Essential Cult Cinema Drawn from the Same DNA as One Frightened Nig...

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.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

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

The life and career of Pancho Villa from young man to revolutionary leader is chronicled.

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

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

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.

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.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of National Red Cross Pageant perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

The Prologue shows man as 'Power,' garbed in Greek-classic costume, standing at the parting of life's highway. One road leads to 'Success' - the other to ''Failure'. He (Power) is confronted by a figure emblematic of 'Pleasure,' who points out to him "the easiest way," then 'Ignorance' leads him to the end of the road. where 'Destruction' stands. The classic figures disappear and the story begins: 'Power-The Absentee' leaves his factory in charge of his manager 'Might." who wrecks the property in order that his wife, 'Extravagance," and his daughter, 'Vanity,' may devote themselves to lives of selfish pleasure. It is only when 'Justice,' the office stenographer. forces 'Power' to right the harm done to his employees that he sees the error in believing that 'Might' is right. Then comes the realization that 'Justice' should go hand-in-hand with 'Power," and so they are wed, and 'Ambition,''Opportunity' and 'Success' array themselves on his side.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

Phillips Christy, a strait-laced amateur sociologist from a wealthy family, subscribes to the theory that people are shaped by their environments. When he fall in love with Diane, a showgirl from the Follies, he sees a chance to prove that his theory is correct: he will marry her and mold her to be "cultured" and "sophisticated." However, fate intervenes to put a crimp in his plans.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

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

Theatrical manager Isaac Shuman has a reputation for taking advantage of young girls who want to become stars on Broadway. Reporter Tom Warder investigates these stories and exposes Shuman in his newspaper. Shuman threatens to kill Warder, then leaves town. He returns several years later and hatches a scheme to frame Tom and have him sent to prison. He succeeds, but Tom hatches his own plan to get his revenge.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

A poor Russian girl's beauty leads her unscrupulous uncle to bring her to the United States. There he is going to sell her into a marriage with a rich old man she has never met. But her lover, an returning immigrant visiting Russia from the U.S., sails on the same ship. When they arrive he learns, to his surprise, that the American police, unlike those of his native country, are not oppressors of the poor, but friends that will aid in securing the release of his beloved Maria.

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.