Editor's Top Picks Sharing the Atmosphere of Mountain Madness: Cult...

Dir: Lloyd B. Carleton

Gerald Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare, whose estates are down-at-heel and out-at-elbows, owing to the improvidence of his ancestors, is known as "the ragged earl." Though creditors press and bailiffs threaten, he meets his problems with a laugh, trusting to a kind providence and his solicitors in Dublin to provide for his future. It had been the plan of Gerald's father that he marry a wealthy cousin, but the young Earl had always thought of marriage as a necessary evil in the life of every man, to be put off as long as possible. He heartily disapproved of a marriage prearranged. Bills have been piling up, however, and when he calls upon his solicitors for a remittance, he is surprised to receive a letter from them, enclosing the sum of twenty-three pounds, which is all that remains of the quarterly rent collection from the estate. In the letter, his solicitors respectfully suggest that it would be well for him to consider an early marriage with his cousin, in accordance with his father's wishes. Though he dislikes the idea, Gerald is forced to admit that it is the only means of saving the ancestral estates. At the nearby castle live Sir Henry Hardcastle, his mother, Mrs. Fitzmaurice, and her stepdaughters, Kathleen and Una. Sir Henry is also in financial difficulties, and aided by his mother, is endeavoring to persuade Kathleen to marry Lord Wildbrook, a wealthy old roué, who is willing to pay Sir Henry handsomely for his influence with the girl. Kathleen is heartbroken at the prospect, and after a stormy scene with her step-brother, disguises herself as a boy, and runs away, taking Una with her. In the morning Sir Henry discovers their flight, and sends one of his retainers, Ralph Forrester, after them. Ralph overtakes them, and is about to force them to return, when Gerald, who has heard Kathleen's screams, appears. He drives Ralph off, and takes the two girls to Kilkare Castle, never suspecting that Kathleen is other than she appears, a very handsome boy. At the castle Kathleen's manner arouses the suspicions of Sarah McHugh, the motherly old woman who had been Gerald's nurse, and who still thinks him a mere boy, in need of her protection and advice. She discovers Kathleen's true sex, but, greatly attracted by the girl, promises to keep it a secret from Gerald. The Ragged Earl has decided to contract the marriage with his cousin and writes a letter to his aunt, requesting permission to call upon them in Dublin. This letter falls into the hands of Ralph, who has been sent by Wildbrook and Sir Henry to kidnap the girls, with promises of a large reward if he succeeds. Ralph manages to reach Kathleen and shows her the letter. Gerald has already awakened her love, and when she sees this evidence of his intention to marry, she agrees to return with Ralph. That night she steals from the castle, with the sleeping Una in her arms, and returns to her step-brother's house. When Gerald learns of their departure, he makes a formal call upon Sir Henry, inquiring for "Edward," the name under which Kathleen has posed as a boy, but is told that "there is no such person as Edward in the castle." He is forced to accept this as the truth, and, believing that Kathleen has gone elsewhere, he returns to Kilkea. There he tells Sarah of his failure, and she, suspecting the truth, goes to Hardcastle's, where she sees Kathleen. She tells Gerald that the boy is there, and he dashes off with Larry and Patrick, two of his retainers, to rescue "Edward." When he arrives, he scales the balcony to the great hall of the castle, where he finds Kathleen in her true person. When he realizes that the "beautiful boy" is really an even more beautiful girl, he is determined to rescue her. He succeeds in abducting Wildbrook. and in getting Kathleen out of the castle in the care of Larry and Patrick, but his own escape is cut off by Ralph Forrester and Sir Henry. In the fight which follows, Gerald is disarmed. He is at the mercy of Sir Henry's blade when he spies a suit of ancient armor supported by a huge two-handed sword. He overturns tables and chairs in Sir Henry's path, reaches the armor and secures the sword. Fighting off his opponents, he manages to cut his way through the great window and escape. Gerald's retainers and peasants have been aroused by Sarah, and have come to his assistance. A fierce battle is in progress between his men and the Hardcastle retainers. The clubs of Gerald's forces are no match for the Hardcastle swords, however, and his men are slowly beaten off. Kathleen is enraptured by Sir Henry, and is taken to the castle. Gerald escapes and is returning to Kilkea, discouraged, when he overtakes Wildbrook, who is fleeing in terror. He conceives a plan and in a secluded spot he forces Wildbrook to change clothes with him. Then he returns to Sir Henry's castle. He learns that Kathleen has been taken to a neighboring church, and that a servant has been sent to find Wildbrook. in order that the marriage may take place at once. Believing Gerald to be the old Lord, the servant tells him to hurry to the church. He reaches the chapel, and manages to disclose his real identity to Kathleen and the priest. Kathleen of course agrees to the marriage, much to the surprise of Sir Henry. As the party leaves the church, Lord Wildbrook, dressed in Gerald's clothes, stumbles in. In the darkness he is mistaken for Gerald, and is nearly killed by Ralph before he can make himself known. When his identity is learned, Gerald is made a prisoner, but is saved by Mrs. Fitzmaurice, who arrives, declaring that he has fairly won Kathleen. She gives her blessing to the Earl and Countess of Kildare.

Dir: Lloyd B. Carleton

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

The Russian Czar sends his trusted confidant, Michael Strogoff, to warn his brother the Grand Duke of a Tartar rebellion that will be led by Feofar Khan and Ivan Ogareff.

Dir: Lloyd B. Carleton

Railroad tycoon Richard Strong discovers that his enemies are scheming to bankrupt him. Strong enlists the help of Charles Dalton, and together they foil the plot. By chance Dalton meets Strong's wife, Elinor.

Dir: Lloyd B. Carleton

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

Westie Phillips, the son of poor and simple Quaker folk, notices a woman marooned on a rock with the tide rising. He rescues her and ever this memory of her remains with him. To Martha Gorham, the daughter of a millionaire, it is only an incident to be remembered for a short time with gratitude toward the boy. In love with Martha Gorham is Harry Arnold, a man considerably older, whose one aim in life now seems to be the winning of her, despite her refusal. Her father, Silas Gorham, is fond of Arnold and favors his suit, although he does not urge his daughter to marry. Arnold invites Martha and her father to go on a cruise with him on his yacht and she consents. Arnold has arranged with his captain to have it appear that the yacht is wrecked near an uncharted island, so he can take Martha to this spot alone and after a month or so the captain is to return and pick them up. About the same time Westie Phillips decides to go out into the world and make his way. He is shanghaied aboard a vessel bound for the Orient and meets with such severe treatment that he manages to escape in Honolulu. It so happens that the Arnold yacht is in the vicinity, and one of the men becoming troublesome, the captain decides to put him ashore. Fate again brings Westie and Martha together, for he secures the sailor's place on board the yacht. He recognizes Martha, but she does not know him. Westie scents that Martha is in danger, and it is with a great deal of satisfaction that he sees Martha repulse the advances of Arnold. Then comes the time when the yacht is in the vicinity of the island. Arnold's plans work out nicely, as he gets Martha in a boat away from her father, but Westie, though he does not know exactly what is happening, senses that there is danger for the woman he loves and insists upon accompanying Arnold. The captain fells him with a blow. Gorham and the others take to the boats and Arnold and Martha are in a boat by themselves. Westie secures a boat and rows for the island. He hears a woman's screams and again comes to Martha's rescue. Then the three take up their life as they find it on the island. Arnold becomes almost crazed when he finds his plans foiled and offers Westie any amount of money if he will but move to the other side of the island. One night Arnold tries to kill the girl, and Westie again saves her. One day Westie and Martha sight a ship and manage to attract it. Before the boat arrives Westie and Martha recognize their love for each other, and their destiny is fulfilled.

Dir: Lloyd B. Carleton

Bessie Gale, known in New York night life as "the unattainable," is pursued by Henry Morton, wealthy clubman. Morton follows Bessie across the continent, traveling with the theatrical company of which she is a member. In crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains the girl is particularly impressed with the scenery, and at a way station where the train stops for a few moments Bessie alights and strolls so far away from the depot she is unable to return in time to board the train when it proceeds. She finds shelter for the night at Robert Goodman's home, intending to rejoin her company when the next train comes along the following day. The receipt of a telegram discharging her for missing her train changes her plans, and Bessie settles down at the Goodman home for a stay of indefinite duration. Robert Goodman's mother takes a great fancy to Bessie and Robert falls in love with her. Finally they are married, but the longing for her old life is never quite stifled within her and Bessie rejoices when she is sent to New York by her husband to negotiate the sale of his formula for preventing disease among sheep that is just then devastating the flocks throughout the country. Bessie collects an immense check and contracts for royalties that make Robert a millionaire, and is about to start home when she accidentally meets some of her former associates. The call of the stage is renewed with resistless vigor when Bessie is offered an engagement by her former manager. Morton hears of her presence in town and renews his efforts to attain "the unattainable." Bessie writes to her husband that she is going back to the stage. Robert senses trouble for her and comes to New York without notifying her. He finds her dining with Morton under conditions any husband would resent, and when Morton is unable to defend himself from the physical retribution Robert rains upon him Morton shoots the husband in the coward's target, his back. The tragedy restores Bessie to a realization of her perfidy and folly; Morton acquires a streak of unheard of manliness and when Robert is taken to the hospital the clubman offers his blood for transfusion to Robert's veins that the life of his victim may be saved. The blood test reveals that Morton's blood would poison the stricken Robert and then Bessie is accepted as a volunteer to give her blood to save her husband's life, an operation that is entirely successful.

Dir: Lloyd B. Carleton

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

Jack Frobisher, a sheep farmer in Queensland, has returned to England a millionaire, bought his way into the inner circle of Vanity Fair, married the daughter of a marquis, and settled in Mayfair, with a country house outside, a shooting box in Scotland, and a yacht on the "Solent." Having accepted the patronage of a titled family, he is forced to lend money to his father-in-law, and having fallen in love with a society woman, he becomes a witness of the vacuous amusements of the smart set. He settles her score when she is a very heavy loser at bridge and watches her flirtations with fashionable idlers in general and with a contemptible rake, Harry Dallas, in particular. The return of Hanky Bannister, one of his Australian pals, and a millionaire like himself, opens the way for a patrician intrigue for the enrichment of the marquis' family by the marriage of Lady Lucy Derenham. Frobisher is unable to interest Eva, his wife, or her relations in his schemes for making a good use of his money in the erection of sanitary dwellings in the East End, and he is disgusted with the tendencies of fashionable life and anxious to keep his friend, Bannister, out of a marriage similar to his own. A sympathetic friend Lady Westerby, tells him that she is disappointed in finding him so tame a bear, and assures him that he has only to shout and the walls of Jericho will fall flat. At the marquis' house during a ball, and a game of bridge in Lady Alethea Frobisher's boudoir, during which one of her titled players cheats, wins a lot of money and suddenly discovers that he has an engagement and must go. The most serious flirtation of the smart wife ends in a declaration of love by Harry Dallas, which is interrupted by the gloomy, serious husband. The trumpets of rams' horns are blown, and the Australian shouts before the Jericho of smartness. The battle opens when Frobisher insists upon helping the titled brother-in-law to marry a girl whose honor his been compromised and to make a fresh start in the colonies. The Marquis is angry over the Australian interference with family coat of honor, and Lady Alethea attempts to reduce the rebel to submission by sarcastic flings at his tiresome virtue. The trumpets sound again when Frobisher attempts to prevent a marriage between his sister-in-law and the infatuated Bannister by telling him how heartless and mercenary she is, and there is another blast when the rake, Harry Dallas, is compelled to read to the indignant husband a love letter written to the wife. The Walls of Jericho are rent asunder and thrown down when Frobisher announces that he will sell his property in England and go back to Queensland with his wife and child. The welkin rings when this social Joshua guarding the ark of the covenant of manhood shouts in trumpet tones, "I have enough of these companions of yours, these wretched sexless women who do nothing but flirt and gamble. I've had enough of their brainless, indecent talk, where everything good is turned into ridicule and each word has a double meaning. I've had enough of this existence of ours, in town and country, where all the men make love to their neighbors' wives. I'm done with it. done with it all." Furious as is the onslaught, Lady Alethea offers stubborn resistance and refuses to surrender. Later, with the mediation of Lady Westerby, before a reconciliation can be effected and Frobisher enabled to carry her off to Queensland. By that time the Walls of Jericho are indeed fallen flat.

Dir: Lloyd B. Carleton

Hazel Rogers, a young girl eighteen years old and heiress in her own right to millions through the death of her father, falls in love with Hamilton Powers, the District Attorney. Powers is cold, calculating, indifferent, wrapped up in his law; attentive to Hazel, but in love with Christine, a trained nurse and a school friend of Hazel's and she, too loves Powers. Hazel's mother, Mrs. Albert Rogers, lives with Hazel. Dr. Joel Samson, the famous surgeon, forty-two years old, warm-hearted, upright, respected, loves Hazel, who is his ward. He is guardian of her millions until her twenty-first birthday, and in the event of her death, previous to her twenty-first birthday, sole heir to her estate. Hazel eventually marries Powers, very much against the wish of Dr. Samson, with the usual result. Powers failing in his request to Dr. Samson to obtain the management of Hazel's money, becomes morbid, indifferent, cold to Hazel and after a few months of married life he leaves her in her magnificent home on Long Island and goes to New York City to better practice his law. Mrs. Preston and Morgan Keith, two hangers-on, are at this time visiting Hazel in her home. One day Powers comes down from town and sees Hazel have a scene. Hazel, desperate, goes out alone for a spin in her auto. Driving too fast, she meets with an accident and is thrown violently out. Her back is fractured. She is brought home a helpless, hopeless invalid. Her suffering is intense. Dr. Neighbor attends Hazel. Christine nurses her. One night in her agony she begs Dr. Neighbor to put her out of her misery. Christine, heartbroken, and almost distracted with love and agony for her suffering friend, administers an overdose of morphine. Hazel never awakens. Dr. Neighbor finds the hypo needle which Christine has left on the table. He puts it in his pocket. He knows. Powers' dislike of Dr. Neighbor causes him to investigate, and the doctor is accused. Dr. Neighbor keeps silent. At the trial Christine confesses all and Dr. Neighbor is freed. Dr. Neighbor later gives his life for a patient.

Dir: Wilfred Lucas

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Unattainable 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: Lloyd B. Carleton

Jane Barrett and her son, Tom, are suddenly beggared by the speculations of her husband, known on Wall Street as Plunger Barrett. At an auction sale, the Barrett yacht, real estate and household effects are sold without reserve to satisfy some of the demands of the creditors. The bankrupt plunger goes to his room, plies himself with liquor, falls out of the window and is killed. It now depends upon Tom to bear the burden of his mother's support. In a newspaper he finds an advertisement offering a position, with promises of advancement, for a young man of education. This is signed by John Pearce, an old friend of the family, who, with his daughter, Helen, has often been a guest on the yacht and in their home. Helen has been attracted by Tom's manly bearing and finds herself gradually weaning her affections away from Phil Blair, an almost accepted lover, who is associated with her father in coal mining. The transfer of her affections comes one day when, out riding with Blair, a child falls from a bridge and he has not the courage to attempt to save her life. This is effected by Tom, and, as a reward, the girl insists upon her father giving the position to Tom. Wishing to begin at the bottom, Tom passes through the different stages of mining and handling coal, and is about to be appointed Assistant Superintendent. But his hopes, as well as those of his mother and lady love, are frustrated by the jealous Blair, assisted by George Bowers, ex-partner in the firm wrecked by Barrett. Thereupon Tom's mother, after making protest to the directors without avail, appeals to the men and a meeting of the Miners' Union is called. While this is in progress, Pearce, who is still Tom's ardent champion, receives a decision of the Supreme Court, giving him a clear title to a mine at the village of Mayflower. After the meeting, the miners having decided to walk out, through sympathy for Tom, he is offered the position of superintendent at Mayflower. He accepts it and takes most of his striking friends with him. The once deserted village now takes on new life, and the mine is opened by Tom on the co-operative principle. While the mining is progressing with fine promise, a flow of oil opened on the levels takes fire, setting the mine ablaze. Then follow the harrowing scenes which it is impossible to avert even after most heroic efforts on the part of the relief train and State Constabulary. After burning for more than three weeks, the fire bums away the supporting pillars of the mine, and the fated village caves into the abyss made by the sinking earth. The villainous Blair succeeds in convincing the excited people that Tom himself has fired the mine to conceal the fact of its utter worthlessness, and they set out to lynch him. For a time the brave mother and a few friends succeed in staying the advance of the mob, but they are the stronger, and are about to destroy him when a pillar of fire arises. This proved to be an oil well of great magnitude, and, amid the promises of the rehabilitated hero, that what they have lost will be more than regained, the defeated Blair is seen slinking away, silhouetted against the dying flames of the sunken village.

Dir: Lloyd B. Carleton

"The Idler" is Mark Cross, a young man of good family, who in a wild fit of daredeviltry has emigrated from London to the far west. John Harding, also well-born of wealthy parents, but disinherited, and a poor clerk, is also seeking his fortune in the gold fields. One day Harding receives a letter from a firm of London solicitors informing him that his father has died and that he is now Sir John Harding, Bart. He sets out at once to make his preparations for his return to civilization and to take up the station in life that is rightfully his. But that very day he becomes involved in a quarrel with Felix Strong, the young brother of a miner named Simeon Strong, and Felix is shot accidentally during the dispute. Harding is accused of murder, but flees to England in time to escape the vengeance of a posse, headed by Simeon Strong, who is determined to avenge his brother. Years after in London, Harding, who has married the girl both he and Cross were in love with before they emigrated, comes face to face with Cross and Strong, who have become partners and have "struck it rich." In order to win Lady Harding for his own Cross allows the evil side of his nature to get the upper hand of him and plots to have Strong kill Sir John in a duel. Strong slaps Harding in the face in the foyer of the opera house in order that he may involve him in "an affair of honor" and avenge his brother's death by killing Harding. Cross in the meantime lures Lady Harding to his rooms where Sir John comes to seek her. She hides in Mark Cross's bedroom, but reveals herself at a dramatic moment when Harding, shouting "Curse you, I'll kill you," springs at Cross's throat. Her splendid nature, as shown in her denunciation of both men, one as a husband without faith in his wife and the other as the would-be destroyer of a home, overcomes them with shame. They shake hands and Mark, parting forever with Lady Harding, orders his valet to pack his things for he is off "on a long trail."