The Essential Watchlist that Capture the Essence of Kit Carson: Cul...

Dir: Lloyd Ingraham

Young and wealthy Molly Allison can't be "presented" into society until her older sister Julia is married, but that doesn't stop Molly from pursuing her usual wild ways. She finds herself in turn pursued by Count Renaud, unaware that he is a criminal interested in swindling her out of her money. To discourage the Renaud's attentions--and because she already has a boyfriend, Billy Wilcox--she tells Renaud that she is actually an Indian squaw who is just living in the Allison household. That doesn't stop the Count, however, and he turns his attentions to Molly's sister Julia.

Dir: Lloyd Ingraham

Alys Gilson leaves the complacency of her parents' home to move to the big city and partake in the lofty ideals espoused by the Culture Club. As a member of this Bohemian group, Alys succumbs to the influence of Peyton Le Moyne who preaches that marriages should be founded on absolute freedom. Consequently, when Thurston Bruce, a young lawyer not of the group, proposes to Alys, she accepts on the condition that the marriage be dissolved if either finds their love has ceased to exist. Bruce soon wearies of his wife's "serious thinkers" who occupy his apartment day and night, and their relationship becomes strained. Finally, Bruce informs Alys that they must terminate their marriage because he is in love with his secretary, Marion Hamilton, who will give him a real home. Brokenhearted, Alys returns to her parents' home to find Bruce waiting there for her and discovers that the whole story was a scheme to bring her to her senses.

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

Dir: Lloyd Ingraham

Julia Deep works at the exchange desk of Timothy Black's department store by day, but her evenings are spent in the library of Terry Hartridge, a fellow resident in Mrs. Turner's boardinghouse. Terry has never seen Julia, since he is too busy squandering his inheritance on easy living and showgirl Lottie Driscoll, but the two meet when Terry, having learned that he has spent his last cent, enters the room with a gun. Julia prevents him from shooting himself and they become fast friends. Black gives Terry a job, and the young man adopts a renewed and more sober interest in life. Lottie later reappears but Terry convinces Julia that the actress means nothing to him, and the young couple pool their resources and settle down.

Dir: Lloyd Ingraham

Hunchbacked Japanese artist Marashida, marries Jewel, the daughter of Yasakuj. Their happy married life is destroyed when the daughter of an American missionary, Alice Carroway, known as Ali-San, persuades Marashida to pose for her sculpture of the deformed god Ni-O. While Marashida's character gradually deforms, Yasakuji recognizes in Ali-San the traits of the legendary Fox Woman, who because she had no soul of her own, stole those of others, sometimes turning warriors into crazy beasts. After Jewel, to please Marashida, indulges Ali-San's demand that she be her "playmate," she suffers further humiliation when Ali-San makes her the servant in her father's mission. Finally, Jewel discards the American clothes she is made to wear and, dressed in her wedding robes, goes to her ancestors' tomb to commit harakiri. When Yasakuji climbs up Ali-San's balcony, and she sees his face in her mirror, she accidentally falls off the balcony to her death. Released from Ali-San's spell, Marashida takes Jewel's dagger from her, and they live happily again.

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

Dir: Lloyd Ingraham

A mountain girl with an army-hating father, meets a handsome army captain, who teaches her how to love her country.

Dir: Lloyd Ingraham

A young man fights to overcome a piratical arms smuggler and to win the heart of a rich man's daughter.

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

Dir: Lloyd Ingraham

Wild young Ann Anderson keeps getting expelled from boarding schools because of her passion for pulling pranks. She is finally enrolled at Madame D'Arcy's Finishing School. One night she is awakened by a noise in her room to find a young man stealing from her. However, it turns out that the burglar, Robert, is forced to steal money to buy food for his starving mother. Ann, feeling sorry for him, tells Madame D'Arcy that Robert is actually her husband home from the army, but it doesn't work and she gets expelled from that school, too. However, circumstances take a strange turn when she gets mixed up with a second burglar, is kidnapped and discovers that "Robert" isn't quite who he said he was.

Dir: Lloyd Ingraham

Rosemary van Voort lives in the countryside with her elderly Dutch parents. She carves beautiful wooden dolls, and her work catches the eye of a group of artists who are having a picnic in the area. Among them is Ricardo Fitzmaurice, an aspiring opera singer. The group convinces Rosemary to move to New York City in order to take full advantage of her talent. Soon she becomes wildly successful, but a problem arises--the temperamental Madame Fedoreska, who is in love with Ricardo, has been driven insane by his growing affection for Rosemary and threatens to kill her. When the Madame turns up shot to death, the police look at Rosemary as a suspect--and even worse, she has no alibi.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Her Country's Call perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Lloyd Ingraham

Charity and her young brother are taken in by Merlin Durand, the son of a penurious millionaire, when their mother, a poor cleaning woman, dies. Charity is a strong believer in the world of fairy tales, and calls Merlin "The Prince". Merlin's cheapskate father cuts off his allowance until he gets a job and earns a salary, then leaves home for a "water cure". His servants immediately take a vacation, leaving the house empty, so Charity and Merlin hide there until Merlin can find a job. Charity begins to call the mansion "Charity Castle". They soon wind up involved with a strange cast of characters, including a burglar and an unemployed Shakespearean actor.

Dir: Lloyd Ingraham

A small-town girl returns home from schooling in the East to find that her father's small store and indeed the whole town are in danger of being eliminated by a ruthless land developer. The developer has a son who falls for the young girl, and together they try to come up with a plan to save her father's store and the town.