The Auteur's Selection In the Shadow of Nameless Men: Cult Guide

Dir: Christy Cabanne

Romeo and Juliet type story loosely based upon the famed Hatfield/McCoy feud.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

Reginald Morton is a wealthy idler of athletic tendencies. He has become bored with the shallow social set in which he moves, although he is engaged to marry Dorothy Fleming, a member of it. Dorothy is engaged to Reggie mainly because of his money, and is flirting desperately with all comers. While out in his automobile one day Reggie chances upon a lost little girl sitting on the curb. He takes her back to her home in the slums and there he sees and falls in love with Agnes Shannon, a sweet young girl of good family now compelled to earn her living in a cheap cabaret. He then discovers that Dorothy is faithless to him and breaks his engagement, leaving him free to pay court to Agnes. His rival for the affections of Agnes is Tony Bernard, the leader of the gangsters of the neighborhood, and Bernard has instructed one of his henchmen to bring Agnes to him. Reggie frustrates the scheme, beats up the henchman, and the owner of the dive in which Agnes works hires him as his bouncer. But Bernard has not given up the idea of possessing the girl, and as Reggie is the only obstacle in the way of getting her, he orders him shot. They way-lay Reggie, but he beats them up one by one. Cornered at last, Reggie challenges Bernard to enter a room alone with him and have it out, the man who survives the battle to get the girl. Bernard agrees. A fight takes place. The light is smashed, but it continues until the two men, their shirts stripped from their back, are too exhausted to go on. By a supreme effort Reggie deals the final blow and staggers out, where he is attacked by the band. But the police have been tipped off. How Reggie finally wins Agnes is the culmination of a romance.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Reggie Mixes In perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

Mary Alden and her brothers Matthew and George have extremely different political views. Matthew is a committed pacifist, and is constantly giving speeches against war. George is notified that his draft number, 258, has been called and to report for induction, but he refuses. Mary, on the other hand, is intensely patriotic and comes up with a plan to shame him into reporting for induction. Meanwhile, Matthew is being set up for a patsy by a gang of German secret agents led by Van Bierman who are planning to blow up an airplane factory.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

Rich, spoiled social butterfly Pamela Sayre lives the good life with her two maiden aunts. Bertie Holden, the somewhat slacker son of a wealthy couple, is in love with Pamela, who seems to prefer muscular, daredevil-type men, which Bertie definitely isn't. Pamela flirts with the wealthy but much older Charles Van Gordon in order to make Bertie jealous, but her plan seems to backfire.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Draft 258 perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

Shy, timid banker Florian Amidon is assaulted, robbed, and knocked out while on vacation. When he wakes up he discovers that he's in the booming oil town of Bakerstown, has no memory of how he got there--and that there's a five-year gap in his life from the time he was robbed until that moment. He and his friend Judge Blodgett enlist the services of clairvoyant Madame Leclaire to help Florian find out what happened to him. What she discovers changes his life forever.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

The National Red Cross Pageant (1917) was an American war pageant that was performed in order to sell war bonds, support the National Red Cross, and promote a positive opinion about American involvement in World War I. This pageant was a production put on in support of funding for America's participation in World War I, also known as the Great War. It was also an all-star revue silent film, now considered a lost film.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Miss Robinson Crusoe perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

Gerald, the somewhat frail son of a wealthy New York family, is bested at the beach by Bill, a strapping young cowboy from Arizona. His fiancée Mary, ashamed of his "yellow streak", leaves him and goes by train to visit some friends in Arizona, with Bill in tow. Gerald follows them, and he and Mary wind up captured by Yaqui Indians and Gerald must prove to Mary that he is not the "weakling" she thinks he is by coming up with a plan for them to escape their captors.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

The home of Mrs. Bryson and her two daughters is happy except for the poverty that prevents the girls from sending their sick mother away to the mountains. Both help to support the household, but it is Shirley who feels the responsibility of her mother's approaching death and her worry is evident to all about her. She is employed in a manicure shop frequented by wealthy men and meets Wilfred Templeton, who invites her to dine with him. He questions her about her dejected air and she tells him of her mother's illness. This is Templeton's opportunity, and he asks her to make a bargain with him. He will give her all the money she needs and in return she is to live with him in an apartment which he will establish for her. Shirley refuses, but when her mother grows worse she yields and leads her mother and her sister to believe that she has married Templeton and Mrs. Bryson is happy. When James Lowery, the butler in Shirley's new home, finds that she is not married to Templeton, he forces his way into her boudoir when she is dressing. With the greatest difficulty Shirley repulses him. She informs Templeton and Lowery is discharged. Everything runs smoothly until Shirley invites her sister to visit her. Emma wants to see this wonderfully generous husband. Shirley is unable to conceal her secret, and Emma wrings a confession from her. The news so preys upon Emma's mind that she is unable to keep it a secret from her mother. Stricken at her child's dishonor, Mrs. Bryson gives up her battle for life. Shirley leaves Templeton and goes to work as a cabaret entertainer. Lowery again forces his attentions upon her. He openly insults her and a young man at a nearby table comes to her rescue. The man is Harold Templeton, "Wilfred's son, who is the "black sheep" of the family, and is living away from home. The acquaintance finally ripens into real affection. The young people are married, but their happiness is clouded by the girl's fear that her husband will discover the truth about her past life. The expected happens when Wilfred Templeton forgives his son and comes to call on him and his bride. Shirley and her husband's father are brought face to face, and their manner accuses them before either makes a confession. Harold turns against his wife. Later, however, his better nature asserts itself, and he drives his father away. Realizing Shirley's mistake was made, not for her own sake, but for her mother's, he forgives her and takes her into his arms.

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

Dir: Christy Cabanne

Robert Wallace, the elder son of a rich and indulgent father, marries Margaret Christy, a spirited patriot, so that he can escape the call to war. Discovering the reason for Robert's haste to get married, Margaret is appalled and resolves to bring home to her husband a sense of his personal responsibility. In order to instill patriotism in Robert, Margaret contrasts him with John Harding, the man who gave her up to go to war. When Robert protests his wife's tactics, Margaret accuses him of being a contemptible coward. The next day a German insults the American flag, and Robert, his sense of justice aroused, makes him salute it. He then bids Margaret farewell and marches off to war. Margaret sees him off without divulging the secret that she is pregnant, thus sacrificing her own welfare for that of her country.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

A wealthy young athlete comes to the aid of a beautiful heiress, whose fortune is being threatened by two arch villains, The Great Master and Doctor Zulph.