Editor's Top Picks Following the Footsteps of Hit of the Show: Cult Guide

Dir: Ralph Ince

The story is that of the mysterious murder of John Argyle, a multi-millionaire, in the library of his home. Circumstances point toward Argyle's adopted daughter Mary, who is the beneficiary under his will, Argyle having quarreled with his son Bruce. Just as the case begins to look black for Mary, Asche Kayton, a great private detective, is called in by Bruce and takes hold of the investigation. His methods are scientific and swift and the trail leads to a den of counterfeiters, where, by use of the dictograph and other modern devices, the real murderer is run to his lair. Kayton falls in love with Mary, who is finally vindicated. Kayton's reward is the girl.

Dir: Ralph Ince

Canadian Mountie Philip Curtis is telling Josephine McCloud, with whom he is in love. about a hermit who once saved his life and nursed him back to health. Josephone remains impassive until Philip tells her the hermit's name: Peter God. At the mention of his name, Josephine begs Philip to find Peter and take him a letter she had written to him. Puzzled but not wanting to deny anything to the woman he loves, he sets out to find Peter, but when he does he discovers that Josephine has a connection to Peter that Philip knew nothing about.

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

Dir: Ralph Ince

When her husband Fred goes bankrupt, Lily Morton is forced to give up the trappings of wealth and move into a humble home while Fred attempts to fight his way back to prosperity. Resentful of her modest circumstances, Lily accepts her friend Marion Garland's offer to introduce her to Mrs. Farington, a woman who will pay handsomely for Lily's escort services. Lily goes to work for Mrs. Farington while her unsuspecting husband struggles to regain his former wealth. While managing an apartment house for one of his wealthy clients, Fred visits Mrs. Farington, a tenant, and, noticing a framed picture of Lily, asks to be introduced to the girl. Mrs. Farington arranges the rendezvous, and when Lily arrives, she is confronted by her enraged husband who chokes her to death. At this moment, Lily awakens from her nightmare, and chastened for her superficiality, begs Fred for forgiveness.

Dir: Ralph Ince

Two women crave the love of the same man; one is pretty, proud, spirited, and poor; she offers him love. The other is equally pretty, proud, and spirited, but rich; she offers him everything money can buy. The rich one wins. This was not really the beginning of the rivalry of Madeleine and Jeanette; they had had petty differences in their home town when Madeleine, the poor girl, had refused to bend the knee to the other. But with this victory in love is born a new hatred, which Jeanette proceeds to intensify by having the other girl's father discharged from his position, thus forcing her to leave school and work for sustenance. Madeleine goes on the stage, and years later she is a popular actress. Jeanette, meanwhile, has discarded Paul, in favor of Henry Mortimer, a rising young lawyer to whom she has become attached. Mortimer becomes enamored of Madeleine, who considers him just another of her army of admirers and leads him on as is her custom. Jeanette sees that her rival is trifling with the affections of the man she loves. She goes to Madeleine and beseeches her to send him away or she will ruin two lives. Madeleine consents to her request, but then comes recognition all the old hatred returns. She retracts her promise and determines to marry Henry, though she does not love him, to strike at the heart of the woman who had caused her so much pain. After the marriage she is cold to the affection he showers upon her. Then her path crosses Paul's once more and her old love for him is rekindled. Henry learns of their association and orders Paul never to enter his house again. A new love is born in Madeleine's breast, the love for her husband. But there is a wide breach between them now caused by her associations with Paul and her gambling habits of which Henry disapproves. He refuses to pay her debts. When Paul calls on Madeleine for a loan, she refuses him and he rifles Henry's safe. That night, Henry notices the deficit and thinking his wife has taken the money to pay her debts, he accuses her of theft and leaves her. Rumors come to his ears that Paul is with his wife, and placing a revolver in his pocket, he starts for the house, intent on settling the affair. Paul, meanwhile, is trying, with small success, to regain Madeleine's love. When his attentions begin to get offensive, she threatens him with a revolver to keep his distance. Under the influence of liquor, Paul advances toward her, and stumbles over a chair, bruising his head. Madeleine rushes out to the kitchen to get some water, and, while there she hears a shot and returns to find Paul dead and Henry standing over the body. Each believes the other guilty and takes the responsibility for the crime. Henry is taken into custody; Madeleine's story is not believed. At the trial Henry is saved from dying for another's crime when Jeanette breaks down and confesses that she had been hiding in Madeleine's room on the day of the murder, and when the latter had gone for water she had grasped the opportunity to shoot Paul who, she said, had been planning to tell the truth in regard to the robbery. Knowing that this would bring about a reconciliation between Henry and his wife and that she would never be able to win his love, she had shot Paul and is now willing to suffer for her crime. Out of sorrow and suffering, come faith and love forged anew for Henry and Madeleine.

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

Dir: Ralph Ince

A young girl is reared on a desert island by natives and led to believe that she is a goddess. One day an outsider comes to the island, and persuades her to accompany him to preach about the kindness and love she has experienced. She agrees, but she's soon confronted by the problems and travails of the "outside" world.

Dir: Ralph Ince

After his business partner, Paul Gresham, absconds with the company funds and books, Johnny Gamble's irrigation company folds, leaving him to pay his stockholders their claims. After parting with his last dollar, Johnny wins $15,000 on a long shot at the racetrack and meets the beautiful Constance Joy. When Johnny learns that Constance will inherit one million dollars if she weds Gresham at the end of six weeks, he decides to earn the same amount -- $5,000 an hour -- by that date and marry her himself. Despite Gresham's efforts to double-cross him, Johnny succeeds in earning all but $15,000 of the required million by the appointed time. With fifteen minutes left him, Johnny purchases a kiss from Constance for $15,000, thereby defeating Gresham and winning the girl he loves.

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

Dir: Ralph Ince

Ruth Blake lives with her father and mother in Marlow, a small town in the west. To this town comes Tom Silverton from the city. He is always intoxicated, and Ruth sets to work to reform Tom. To Marlow comes Kate Van Dyke, a city girl, and her fiancé. They stop at the Blake home. When Tom seen Kate there is mutual recognition, but when questioned both deny they have ever met one another before. Tom starts to drink heavily again, and Ruth drags him out of the tavern one day and sends him home. Her father, infuriated, forbids her to ever see the man again. There is a big barn dance, and all go, except Ruth, who refuses to go because Tom has not been invited. Blake warns his daughter again if he ever sees Silverton in his house he will kill him. Tom comes to bid Ruth goodbye for he is going away. She makes a final plea with him to reform, and he promises to make one more effort. Spying on the two is Buddy Bryson, a half-witted boy in love with Ruth. He hurries to the barn dance and tells Abner that Tom is in the house. Abner comes back. Ruth, afraid of her father's wrath, persuades Tom to escape via her bedroom window. Abner comes and she denies he has been there. He learns the truth and orders her from his home. Tom goes to the next town, Cleves, and he is there but a short time when he hears that Ruth is stopping with her aunt there. To her he goes. He breaks down and reveals the mystery that has surrounded him. In New York he was in love with a beautiful girl, Kate Van Dyke. Her weak brother committed a murder, and she begets him to flee and take the blame, for if he did so she would join him later and marry him. He fled, but instead of joining him she becomes engaged to another. He sought consolation in drink. But he is free now for her brother died in a foreign country, and before he died he confessed his guilt. In Marion the people are suffering the most intense heat of the summer. A forest fire breaks out and the entire town is threatened. They summon help, but none can be secured. Ruth and Tom learn of the predicament of Marion. They have been told there are freight cars there and all they need is an engine. Tom and Ruth secure an engine, and Tom drives through the raging forest fire and saves the population before the town is wiped out.

Dir: Ralph Ince

Mary Ellen McKay, a country girl, comes to New York to become a singer. She stops at a furnished room house, and expends her savings on useless lessons, for her voice is only mediocre. Harry Weatherby is a disappointment of his millionaire father, who hopes to make him a captain of industry. Instead, Harry is a ne'er-do-well. While visiting Dr. Cameron, a friend of the family, he sees Mary Ellen across the way, and a flirtation starts. It eventually results in marriage. Harry is afraid to break the news to his stern father; his mother does, and he does. Enraged, Weatherby visits Mary and tries to buy her off. But she spurns his money, and he changes his tactics. He tells her he likes her, that he will give a party in honor of the marriage. He enlists the aid of Silk Harrington, who brings along a number of his smart tenderloin friends who pass themselves off as society. They influence her to drink, and soon she is acting very foolish. Harry arrives, sees her condition, and denounces her, thinking this is her true self. Harry's father leaves her a check for $10,000 before he goes, if she will promise never to see Harry again. She crumples the check in her hand, when the truth dawns upon her, and it is later picked up by Silk Harrington, who plans to use it. Mary goes home, thoroughly crushed and humiliated. She tries to commit suicide, but a friend. Kate Weld, a trained nurse, who lives across the hall, and Dr. Cameron save her life. Learning she is a stranger in New York, Dr. Cameron takes her to his country home to recuperate. Harry plunges into business to forget, and his father is happy. Mary recovers her health, but her faith is shattered. She wants to go out into the world now and have a good time. Dr. Cameron argues in vain. He decides to take her sightseeing. First he takes her to Cherry's, then to the Haymarket, where she sees the broken-down men and women. He tells her that is the price that must be paid. Lastly he takes her to his mission on the East Side. Here he tells her a story. He, too, was in love and lost. He tried everything in his pursuit of forgetfulness, and finally discovered solace for his sorrow in brightening the lives of others. Mary tells him she, too, wants to do this work. Meanwhile Harrington tries to pass the check. Harry is summoned to the bank and learns the truth through Harrington. He goes home and a big scene follows between him and his father. He eventually locates Mary. At first she does not want to forgive him, but she finally capitulates.

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

Dir: Ralph Ince

Mrs. Fleming, in secret financial distress, counts upon a brilliant match for her daughter as a way out of her difficulty. Muriel, however, in ignorance of her mother's plight, is attached to Grayson Burton, but when they tell Mrs. Fleming of their love she becomes infuriated and refuses her consent on account of his poverty. Nevertheless, Burton and Muriel secretly marry and he leaves to seek his fortune in the gold fields of the Northwest. He has two partners, Slade, a renegade lawyer from New York, and Rollins, an Englishman. The men strike it rich and Graydon writes Muriel that he is coming to claim her. Slade attempts to rob his partners during the night and is surprised by Rollins, whom Slade kills with Burton's gun. Slade escapes, but returns with police, who arrest Burton on Slade's charge. Seeing that everything is against him in court, Burton escapes and seeks refuge in the wilderness of the mountains, where he becomes a hunted outlaw. Meanwhile the train on which Graydon was supposed to leave is wrecked, and Graydon is reported to be among the dead. Muriel is grief-stricken and decides to keep her secret. Later Philip Lewis, a wealthy lawyer, becomes infatuated with her, and her mother practically coerces the girl into marrying him because of his wealth, finally telling her of their predicament. Soon after her marriage her mother dies. Graydon meanwhile grows desperate and eventually escapes. He starts for New York to claim his wife. Muriel's husband has been appointed district attorney. While Muriel is attending an opera her spying maid steals her secret marriage certificate and sells it to Slade, who has returned to New York and resumed his blackmailing law practice. He writes Muriel a threatening letter and asks her to come to his home to see him that evening. Graydon arrives in New York and sees Slade. He plans to go to his home the same evening and force him to confess to the crime of which he is believed guilty. As he stands outside the French window he is amazed to see his wife there and Slade threatening her. Stepping into the room suddenly, he surprises both, and Slade confesses his guilt. While Muriel talks to Graydon, telling him of her life, Slade seizes a gun. In a fight that follows Muriel kills Slade, fearing her husband's life is in danger and intending only to frighten him by the shot. She escapes and Graydon assumes the blame. Lewis, her husband, prosecutes the case and determines to get a trace of the mysterious veiled woman who ran from the house the night of the murder. He gets a clue to his own wife and grills her until she confesses. Angered and jealous, he prosecutes Graydon knowing he is innocent. Muriel, conscious-stricken, starts for the courtroom to confess, but arrives there after he has been convicted. Lewis promises to pardon the man when made Governor if she will keep her silence. He is elected but refuses to keep his promise. At the last moment when Muriel is determined to kill herself, he weakens and issues the pardon. She then rejoins her true husband.

Dir: Ralph Ince

The story concerns a mercenary and managing mother and her daughter, Agnes. The young lady loves a youthful doctor, but a match is frustrated by the mother, who seeks to marry the daughter to the highest bidder. The mother's extravagance ruins the father, who, being in ill health, succumbs to heart failure. With poverty staring them in the face, the mother takes Agnes abroad, finally forcing her into a marriage with an Australian millionaire. To do so, the mother intercepts all letters between Agnes and the young doctor, with the result that each feels that the other has ceased to care. The millionaire and his young wife, while on their honeymoon on his yacht, are shipwrecked. He is dealt a terrible blow on the head, and it completely destroys his memory. The young wife is saved and returns to America, while her husband is picked up by a French fisherman. His memory gone, he does not recall his previous existence in America. Agnes and the doctor renew their love affair and finally marry, excellent proof having been furnished that her former husband had drowned in the shipwreck. There is no opposition to the marriage now, as the mother also had perished in the catastrophe. Five years later, the young doctor has become a famous brain specialist. To him, Agnes' former husband comes for an operation in the hope of restoring his lost memory. The two men, never having met, fail to learn they are both married to the same woman. She discovers it, however, and with her happiness at stake, does not tell her surgeon-husband the truth, but attempts to dissuade him from operating on her first husband, fearful that the operation will prove successful and her first husband regain his lost memory and recognize her as his wife. The humanity in the surgeon surmounts his wife's pleas, but the patient fails to withstand the operation and Agnes' happiness is assured, despite the terrible situations which confronted her.