Curated Recommendations Similar Cinematic Experiences to Is There J...

Dir: Stuart Paton

George Grant has invented a device which is being financed by his partner, John Benson, who receives an offer of $200,000 for the patent rights of the valuable invention. The offer is accepted with Grant's approval. Grant enters a barroom where an old man reprimands Dave Wilson, a young man out of employment, for wasting his time in barrooms. Dave strikes the old man, and Grant interferes, giving the young man a black eye. Benson sees the encounter and Grant returns to his home office with Benson. As Benson is leaving he meets Dave, who tells him he has been persuaded by his mother to apologize to Grant. The apology is accepted. Then Grant suddenly drops dead. Dave hears a police whistle blown outside, and runs into the next room where he crawls under the bed. Policemen and members of Grant's household arrive and discover Grant's body. One of the policemen telephones to the police station, and Detective Doyle is assigned to take charge of the case. Dave is present when Doyle arrives on the scene of the murder, and explains to Doyle how Grant dropped dead. Meanwhile a policeman finds a pistol in the yard, and hands it to Doyle. Benson telephones from his home that he wishes to speak to Grant. Doyle answers that there has been an accident and he had better come over at once. When Benson arrives Dave urges him to tell the detective that Benson knew of Dave's mission to the house, but Benson answers, "I know about the fight, and I know nothing about the apology." Dave collapses and is dragged off to the police station. The scene then shifts to the courtroom where Dave has been tried for murder and the jury have found him guilty. Shortly after Dave is electrocuted. One year later James Sprague, the criminologist, is visiting his old friend, the warden, and is shown the reforms the warden has made in prison life. The warden believes in the golden rule, and between working hours the men are allowed their freedom and are treated as human beings. The prisoners are shown playing baseball, and are given manual exercises. During the game the warden tells Sprague that he is glad capital punishment has been abolished as many an innocent man had been electrocuted. The warden then shows Sprague a photograph of Grant's home, declaring that he doesn't believe that the man who was electrocuted for killing Grant was actually guilty. Sprague is interested in the case, and departs with the photograph in his pocket. We next see Sprague at Grant's home making a close examination of the room in which Grant was killed. He looks out of the window into the yard where he sees a boy in a swing. He chases the boy out of the yard, gets on the swing, and concludes that Grant was shot by the murderer swinging himself to a height on a level with Grant's window which would account for the revolver picked up in the yard subsequent to the murder. Meanwhile Benson's guilty conscience has made him a nervous wreck. He goes to his home, where he has another vision of Grant, and shoots at the specter with his revolver. The servants rush in, and the butler revives him with a stimulating drink. Sprague consults Detective Doyle, who asserts that Grant's murder was a case of murder for revenge, and in his subsequent investigation learns of Benson's strange attack of nervousness. Under the pretense of wanting to make a business contract, Sprague makes the acquaintance of Benson. He bribes the butler and maid servant to get themselves discharged and the next day he installs servants of his own choice in Benson's household. Sprague's wife is engaged as the maid servant. The butler and Sprague's wife, abetted by a detective, act so strangely and get Benson into such an extremely nervous condition that when Sprague calls on him to close the proposed contract he begins to suspect that he is being spied on, especially on being asked whether he is interested in the abolition of capital punishment. Sprague then relates to him the peculiar case of Dave Wilson in connection with the murder of George Grant, which increases Benson's apparent nervousness. Meanwhile, Detective Doyle, who is in the yard, fires off a revolver, at a given signal from Sprague. Benson becomes hysterical and confesses that he committed the murder. At the close of the picture, Benson is seen in prison stripes in order to emphasize that while Dave Wilson had no chance of redemption. Benson, through the abolition of capital punishment, would at least be given a chance.

Dir: Stuart Paton

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

Lois Fox, upon whose shoulder is branded a Chinese ideograph resembling the letters "A. Y.," is rescued from a gang of Chinese ruffians by Brice Ferris. His servant Ming, in attempting to steal from her finger a ring that bears a mysterious green seal, is killed, and soon afterwards a stranger named Strang arrives, also in search of the girl. Despite Brice's efforts to protect her, Lois is abducted and taken to the headquarters of Lao Wing, the leader of a secret Chinese society known as the Tong. Ferris and chief of police Struber finally infiltrate the gang's headquarters and after a furious battle, Lois and Strang are freed. Strang, actually Lois' uncle, reveals that the sacred ring had belonged to an ancient Chinese order but had been stolen by Lois' father.

Dir: Bruno Ziener

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Stuart Paton

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Eva, wo bist du? perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Episode 1: "The Oriental Death Punch" Alvin Van Cleft has a penchant for chorus girls, particularly Polly Marion. One night they leave a café and enter a taxi, closely watched by two muffled figures. As Van Cleft and the girl are riding through the park Van Cleft falls into a stupor, a mysterious hand which seems to have no attachment to a body, enters the cab and kills Van Cleft. Later Howard, his son, is notified by a mysterious voice that his father has been murdered and is the third victim, two others interested in chorus girls having preceded him. Howard notifies John Shirley, interested in criminology, and Professor Montague, a prominent physician, and they, together with Cronin, head of a detective agency, start working on the case. Shirley arrives at the conclusion that Van Cleft was murdered by the Japanese death punch, Sen Si Yao, as he is telling this to his friends he receives a telephone message that Cronin is in Bellevue Hospital with a crushed skull and that Montague may be the fourth victim. Shirley visits Cronin, who tells how he was beaten by two chaps who had been in the same taxi with him. Shirley then receives a message that he will be the next victim if he does not stop meddling in others' affairs. The professor, to the surprise of Howard, disguises himself and goes out the back way; as he jumps over the wall he is attacked by two thugs, whom he overpowers and marches to the police station.

Dir: Stuart Paton

A French professor and his daughter accompany Captain Nemo on an adventure aboard a submarine.

Dir: Stuart Paton

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

Being an unmarried man, Douglas Seward, a young engineer, is unable to secure a position with Terence Craver, a contractor. In search for a wife Seward meets Eileen Orton, who has been left destitute by the death of her father. He makes an agreement to support her if she present herself as his wife at Craver's office. She agrees and Seward secures a position and leaves for South America. The contractor, who has a mania for beautiful women, falls in love with Eileen, but she does not care for him, having become much attracted to Seward, who is sending her half his salary each week for her maintenance. Months later Seward comes to New York to see Eileen and arrives in time to protect her from Craver. The marriage lie no longer necessary, Seward proposes to Eileen, and they are forthwith made man and wife.

Dir: Stuart Paton

Emerson Boyd is the owner of the Great Boyd Mills, a relentless scheming, grinding corporation, which employs child labor and disregards all laws of health and sanitation. He is also in control of the Boyd Chemical Company, another large corporation with the same greedy and heartless policy which turns out upon the public certain harmful and toxic medicines, among which is Saco-Ozone, a widely advertised cure for tuberculosis and pulmonary diseases. Back of the powerful arm of Emerson Boyd is David Duncan, general manager of the Boyd Mills. Duncan is also a crooked politician. He is in love with Eleanor, Boyd's daughter, who, however, is secretly engaged to Matthew Brand, one of the idle rich. Emerson Boyd reads a newspaper attack upon the Boyd Corporation and, in a great rage, calls Duncan to see what influence he can use as a political boss to muzzle the paper. Eleanor goes away and Brand runs across the newspaper article against her father. Alarmed by the facts set forth in the paper, Brand determines to investigate, and, calling upon Cole, the editor of the "Clarion," hears a story that makes him sick at heart. Then he learns that Boyd's political machine has muzzled the paper. Brand pays a visit to Boyd's factories, and is horrified at the unsanitary conditions. Brand visits the "Clarion" office and buys the paper, but retains Cole to help him. They start at once on an article that drives Boyd wild with rage when the paper comes from the press. Brand goes to call on Eleanor. At the same time Duncan and the detective are closeted with Boyd. While Brand is telling Eleanor of his campaign with the Tuberculosis Society to wipe out the dread disease the detective is telling Boyd that the man who is so bitterly opposing him and printing the vitriolic stories is none other than the quiet Matthew Brand, who has been courting his daughter. Boyd is astounded. Meanwhile, Eleanor has become so enthusiastic that she determines that her father must hear the story and hurries to the library, where Boyd is closeted with his hirelings, and begs him to come and listen to Matthew Brand. When Brand sees Boyd, the latter attacks him unsparingly and, refusing to grant him a hearing, orders him to leave the house and never return. Eleanor is astounded. The National Tuberculosis Society meets with failure, for, when Boyd learns of the proposed sanitarium, he orders the mayor to prevent it, fearing that it might hurt his patent medicine business. Following the dictates of his superior, Mayor Alrich replies that the finances of the town would not warrant such a measure. Meanwhile Boyd becomes interested in the persistent attack upon the horrible system of the great mills and inquires of Duncan as to the truth of the stories. The latter lies glibly. In the meantime, Eleanor has gone to the "Clarion'' office to see her sweetheart. Duncan calls, and Brand pushes Eleanor into an adjoining room, that she may hear what is said. Duncan threatens Brand to induce him to stop the damaging articles, but Brand defies him. Boyd is beginning to admire Brand, but Duncan plans to dynamite the "Clarion." Eleanor, becoming very ill, the old family physician is sent for, and, making a thorough examination, tells Boyd the crushing news that his daughter has symptoms of tuberculosis. Duncan arrives at the rendezvous where he learns that the police have become suspicious of the gangsters and they had retired to await his orders. Duncan is angered to the utmost over the hitch in the well-laid plans, and, calling them all the utmost cowards, takes the bomb himself and bids them follow. In the darkness of the rear of the "Clarion" office, Duncan sets the bomb and lights it, while on the inside, Brand and a helper are working over some copy. The bomb has a defective fuse, and a premature explosion takes place, killing Duncan, while the falling bricks and masonry seriously injure Brand. Boyd's family physician tells the money king that there are no places in Every-town for the proper treatment of tuberculosis, as Boyd and other corporation owners have persistently fought to keep out all sanitariums. Boyd thinks of his own remedy, and sends for a case of Saco-Ozone. He reads from the testimonials of its wonderful cures, but the family physician appears, and hurls it all from the window, telling him that it is harmful and poisonous. He then tells Boyd that Eleanor, to get well, must be sent to an open air sanitarium. When Boyd tells Eleanor of the doctor's suggestion, and offers her anything her heart desires, if she will only try to get well, he is told that her one wish is that he will send for Brand and listen to him. Boyd leads Brand to the library, where he listens to the other's talk on the existing evil conditions and of his efforts to prevent the spreading of tuberculosis. Boyd thereupon plans to reconstruct Every-town. Miracle upon miracle is accomplished by the enthusiastic money king, who sends his daughter to a sanitarium, where she ultimately recovers after receiving good care, fresh air, rest and wholesome food. The story ends one year later with a big banquet to celebrate a new and clean Every-town and, incidentally, the engagement of Eleanor and Brand.

Dir: Wilfred Lucas

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Brian O'Farrell (Snowy Baker), is an English 'new chum' who takes a job at an Australian cattle station. He is teased by station hands because of his appearance (including spats and a monocle) but he soon impresses them with his skills at riding and boxing. The station manager, John MacDonald (Wilfred Lucas), takes O'Farrell to Sydney to meet his daughter Edith (Kathleen Key) who is working in the slums. Edith is kidnapped by criminals after witnessing a crime but O'Farrell rescues her. It is later revealed he is the owner of the station.

Dir: Alexander Butler

In Alberta, Canada, a Cornish emigrant unmasks a rustler posing as the girl's "blind" father.

Dir: Stuart Paton

Andrea Minghetti runs a California vineyard with the help of his pretty niece Bona, who cooks for the employees. A worker named Chico Piave, who belongs to a secret crime society, tries unsuccessfully to force himself on Bona, and later, he demands that Andrea give him both the young woman and a large sum in cash. Meanwhile, the wealthy Frank Harris accepts a job at the vineyard on a dare and is so impressed with Bona's cooking that he offers her a position in his mother's kitchen. Mrs. Harris treats Bona cruelly until word comes that Bona has inherited a fortune from Andrea, who has disappeared in her absence. Mrs. Harris' sudden kindness dismays Bona, who returns home and informs the police of Chico's earlier threats. Chico is arrested, but Andrea, who merely hid to escape the criminal, returns to the vineyard, as does Frank, who declares his love for Bona.