Masterpiece Selection Resonating with the Themes of I Loved You Wed...

Dir: Henry King

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Henry King

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

The only remaining members of New Orleans' proud but poor Creole family are Lucie De Montrand, her brother François and their aunt, Tante Jeanne. Two men are in love with Lucie: James Morgan, a wealthy plantation owner whom her aunt wishes her to marry, and the impoverished Robert Orme, whose love Lucie returns. Desperate to win the favor of the town vampire, François gives her the jewels that Gaspar La Roche, an old antique dealer, had earlier given to Lucie. Then, when Lucie fails to wear them as the queen of the Knights of Consus Ball, Gaspar refuses to believe that she is ignorant of their whereabouts. If she marries him, he suggests, she may keep the jewels, but otherwise, she must return them immediately. Lucie learns from Corinne, the cook, that François has taken the gems, whereupon she visits his sweetheart and demands their return. As she walks home, Gaspar insults her, but she is defended by François and Robert. In the confusion, the gun that Gaspar had pointed at François is discharged and the antique dealer is killed. Repentant, François abandons the vampire and assumes his position as the head of the family, while Lucie, through the mediation of Father Moret, finally is allowed to marry Robert.

Dir: Henry King

While he digs for gold day by day, "The Easterner," a young miner, gambles by night. A woman of the camps, named Moll, takes an interest in him and tries to break him of the habit that is his ruin. He laughs at her, but after she saves his life he promises to quit playing. Kate Gardner, a girl of the west loves him, and she is turn is loved by Bill Turner, a miner. Turner proves to her that the Easterner loves Doris Wendell, daughter of a wealthy land owner. She, with Moll, is instrumental in saving the Easterner's life when he is about to be lynched by a mob at the command of the jealous Turner. Peter Gardner, her father, covets the Easterner's claim and bribes Dick Weed, the gambling house proprietor, to help him get the claim. They attempt to make him gamble, but he is true to his promise. Later he discovers that Moll is his mother, whose passion for gambling he has inherited. Oby, a half-wit. Haunts the camp. Moll and her son try to live respectably after Doris has broken the engagement because the Easterner refuses to disown his mother. But the passion for gambling proves too strong. Moll rushes out of the house to the Hall of Chance. Her son is inveigled by Weed and Gardner into betting his claim. As he loses, Oby snatches away the tablecloth, jumbling the cards. Gardner, in a rage, strikes him down. His memory returns and he recognizes Gardner as the man who robbed him many years before, and shoots him. Dying, Gardner admits that Kate is Oby's daughter. Reunited with her father, she marries the Easterner.

Dir: Henry King

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

Jeanette Browning overhears Silas Stone, an aged Wall Street wolf, demanding her as his wife in payment for saving her father from financial ruin. Upon her acceptance of Stone's proposal, her father receives a check to cover his shortage. She then conceives of a plan to make Stone break their engagement so that she can sue him for breach of promise. Stone is invited to the mountains to visit the Brownings, and Jeanette pairs her youthful strength against the old man's advanced age. After tiring him out with dances, midnight suppers, swims and horseback riding, Jeanette plays her trump card when she introduces Stone to her brother Larry, the shame of the family because of his insanity which she claims to have inherited as well. Horrified, Stone attempts to steal away but is caught by Larry. Jeanette feigns despair at the loss of his love and threatens to sue for breach of promise. After Stone patches her broken heart with a check for $100,000, Jeanette confesses to her father that "brother Larry" is actually her sweetheart whom she pressed into service to frustrate the crafty old man.

Dir: Henry King

Millionaire J. Warren Hobbs, Sr., sends his lively young son to New Mexico to buy back a mine he previously had thought worthless but since has discovered is rich in tungsten deposits. Lord Willoughby, the mine owner's twin brother, suggests to Hobbs's business rival, Rufus Renshaw, that he buy the mine, after which Willoughby, Renshaw and Renshaw's daughter Helen, the sweetheart of Hobbs, Jr., catch a westbound train. Angered when Helen scorns his advances, Lord Willoughby disguises himself as his brother and sells Renshaw the mine; meanwhile, Hobbs, Jr. purchases it from its real owner, Louis Willoughby. Soon after Renshaw discovers that Lord Willoughby tricked him, Hobbs, Jr. learns that the mine is worthless after all and sells it to Renshaw in return for the old man's permission to marry Helen. Having successfully tricked the whole party, Hobbs and his fiancée make a quick exit.

Dir: Henry King

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

Roberta Lee, who is concerned with reforming ex-convicts, convinces her wealthy father to hire ex-robber "Slippery" Bill Dorgan as a gardener in their home. Bill tries at first to reform himself, but soon yields to temptation and steals Roberta's jewels. To avoid publicity, Roberta takes a trip to the country, where she meets Richard Van Stone who, under an assumed identity, is conducting business for her father. Taken with Roberta, Richard unwittingly buys Roberta's own brooch from Slippery Bill, presents it to her, and is arrested for the robbery. When Roberta is kidnapped, Bill rescues her and returns the jewels, after which she drops the robbery charges and marries Richard.

Dir: Henry King

Gregory Thorne and Marta Milbanke are engaged. Their fathers are millionaire ship owners. Gregory's efforts to inject a little excitement into their engagement life are fruitless, but when Mr. Milbanke receives an anonymous letter which threatens disaster to his home and fortune if he permits a shipload of supplies for the Allies to leave the docks the young man sees an opportunity for creating what he longs for and tells Mr. Milbanke that he knows who has written the letter but that he will not divulge the man's identity. Gregory, who suspects Count Hilgar Eckstrom, is told that he must terminate his engagement with Marta. But this is what Gregory wants, so he plans to abduct his sweetheart. Gregory's men clash with Eckstrom's gang, who has also come to kidnap Marta, and the disturbance results in the arrival of the police. Marta by mistake, allows herself to be carried off by Eckstrom's men and is taken a prisoner. Gregory, following, is also made a captive, and the young people are held as hostages. How Gregory outwits Eckstrom and places him and his gang in the hands of the law brings about a startling climax.

Dir: Henry King

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Hobbs in a Hurry perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Wealthy diamond collector Larry Hanrahan is given the opportunity to assist the beautiful, jewel-bedecked woman he admires in a Broadway café when she and her guardian are attacked by robbers. Larry is invited to visit the grateful pair, Col. Paul Gascoyne and his ward Adrienne, at the colonel's laboratory, where he is introduced to Wintermute, a chemist who produces imitation diamonds. In return, Larry asks them to view his priceless diamond collection. Although he has fallen in love with Adrienne, Larry is forced to believe that she is a thief when he is robbed by a woman wearing Adrienne's scarf. Larry finds his jewels in Gascoyne's house, but before he can escape, a group of thugs overpowers him. Adrienne assists him in contacting the police, who arrive in time to capture Gascoyne and his gang. Badly wounded, the colonel confesses that Adrienne has been his innocent dupe, whereupon Larry happily takes her to his heart.

Dir: Henry King

Run out of town when he exposes crooked politician Jarvis McVey in the pages of his newspaper, Burton Grant asks his daughter Sylvia to turn the Daily News over to his dynamic young city editor, Frank Summers. Having inherited her father's journalistic talents, however, Sylvia fires Frank and takes charge of the paper herself, decorating the city room with bows and printing several rather silly "scoops." In the meantime, Frank learns that McVey and the president of the railroad have become involved in a dishonest scheme concerning the city franchise, and when Sylvia hears this, she publishes an extra, stating that McVey should be tarred and feathered. Sylvia's father arrives just in time to prevent the angry townspeople from carrying out her suggestion and then compels McVey to leave town. Grant orders Sylvia to return to school, but she decides to become Mrs. Frank Summers instead.

Dir: Henry King

Young Joy ( Baby Marie Osborne ), the sole survivor of a shipwreck that killed her parents, is rescued by fishermen and then placed in an orphanage. Although reputable on the surface, the home really functions as a front for some crooks who want to keep Joy there because she carries with her all of her mother's jewelry. Joy manages to escape, but without the jewels, and then stows away on a train heading out West. After arriving, she meets Hal Lewis ( Henry King ), who has been made an outcast by his upper crust Eastern family. Hal soon adopts the little girl and, becoming stronger and more serious through the responsibilities of parenthood, he returns home with Joy. Then, after receiving his father's forgiveness, Hal breaks up the orphanage gang and retrieves Joy's jewels.