The Auteur's Selection Complementing the Tone of Monte Carlo Nights...

Dir: Victor Heerman

In the gold fields of the Canadian Northwest, a man is falsely accused of a crime and determines that a lookalike is responsible.

Dir: William Nigh

Marian Delmar's architect father has died without an estate, though she thinks he has left her a settlement of some sort. From the time of his death, a member of his profession, Varcoe, has sent her a monthly remittance with enables her to live decently and study painting. Then Varcoe dies, leaving no instructions regarding the remittance and no reason why his son Olin should continue it. John Hartfield, whose father has been a lawyer of doubtful integrity but unquestionable shrewdness, is now the one Marian turns to when her remittance fails to arrive. He subsequently informs her that the remittance seems to have been a matter of charity on the late Varcoe's part; incidentally, his son Olin is dying from his wild dissipation and morbid excesses. Marian's independent nature revolts at having been an object of charity, and against John's pleading she decides to pay the debt by nursing Olin back to health. She offers her services as nurse, and Olin exhibits a wicked joy at engaging her. All repair to the old Varcoe home on the St. Lawrence, where lives Mrs. Varcoe, whom her supposed son has never seen; she has been an invalid for 40 years, faithfully attended by the old family physician in a house with Indian servants, and strange furnishings that must have been the expression of a morbid brain. When Olin meets Mrs. Varcoe, whose son he is supposed to be, he seems to inspire her with fear and misgiving. She is immediately impressed with Marian, whose attentions are now directed to the old lady's health. The aged doctor's jealousy of Marian in her efforts to relieve Mrs. Varcoe creates frequent friction. Through the finding of certain plans in a secret compartment, John finds that Marian's father was the real brains behind the elder Varcoe's success; hence, the remittance by agreement. Olin's morbid nature drives him to take advantage of an Indian girl in his household, and the consequence is the exposure of the secret that he himself is the offspring of such an affair on his father's part. Meanwhile, John constantly tries to dissuade Marian from continuing in this atmosphere, but a strong affection has developed between Marian and the kind old lady that furnishes the incentive for her to remain. Olin is determined to have one more big fling before he passes away, and invites a number of his dissipated city friends to spend the weekend. Olin traps Marian in a secret passage, but another Indian and John rescue her and wound Olin. Olin crawls to the Indian huts on the estate where the remainder of his mother's tribe dwelt, and dies in the arms of his Indian grandfather. Marian and John determine to travel the road of life together, while the old doctor gives evidence that his devotion to his equally-venerable patient was not purely professional interest.

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

Dir: William Nigh

Alita, a child who has been left in the care of Mr. and Mrs. Putnam in a desolate swamp country, reaches the age when she is to be prepared for the world, and the Putnams send word to Judge Gates, her guardian, to come for her. Her life has been spent in the swamps with a half-witted boy, "Weird Willie," and many animals and birds of that country, as her only playmates. Judge Gates receives the letter at his bachelor apartment, which he shares with a younger friend and companion, Bob Stange. Through the accidental dropping of a marriage license the Judge discovers that Bob is about to become a benedict, despite the fact that they had a compact never to marry, on the theory that all women are deceitful. The Judge recounts a story about one ill-fated marriage that ended in the divorce courts, in which the real tragedy was the little baby which no one seemed to want. Bob turns a deaf ear to this and leaves in anger. Constance, the one woman Bob has idealized, is older than he. She plays upon his sympathies by telling of her hard work as a dressmaker, when, in reality, she is leading a dual life, and only wants Bob for his money. She is carrying on a liaison with a Calvin Baker, a man about town, and he is calling on her when Bob arrives and tells her a minister is on the way to marry them. Baker hides behind the screen and listens. Bob tells Constance that he has invited his best friend, Judge Gates, to the ceremony. When Constance hears this name she is startled and insists on the ceremony being hurried. The marriage is performed as the Judge arrives. He recognizes Constance as the one who has ruined his own and his best friend's life. He denounces her, and Bob realizes her perfidy when he finds Baker hidden in the room. Bob and the Judge leave, and go away for a fishing trip, hoping to forget. In the country Bob comes upon Alita, and through a strange chain of circumstances, she is slightly wounded by a shot which her constant protector, "Weird Willie," intended for Bob. Alita falls in love with Bob, for he is the first man she has come in contact with. The Judge decides to take Alita away. Judge Gates puts Alita in charge of a professor to educate her, but she proves, through her hoydenish ways, a source of annoyance to the teacher. Bob receives a letter from his sister, telling him she has found the right girl for him at a summer hotel, where she is stopping. The Judge buys an extensive wardrobe for Alita, and by chance, they go to the same hotel for which Bob is bound. Bob is startled when his sister leads him into the presence of Constance. Alita meets Constance and the girl is attracted to her. The Judge finds them together and afterwards upbraids Constance. Alita and Bob meet again. Bob goes to Constance, begs her to release him, and to grant him a divorce. The Judge sees Bob enter her room and follows. Alita waits until they leave. She goes to Constance and asks her if she knew Bob before. Constance tells her the truth. Alita leaves all, and goes back to the swamp country. She cannot face the Putnams, so she runs into the fields instead, where she wishes to die. After Alita leaves Judge Gates tells Constance that Alita is her child. Constance's better nature is aroused and she goes in search of her daughter. Bob and the Judge follow. Constance agrees with the Judge that it is best not to tell Alita the truth, and when Bob and "Weird Willie" find Alita in the swamps, Constance wanders away to her death that Bob may be free to marry the child she has wronged.

Dir: Aubrey M. Kennedy

Wealthy oil magnate Harry Mangin is in love with his competitor James Murdock's daughter Blanche. Mangin schemes to ruin Blanche's father so that the girl will be forced to accept his attention. However, Blanche loves "Sky Eye" Blake, an aviator at the adjoining U. S. aviation field. When Mangin is driven in desperation to muster his own private air force in order to destroy his rival's oil plants, "Sky Eye" takes to the skies to quell the riot. After several daring escapades, "Sky Eye" captures Mangin and wins Blanche for his bride.

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

Dir: William Nigh

Mary Bruce is wooed by Lord Haverford but loves Roger Benton, her father's secretary. To finalize his marriage proposal, Lord Haverford offers her father a large sum of money and, being low on funds, Mr. Bruce accepts it, then places it in a safe. Horrified by her father's actions, Mary steals the cash from the safe that night, but on her way out is overcome by another thief whose wrist she bites in the ensuing tussle. When the theft is discovered, Mary, Benton and Mr. Bruce are suspected, but Dr. Steele, a detective, convinces Mary that Haverford, or the man who calls himself Haverford, is the actual thief. Steele tells how the phony Haverford attempted to kill the real one, stole his money, assumed his identity and is now extorting cash from Bruce. With the bitten wrist as proof, Steele exposes the impostor, then reveals himself to be the real Lord Haverford, whose sweetheart has been posing as the Bruces' maid. The mystery resolved, Mary and Benton happily reunite.

Dir: Harry Southwell

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: William Nigh

Through the death of his father, Benton Cabot is left with nothing but a small mountain cabin which he has never seen. He goes to take up his property and in the mountains meets Emmy Garrett, an untutored but attractive girl, just budding into womanhood. Emmy is a child of the woods and Benton's city dress and ways amuse, her greatly. His cabin is uninhabitable so Benton goes to work for Bije Stork and lives with Bije, his brother, Si Stork, and Si's wife, Crishy, a poor creature, crushed by years of servitude. Benton takes an instinctive dislike to Bije and senses that there is something wrong with the Stork establishment. He and Emmy feel attracted to each other, despite the lack of respect Emmy feels for Benton. Emmy sends Benton a note by Jim Whitlicks, a half-witted boy, but Bije intercepts. Instead of telling Benton he goes to see Emmy and tells her that Benton is too busy to see her. Emmy sneaks away and sees Benton chatting with a party of autoists from the city. She goes back and, at her grandfather's solicitation, promises to marry Bije. Jim Whitlicks tells Benton of the intercepted note and he goes to see Emmy. She will have nothing to do with him and drives him out of the house into a furious storm. Benton finds the ford swollen by the storm and is nearly drowned. But he is saved by Emmy, whose change of heart led her to follow him. Then she realizes she loves Benton but thinks he does not care for her. Emmy wants to get all dressed up. So she and Crishy Stork send Jim to town for cloth. The money Jim tenders Hicky Price, the storekeeper, is found to be counterfeit. Hicky calls in the sheriff and they decide to hunt Bije Stork down. They find he is a counterfeiter and conceals the counterfeit money in Benton's abandoned shack. The Storks realize that the jig is up. Si gets Emmy in his team and goes for the counterfeit money. At the shack he meets Benton, who rescues Emmy after a hand-to-hand fight. Benton rides off with Emmy, pursued by the Storks in their wagon, when they meet the sheriff's posse. The Storks turn and flee. Pursued hotly they perish when the wagon goes over a cliff. Thus freed Emmy makes clear her love for Benton and the young folks are left happy.

Dir: Perry N. Vekroff

While in New York seeking work, Cynthia, a young English girl, meets Bruce Crittenden and George Rhode who introduce her to Madame Savarin, a wealthy woman seeking a companion for a sea voyage. She hires Cynthia, and while at sea, Cynthia discovers that Bruce is the ship's purser. Cynthia's father was a famous wireless expert who taught her how to read code, which enables her to overhear a plot to sink the ship and steal Mrs. Savarin's jewels. Soon after, the crew mutinies, and while Rhode and Bruce fight the crew, Cynthia sounds the alarm. As he is attempting to foil the jewel thieves, Bruce falls overboard, and Cynthia swims to his rescue with the jewels strapped to her back. They are rescued by a government patrol boat and taken back to New York where Cynthia and Bruce are married.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Thou Shalt Not Steal perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: William Nigh

The townspeople of Purity despise Martin Bradley because of his heavy drinking, but he still does his best to make life better for the town. He helps to support two women who have been socially ostracized by the townspeople, and during the election campaign for mayor, exposes the corruption and dirty tricks of candidate James Durkel, resulting in the election of his opponent Chester Thorndyke. However, the voters of Purity insist that Thorndyake disavow his ties to Bradley, whom they regard as disreputable.

Dir: William Nigh

The story tells of the reformation of a millionaire's son, who later develops such consistent speed on the "draw" and on a horse that it wins for him the title of "The Blue Streak." Driven from home, the "Streak" changes his mode of living entirely. News of his adventurous spirit penetrates even into the town of Sterling, beyond the Rockies, where he one day finds himself. He strolls into the common meeting-place there, the saloon, and proceeds to prevent a forced marriage between the proprietor's daughter, "The Fledgling," and a gambler by the simple expedient of covering all with his revolver while preparing to make her captive himself. A short time after they reach his retreat in the hills, the "Streak' is almost overcome by what occurs to him. The gambler must have wronged the girl, and he, the "Streak," has interfered with retribution. He leaves "The Fledgling" in his partner's care and rides furiously back to the town for the "miscreant." He makes him prisoner, after a hard fight, and with a parson, brings him to the hut. The girl protests that the gambler has not harmed her, but the "Streak" will not listen. In desperation, "The Fledgling" goes through with a fake marriage ceremony. Miles away on the horizon the "Streak" sees a posse approaching to arrest him for his escapades. He bids "The Fledgling" good-bye and prepares for surrender. She begs him to flee. When he refuses she rushes to his arms, crying out her explanation. He mounts his horse, lifts her behind him, and dashes off, to begin life anew in his old home.