain near her, and by Lord Francombe. Jeyes' increasing jealousy causes Lily to become distant, which further intensifies his degeneration. After Jeyes bursts into Lily's birthday celebration and discovers her embracing Francombe, who has just proposed, Jeyes' anguished tale of his ruin due to being dangled by Lily, moves her to promise him marriage, but at the end, Jeyes and Francombe become friends and neither marries Lily.

Dir: Wilfrid North

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

Jack Duncan returns from the war in France to his wife and baby and learns that his job as a draftsman at the Loring Steel Mills has been taken. Given work in the machine shop, Jack becomes the prey of Red agitators who want him because of his popularity with soldiers. The Reds cause Jack's discharge just when his house payments come due, and when they convince him of the injustice of his situation, he joins their ranks. After learning of plans to burn the factory and Loring's home, and start a riot in the town, Jack is won over by a socialist's arguments advocating mild reforms. At a meeting of workingmen, Jack praises Americanism. He warns Loring and, with soldiers at a nearby camp, quells the riot. After a woman agitator kills her comrades and then shoots herself, Jack arrives home to save his wife from an attack by a Red ringleader. Jack is then made a foreman at the mill.

Dir: Wilfrid North

Four winners, out of 75,000 entrants, of a beauty contest supported by movie fan magazines appear in this film.

Dir: Wilfrid North

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

Sweet Kitty suffers the cruelty of her adopted aunt and uncle in Scotland, until taken to England by her guardian, Lord Inglehart, where she falls in love with his son. Learning that through a former escapade of his father the girl is his sister, the boy denies her love and she returns sadly to Scotland and slavery, only to have it all explained when her uncle is taken ill and confesses that the real daughter of Lord Inglehart died and she, Kitty, was adopted in her place to secure allowance from his Lordship. David and Kitty let us draw a veil. the man she still loved, the father of her babe, had been redeemed.

Dir: Wilfrid North

Having lost all his funds betting on the races in London, John Peters contemplates suicide; then, overhearing the conversation of two men, he considers a new course of action. He stuns one of them--Kluck--and after changing clothes with him, he makes his way to the United States, where he wins at the races, speculates successfully on Wall Street, and amasses a fortune under the sobriquet "Lucky" Carson. Kluck arrives in America, makes Carson's acquaintance, and begs for his help, which is freely given. Carson manages to retrieve some incriminating correspondence between Kluck and an adventuress, Madame Marinoff, who is threatening him. Kluck accuses him of a conspiracy, and a quarrel ensues when Carson reveals his true identity; but Doris Bancroft, Kluck's sister-in-law, discovers that he is innocent.

Dir: Wilfrid North

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

Corianton is unsure of his father Alma's religious teachings until God strikes down a religious foe. Converted, he becomes a successful missionary until seduced by the harlot Isabel. Struck with guilt, he runs away until discovered by his brother Shiblon who is then killed. While mourning, Corianton has a vision of Jesus and leads his people in victorious battle.

Dir: Wilfrid North

The Kid, a sprightly young girl of seventeen, is overjoyed at receiving an appointment on the staff of the New York Herald, through the influence of Joe Hazard, the star reporter, who has brought her up as his daughter. To arm properly for the battle of life, Joe tells her the story of how her mother's downfall was brought about. Her mother, he tells her, was betrayed by a man named Dunster in her home town. Joe had befriended her and when her child (the Kid) was born, and the mother died and Joe had decided to bring the child up himself. With a final warning to beware the pitfalls of the city, Joe takes her to the Herald office to begin her career. Soon after, when the price of meat shows an alarming rise, the Herald assigns the Kid to unearth the cause. While on the hunt for particulars, the Kid sees Robinson, one of the large cattle owners of the west, who has come to this city for a business trip. She follows him. waits while he has his shoes shined and then, when turning a corner, loses him in the crowd. Hurrying home, she assumes the disguise of a bootblack and obtains a position at the stand where she left Robinson. True to her expectations, Robinson appears that day, and while shining his shoes she obtains a clue. That day, Robinson's wife, a charity worker, is murdered while riding in her car, and the murderer makes his escape. Sometime later, the Kid manages to obtain a position in the office of Robinson and secures evidence which connects her employer not only with the manipulation of the meat market, but also with the murder of his wife. She arranges to have two detectives hide in the room next day to get further evidence of his connection with the murder, but they overhear a conversation which convinces them that Hidalgo, manager of Robinson's cattle enterprises, is the real murderer and he is taken into custody. The Kid obtains a warrant for Robinson for his connection with the rise in meat, but Joe Hazard, recognizing Robinson, tells the Kid that he is her own father, Dunster, under an assumed name. Dunster also learns that the Kid is his daughter and begs leniency. She finally secures his freedom, but when he comes to claim a daughter's love, she turns to Joe, who has been her "Daddy" for all these years.

Dir: Wilfrid North

Leslie Brennan, an heiress, suddenly discovers that she is almost penniless, and faces the ordeal of making her own living. Before learning this condition of affairs she had become dazzled by the society manners of a cold-hearted fortune hunter, but becomes disillusioned when she discovers that he is attracted solely by her supposed wealth, and goes at once to earn her livelihood in the City of New York. There she studies typing and makes friends among the lowly. She secures a position with a brusque preoccupied young chemist, who is in the midst of a great discovery of value to the government. How Leslie becomes aware of the machinations of a foreign spy, how she saves her young employer's secret to the government in a series of encounters and how she comes to learn that he has fallen in love with her and that he is one who is really worthy of her, is told in a series of compelling scenes.