Curated Recommendations Seeking the Same Brilliance as Her Country ...

Dir: James Young

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: James Young

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

One of the customs in the Breton island of St. Batiste is the lashing of any woman involved in a extra-marital affair. As a result, when Sidonie (Marie Doro) starts an affair with English vacationer Warren Harding (Elliott Dexter), the townsfolk prepare to mete out punishment. To avoid it, Sidonie elopes with Warren, but when she finds him making love to another woman, her first response is conditioned by her upbringing, and she attacks the woman with a whip. Afterward, Sidonie returns alone to St. Batiste, and gets ready to accept her lashing. Just before her public humiliation, however, Warren arrives and refuses to let the whipping take place, after which he pledges to remain faithful to Sidonie.

Dir: James Young

Helene Marie, on the run from the Russian police in St. Petersburg, plots to kill the Czar.

Dir: James Young

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

In Tokyo, Japanese poet Akira loves American Ruth Vale, who was placed in Akira's father's care when her missionary parents died. Ruth returns Akira's affections until she meets Edward, but the American proves an unfaithful husband. Three years later, Ruth is gravely ill while Edward amuses himself with his new lover, Adrienne Chester, but Akira comforts the dying woman with the promise that he will protect her little daughter Blossom. Later Edward marries his mistress, and with Akira in charge of Blossom, they return to America, where Adrienne renews an old affair. When Edward discovers his wife with her lover, he kills him, but Akira accepts the blame to shield Blossom from humiliation. One night Akira breaks out of prison to visit Blossom and although a guard shoots him, he manages to reach Blossom. Carrying her in from the rain, Akira plays with the child until his strength finally deserts him and he dies.

Dir: James Young

After his wife's death, Thomas Singleton suffers a temporary breakdown and is committed to an asylum by his scheming half brother, Jordon Morse. Although Jordon has been appointed the guardian of Thomas' little daughter Virginia, he shuns the responsibility, placing the girl in the care of an old mammy and planning to retrieve her only on her eighteenth birthday, when she comes into possession of her mother's fortune. Sixteen years pass. Thomas, deeply worried about his daughter's well-being, escapes the asylum, and after sending Virginia to live with a poor but kindly cobbler named Lafe Grandoken, he dies. Virginia's chance meeting with millionaire Theodore King leads to romance, and her happiness is complete until Morse, anxious to secure her money, hires Maudlin Bates to kill Theodore. When Bates, plotting to double-cross Morse, threatens Lafe, Morse enters and shoots the gunman, but Lafe is accused. Morse imprisons Virginia, but she escapes in time to free Lafe and bring the villain to justice.

Dir: James Young

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

A little country village comedy in which Mr. Costello plays a young grocer's clerk. This clerk and the daughter (Clara Kimball Young) of a G.A.R. fire-eater (Mr. Eldridge) are in love, much to the old man's disgust. He wants his daughter to marry a brave man, a soldier. AN unexpected denouement makes the clerk seem to be a hero. Moving Picture World

Dir: James Young

College friends Percy Darling and Richard Kettle take their new wives on board a boat going from New York City to Albany. Just before sailing, however, Mrs. Kettle and Percy realize that they have left some baggage on shore, and so rush out to get it. The boat leaves without them, and a distressed Mrs. Darling and Richard, left in each other's company, decide to pose as husband and wife to prevent a scandal. When the boat docks, they learn that the last train has left, and so they hesitantly check into a hotel as a couple and spend the night together. The next day, Mrs. Kettle and Percy track down the "newlyweds" and are shocked to see them in the hotel lobby, arm in arm. The ruse is quickly explained, and the correct couples are soon sorted out.

Dir: James Young

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Rose o' Paradise perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: James Young

With the electric-ray machine that he invented, a scientist brings his daughter back to life after she dies in a car crash but he fails to revive her soul at the same time.

Dir: James Young

Mountain girl Plutina lives with her grandfather, refuses to marry moonshiner Dan Hodges, preferring instead Zeke, a young farmer. When Zeke learns that Dan, in revenge, shot Plutina's pet trained bear, Zeke vows to kill him. After a revenue officer, shot by Dan, is cared for by Zeke's mother, Dan vows to kill Zeke. Dan and Zeke fight, and although Dan is beaten, he escapes into the mountains. Sometime later, the revenue officer secures for Zeke the position of overseer of government timber lands. As Zeke waits for a train after missing the first one, he learns that Dan, who has threatened to kill Plutina's grandfather and sister and set fire to their house unless Plutina marries him, has abducted her. Zeke arrives at a hidden cave where Dan has taken Plutina just as she is about to jump from a cliff. The ensuing brawl ends when Dan is plunged over the cliff. Finally, Zeke and Plutina marry.