Editor's Top Picks Sharing the Atmosphere of Nan of Music Mountain:...

Dir: George Melford

Despite her love for penniless Dirck Mead, Lorraine marries wealthy Aaron Roth to save her family from financial ruin. Roth is a swindler and when trying to escape the wrath of the law, he jumps from a ship and is declared dead. Mead, now a diamond magnate, finds Lorraine in New York, marries her and takes her to live in South Africa, where, as it happens, Roth, who survived his leap from the ship, is currently conducting his shady business. Roth discovers Lorraine's situation and threatens her with exposure, and Lorraine is about to leave Mead when she learns of Roth's plan to steal a valuable diamond that Mead is escorting to the city. Summoning help, Lorraine reaches Mead in time to thwart the robbery. Roth is killed in the fight, and Lorraine is spared the task of resolving her marital status.

Dir: George Melford

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: George Melford

The story relates the attempt of a group of machine politicians at Washington to ruin Matthew Standish, an insurgent who has made himself so strong with the people that he is in a position to defeat the Mullins bill, fostered by a corrupt ring in Washington, in favor of certain railroads. The leaders of this ring are Jim Blake, the boss of the party machine, and his son-in-law Mark Robertson. Standish is being hailed throughout the country as the exponent of morals and virtue, and Blake realizes that the only way to defeat him is to find some blot on his record in the past. He puts a detective to work, who, by bribing Standish's former secretary, finds out that some years ago Standish became involved with a young woman of good family, but for some reason he did not marry her. Blake realizes that skillfully handled, this story could be made to ruin Standish's career, but without the woman's name it will look like a campaign lie. So the entire machine bends its energy to discovering the woman's identity to prove the story. To accomplish this, they lay a trap that they think will make Standish try to warn the woman by telephone. He is deceived and does telephone the woman to be on her guard, calling the number Plaza 1001. Wanda Kelly, telephone girl at the Keswick, has been told of the plan by Blake, who believes that she can be bribed to give him the telephone number. After Standish telephones, Blake's son-in-law Robertson comes in to 'phone his home in New York, calling the same number that Standish has just called. Wanda, the operator, sees that the woman in the case is really Blake's daughter and Robertson's wife, and besides refusing to give the number, destroys her record sheet. Mrs. Robertson arrives from New York and is driven to desperation when Standish informs her that, though he has tried to protect her, he needs to give her name to Blake and Robertson if they continue striving to ruin him by this story. The subsequent events leading to the conclusion of the drama and the defeat of the offensive Mullins bill in Congress are stirring in the extreme. Once again the telephone girl interferes in the plot by disconnecting the wires when the "ring'' politicians, driven to their last ditch, are trying to telephone a newspaper to release the story even without the woman's name. She keeps her courage after this, even when threatened with arrest and criminal prosecution. It is the woman herself who finally comes to the rescue and refuses to see the little telephone girl made to suffer further on her behalf. This terrible revelation makes Blake and Robertson see what a veritable heroine she has been and even leads to the happy consummation of a romance between the telephone operator and Jim Blake's son.

Dir: George Melford

Gambler Harvey Arnold is forced to leave San Francisco and winds up in a small country town that is in the midst of a reform movement. He marries local girl May Fielding, who has no idea of his profession. When she finds out, he promises to quit, but it turns out that his profession wasn't the only secret he was keeping from May.

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

Dir: George Melford

Lady Jocelyn, a favorite in the court of England's King James, escapes a forced marriage to the hated Lord Carnal by fleeing to American colonies. There she meets and marries Captain Ralph Percy. Pursued by Lord Carnal, Lady Jocelyn and her new husband eventually find themselves shipwrecked on a desert island with Lord Carnal. A band of pirates finds them there, and Captain Percy convinces them that he is himself a notorious pirate chief. But Lord Carnal casts them all into danger by revealing Percy's true identity.

Dir: George Melford

Major Dean's developed mental powers have enabled him to give demonstrations in thought-suggestion. Interested in character types, the major, who is an army surgeon, visits a notorious dance hall owned by Lorenzo. The surgeon is struck by the beauty of Mabel, one of the dance hall girls. Mabel lives in deadly fear of Lorenzo. Due to the interest he takes in her Major Dean again demonstrates his wonderful power of mental suggestion by causing the girl to lay down the glass she raised to her lips. Later, a fight is started in the dance hall. All lights are shot out. Mabel is stunned by a bullet. Seizing her in his arms, Major Dean takes her to his home. The following morning finds the girl still unconscious. Major Dean's diagnosis leads him to believe that due to the wound caused by the bullet, a pressure on certain brain cells has wiped all memory of the past from Mabel's mind. Realizing that despite her condition, the girl's subconscious mind is capable o£ registering impressions, the surgeon forces upon Mabel's mind the thought she is, and always has been, his daughter. The girl is possessed of this belief when she recovers. She later accompanies Major Dean to the western army post to which he has been assigned. Sergeant Whitney, an old soldier, is stationed at the post. The man is struck by the wonderful resemblance which Mabel bears to his daughter who, several years previous, had been enticed from her home by a gambler. Although Whitney has never seen the man, he has vowed to find and kill him. Meanwhile, Lorenzo learns what has become of his former victim. Resolved to regain her, he leaves for the west. Arriving at the army post, Lorenzo demands that Dean surrender Mabel. Knowing the girl will not recognize the man, the surgeon allows her to comfort him. Mabel shrinks from Lorenzo in repulsion. Suspecting the truth, Lorenzo later waylays his former victim while she is out riding and endeavors to revive in her mind the memory of her life with him. At the same instant, Major Dean is obsessed by a sense of impending danger. The surgeon gazes out of the window through a pair of field glasses. He discovers Lorenzo talking to Mabel. Aware of the man's nefarious scheme, Major Dean concentrates his powerful will in an effort to so influence Mabel's mind as to enable her to withstand Lorenzo's hypnotic influence. The girl, who had been wavering, receives the message emanating from the major's mind. It causes her to shrink from her former master with the assertion she has no recollection of the incidents he has mentioned. The opportune arrival of Sergeant Whitney prevents Lorenzo from seizing Mabel and carrying her away. That night, Lieutenant Sibley, a young army officer who has fallen in love with Mabel, asks the major for her hand. Feeling it to be his duty, Dean informs Sibley of the girl's past. The surgeon declares it is his belief that Mabel is the daughter of Sergeant Whitney, and that Lorenzo is the man who enticed her from home. So great is his love, that Sibley vows to marry Mabel in spite of what has happened. Unknown to the two, Whitney has overheard the story. Mad with hate, he seeks Lorenzo. Unaware of his impending doom, Lorenzo resolves to make one supreme effort to regain Mabel. Seated by his window, the man fixes his mind upon Mabel with every ounce of power he possesses. Although fast asleep, the girl's mind receives the command sent forth by her former master. As though in a trance, she dons her clothes. Again the sense of danger overcomes Major Dean. He hastens towards Mabel's room. Just at this instant, Whitney enters Lorenzo's room. The rage-maddened father engages the gambler in a death struggle. While this combat rages, Mabel stands as though petrified. Securing possession of Whitney's revolver, Lorenzo shoots, wounding the old soldier mortally. Although he has received his death wound, Whitney's consuming hatred gives him strength to continue the struggle. A sudden twist, and the sergeant secures a vise-like grip on Lorenzo's throat. He forces the man back towards the bed. Mabel awakens with a start. In answer to Major Dean's anxious query, she replies that a bad dream had caused her to walk in her sleep. In Lorenzo's room, Whitney draws back from the silent form on the bed. The soldier attempts to reach the door, but his strength fails. The man staggers and crumples to the floor.

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

Dir: George Melford

Ailing King Leopold sends his daughter Princess Alexia of Osia to a exclusive American girls' boarding school as a commoner, so that she can know the meaning of true freedom. When she meets young millionaire Bob Carewe, they fall in love, but Alexia is summoned home because of a conspiracy of the king's advisers threatening to replace him with the Duchess Sylvia. When Bob reads of Osia's financial difficulties, he goes to help with a loan, though he realizes she cannot marry him if she is ever to rule. When the king dies suddenly, it causes a rebellion among the people. Although Bob bravely fights against the conspirators and nobly helps a bleeding rival for Alexia's affections, the duchess is proclaimed queen. She orders Alexia's arrest, but Bob, using one of the conspirators as a shield, escapes with Alexia to the border, now they are happily free to marry.

Dir: George Melford

For the first time in her life Katherine Silverton--Kitty to her friends--hesitated about spending carfare to ride six blocks to the law office of her godfather, John Travers. She was not used to walking and she didn't intend to start just because her money supply was short and she faced a future which threatened economy of the strictest sort. Kitty's father had died leaving her practically nothing. She sought the advice of Mr. Travers. At the moment she entered the outer office, Mr. Travers had a perplexing problem on his hands. He was attorney for a large estate, the heir to which, Lord Reginald Belsize, had that morning arrived in New York to claim his inheritance. Lord Reginald was young, good-looking and ambitious to marry Mme. Helen de Semiano. Mme. Helen saw a favored match in Lord Reginald, who was soon to be wealthy, and her young-spendthrift brother Jack Churchill encouraged the match. But certain provisions of the will perplexed Mr. Travers. They also perplexed Lord Reginald. It was stipulated that Lord Reginald was to marry within a year or lose his inheritance; it further was stipulated that he was not to marry an actress. Lord Reginald didn't see how it could be arranged as he had brought Mme. Helen and her brother to New York. Mr. Travers suggested that he marry someone else first, leave her after the wedding and in six months she will obtain a divorce on grounds of desertion, making you free to marry whom you please. Then Kitty entered the office. Kitty assented to the proposition readily. She had the promise of a large sum of money, a quick divorce, and a chance to look around the world. But Kitty was very attractive and pretty, and Lord Reginald said that if Mme. Helen, who had reluctantly agreed to the arrangement, should see such an attractive young woman, she would refuse her consent. But resourceful Kitty rearranged her hair, put on a gingham apron, rolled up her sleeves, and made herself into a most unpromising person. Mme. Helen passed approval, not knowing the hoax. The ceremony was quickly performed and Lord Reginald and his bride left to be gone for several months until Kitty had gained her divorce. Meanwhile the jealousy of Mme. Helen was discouraging Lord Reginald, so one day he went to Long Island where Kitty was living. Realizing her opportunity, Kitty did everything within her power to make him happy. When Mme. Helen arrived, having followed Lord Reginald, the latter told her the time had come for the parting of their ways. Kitty, he said, was the woman he loved, and Kitty admitted that she loved him.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of To Have and to Hold perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: George Melford

Masha, a young Russian emigrant traveling to the U.S., is saved from an officer's advances by civil engineer David Harding. Upon landing in America, J. J. Walton, a self-made political boss and contractor, pursues Masha and hires her as his maid. She leaves after the first night, but becomes his mistress after Walton promises her an education and marriage. Sometime later, David defeats Walton in a bidding war for a contract to build a dam in Arizona. Intent on ruining David, Walton dynamites the dam while Masha distracts the engineer. Although Walton takes refuge, he is drowned in the floodwaters. David and Masha survive, and confess their mutual love.

Dir: George Melford

A young man joins the French Foreign Legion and is sent to Algieria, where he becomes a target for hatred by his commander. However, the commander has a change of heart when he realizes who the young man is.