The Definitive Guide Inspired by the Vision of Nearly Married: Cult...

Dir: Chester Withey

Society girl Octavia rejects her fiancé, Teddy Westlake, and marries the elderly Colonel Beaupree, a wealthy rancher. When the colonel dies, Octavia discovers that he has left her only the ranch out West. When she goes to Texas to claim her inheritance, she discovers that Westlake has become manager of the ranch. Unknown to Octavia, even the ranch does not belong to her, but Westlake keeps this, and the fact that he still loves her, secret until Jose' Alvarez, the cruel overseer, tries to take advantage of her. In the end, Octavia realizes her love for Teddy and chases after him until he admits his feelings for her.

Dir: Chester Withey

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

Polly, a young woman on the run from three unwanted suitors, checks into a hotel using an assumed name. This subterfuge leads a Secret Service agent to mistake her for a German spy, which in turn leads her to become unwittingly involved with real German spies.

Dir: Chester Withey

Maggie Pepper, a strong-willed, sharp-witted saleswoman for a dry goods store, raises her deceased brother's daughter, Claire, to shield the girl from her thieving mother, Ada. Unaware that she is speaking to her employer, Joe Holbrook, Maggie shares her ideas for improving the store. Maggie is fired by the insecure manager, but rehired as Joe's assistant, and the store prospers with the help of her innovations. After Ada marries Sam Darkin, she reclaims Claire and teaches the girl to be a pickpocket. The mother and daughter are soon apprehended in Joe's store, and Claire is returned to Maggie's care while Ada is sent to prison. Realizing that Joe's interest in her has ended his engagement, Maggie quits her job and takes Claire to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as protection from Darkin. Joe arrives soon after and rescues Claire from being kidnapped by her stepfather. Although he sustains only a minor wound, Joe pretends to be seriously hurt so that Maggie will nurse him through the night. The next day, Joe proposes marriage and she accepts.

Dir: Chester Withey

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

Jim is the leader of the "Slouchy Seven," a gang of small town boys. He takes the gang for a swim in the reservoir, and is reported to his father, who, as a punishment, locks him in his room. Jim, however, escapes and goes to the assistance of Clarence, a "nice" boy, who is vainly trying to secure an apple for his sweetheart, Mary. Mary is won by the prowess of Jim, but he is indifferent to girls. Clarence and Mary go for a walk and Tom, the blacksmith's boy, pushes Clarence aside and takes his place beside Mary. Jim goes to find the gang at the railroad station he meets a girl, who asks him the direction to Mr. Morton's, who, she says, is her uncle. Jim offers to take her bags and show her the house. The boys see him and have fun at his expense. He leaves the girl, whose name is Ruth, at the gate and goes to meet the gang. They have lost a member who moved away, and initiate Clarence, who proves to be a good sport. Unaware of the interest he has aroused in Mary's heart, Jim fights Tom, when he again interferes with Clarence and Mary, and is accused by Ruth of being "stuck" on Mary. This he stoutly denies. He calls on Ruth and her uncle tells her to dismiss him, that he is a bad boy. Jim then joins the gang in a prank on the schoolmaster, and as a punishment his father orders him to chop a pile of wood. Jim is rebellious and, taking his dog, leaves the house. He meets Mary and tells her he is going to the city. His dog deserts him and he falls in with a band of tramps. His mother places an ad in a local paper asking him to come home and Mary takes care of his dog. Later he comes back and is induced by the tramps to assist in robbing the bank, of which his father is vice-president. He dresses up and goes to secure the combination. Mary is impressed by his prosperous appearance, and when he hears his mother talking he almost gives up the idea of aiding the tramps, but his father's gruff remarks determine him to keep on. On going back to the tramps he sees his mother's ad in an old newspaper and refuses to help the hobos, but they take the paper with the combination away from him and bind him in a freight car. He escapes and hurries back to the town and tells the gang. They go to the bank, but are not in time to prevent the robbery, and the tramps escape with the loot. The loss ruins the bank, and although Jim is hailed as a hero his conscience troubles him. Finally he tells his father and is forgiven. The money is discovered in a woodpile, and the next day Jim carries Mary's books to school.

Dir: Chester Withey

A German-American father, loyal to his new U.S. home, finds himself on opposite sides with his son in the wartime conflict between Germany and America. The son becomes involved with German agents plotting against U.S., and the father must decide between his son and his adopted homeland.

Dir: Chester Withey

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

A young couple gets married in secret because her family objects to the match. To escape the family, the couple goes into hiding.

Dir: Chester Withey

When innocent country girl Paula Letchworth comes to the big city she foolishly allows herself to be influenced by her superficial friends while ignoring the wise counsel of Allen Cotter who truly cares for her. Paula's frivolous life leads her into a marriage with Lawrence Topham, a worthless louse who abuses her and squanders her money. Desperate, Paula offers to buy a divorce from Topham, and turns to Allen for the money. After Topham spends his fee, however, he refuses to go through with the deal, and Paula's invalid mother, unable to endure further cruelty to her daughter, shoots him. Paula and Allen both have reason to believe that the other is guilty of the murder, although the evidence points to suicide. Realizing that the lovers' suspicions are keeping them apart, Paula's mother confesses to the shooting shortly before her death, thus eliminating the barriers between Allen and Paula.

Dir: Chester Withey

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

Wynne Mortimer, a pampered society girl and daughter of William Mortimer, a prominent business man, chances to meet David White, a young artist whose fame is already assured, at an art exhibit. Despite the fact that she is engaged to marry Hugh Gordon, the junior partner of her father, she falls in love with the artist. He invites the girl and her father to visit his studio and the invitation is accepted. Renee, a model, has been in love with David White for years and he has seemingly reciprocated her love. When Wynne Mortimer appears on the scene, however, he forgets all thoughts of love for Renee. The model is quick to realize the change in her lover. Secretly, she has been a user of cocaine. To forget the heartache the growing attachment between her lover and Wynne causes her, she turns to the cocaine. Wynne, led on by her interest in the artist and his insistence that she is the only one who can justly typify the spirit of a new picture at which he is at work, goes to the studio and poses for him. Hugh Gordon follows her and after a violent scene with the painter takes Wynne to her father, who upbraids her and forbids her to again see the painter. David is dejected at the loss of Wynne and finally takes to using cocaine. Before he has become a complete victim to the habit, however, Wynne dares her father's vengeance and returns to the studio. She and David finally run away and are married. In his anger Wynne's father turns her from home. David rapidly becomes an habitual user of cocaine and Wynne is forced to return to her home. Renee, heartbroken at the evil she has done by really being responsible for the drug habit acquired by David, tries to reform him. It is not until David hears his wife, however, declare that she will stick to him as long as he has need of someone to look after him, and he finally manages to throw off the habit he has acquired. He is determined to free his wife of whatever obligation she may feel binds her to him. Her loyalty to her husband leads Wynne to seek him. Her search takes her into an evil part of the city and she is attacked by a thug. David, who has returned to the city, however, learns that his wife is seeking him and goes to find her. He arrives just in time to rescue her from the den into which she has been carried. When husband and wife are reunited after the horrors through which they have passed the year past, they find that their love has grown stronger and eventually they find happiness.

Dir: Chester Withey

Carmen Wagner is an orphan, the daughter of a musician whose career was ruined by the nagging of her stepmother. Her grandfather, also a violinist, hates all women because of his son's ruined career. He tries to save his granddaughter, whom he adores, from the stepmother. He also makes his granddaughter a woman hater and brings her up disguised as a boy. While in this garb she meets Edward Holmes, a law clerk, and the two become friends. The stepmother, catching the grandfather giving Carmen music lessons, drives him from the house. Carmen runs away, joins him, and they become vagabond musicians. They take passage on a ship, and Edward is consulted by the stepmother and delegated to find them. He takes passage on the same ship, identifies an innocent Italian musician and his daughter, whom he arrests. For this false arrest Edward is discharged. And in this plight he meets Carmen and her grandfather, who live on a derelict vessel and who make a living by playing violin in the streets. While protecting Carmen from a drunken sailor Edward is badly hurt and is taken in and cared for in the old hulk. Carmen throws aside her boy's clothes, puts on feminine apparel, imitates the dock watchman's daughter and coquettes with Edward, who at last identifies her as the girl whom he was originally employed to seek. They are in love, but keep it secret from the woman-hating grandfather. Other detectives, employed by the stepmother this time, have located Carmen, and Edward is knocked out defending her, while the stepmother and Carmen take a steamer home. Edward follows in a fast motorboat with a friend, and Carmen jumps from the steamer and is rescued by Edward. The stepmother pursues in a pilot boat, but they finally make their escape to marriage and happiness.

Dir: Chester Withey

Lydia Bolton is only a child when financial difficulties overtake her father. His fellow townsmen do not give him support and he goes to the wall. Andrew Bolton goes to prison an embezzler, cursed by everyone. Lydia is taken in charge by an uncle and the old Bolton mansion, once a proud landmark, is left to neglect. Time has not tempered the disposition of the community when Lydia Bolton comes back, her identity hidden in the name of Lydia Orr. She opens her purse first at a church festival, but her generosity is rewarded only by disparaging remarks and open hints of ulterior motives. She lives at the same boarding house as the young minister and tongues of scandal are at once loosed. Then she purchases the old Bolton mansion, her childhood home, and offers to buy at unreasonably high prices all antique furniture in the town. There is a rush to get all the girl's money, but a few decent folks seek to protect her and at once the town is split in two hostile camps. The minister has a sweetheart and she is jealous of Lydia, which adds to the complexity of her troubles. And in the midst of it all, Bolton, his prison term ended, steals back to town. Lydia and a few loyal friends seek to hide his identity, for a time, at least, but the senile old man eludes them and goes to the country store and proclaims himself. All the pent-up hatred against him now is turned against the daughter and the townspeople utterly blind to all she has done for them and the town, rush to the old Bolton home to wreck it and lynch Bolton. The old man, aided by the minister and Lydia's sweetheart, are striving to protect the girl when Bolton falls dead. This tragedy disperses the mob and finally Lydia's enemies come to see her and her efforts in their true light.