The Cult Collection Inspired by the Vision of Pay Dirt: Cult Guide

Dir: Henry King

Richard Chester, a bachelor who has lost everything in a poker game, blunders into the apartment of Nora Ellis, who has just inherited a fortune under the stipulation that she marry immediately. Assuming the name Chester Dick, Richard marries Nora and leaves. Unaware of this marriage of convenience, Charles Renalls, Nora's suitor, later assumes that her wealth is the only impediment to their union and conspires to ruin her on the market. Upon learning of his scheme, Richard ruins Charles. Nora falls in love with Richard, not recognizing her benefactor as her husband of an evening. Hoping to spoil Richard's chances with Nora, Charles tells her that Richard is already married and that he carries his wife's picture in his pocket. To her surprise and delight, Nora discovers that the incriminating picture is her own photograph and that Richard is already her husband.

Dir: Henry King

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

Run out of town when he exposes crooked politician Jarvis McVey in the pages of his newspaper, Burton Grant asks his daughter Sylvia to turn the Daily News over to his dynamic young city editor, Frank Summers. Having inherited her father's journalistic talents, however, Sylvia fires Frank and takes charge of the paper herself, decorating the city room with bows and printing several rather silly "scoops." In the meantime, Frank learns that McVey and the president of the railroad have become involved in a dishonest scheme concerning the city franchise, and when Sylvia hears this, she publishes an extra, stating that McVey should be tarred and feathered. Sylvia's father arrives just in time to prevent the angry townspeople from carrying out her suggestion and then compels McVey to leave town. Grant orders Sylvia to return to school, but she decides to become Mrs. Frank Summers instead.

Dir: Henry King

Young Joy ( Baby Marie Osborne ), the sole survivor of a shipwreck that killed her parents, is rescued by fishermen and then placed in an orphanage. Although reputable on the surface, the home really functions as a front for some crooks who want to keep Joy there because she carries with her all of her mother's jewelry. Joy manages to escape, but without the jewels, and then stows away on a train heading out West. After arriving, she meets Hal Lewis ( Henry King ), who has been made an outcast by his upper crust Eastern family. Hal soon adopts the little girl and, becoming stronger and more serious through the responsibilities of parenthood, he returns home with Joy. Then, after receiving his father's forgiveness, Hal breaks up the orphanage gang and retrieves Joy's jewels.

Dir: Henry King

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

Shouts of joy and the clapping of many tiny hands welcomed the arrival of the big birthday cake. For this was Little Mary's birthday. To celebrate all Mary's little friends had been invited and the big event which preceded the supper and the cutting of the cake was a performance of Cinderella and the affair of the glass slipper. Little Mary forgot to leave at the hour of 12, and when she was called away by the fairy she dropped her glass slipper on the stair. Of course, to every one's amazement, when the Prince went looking for the owner of the slipper, the only one whom it fitted was Little Mary. The party and the excitement was all over, and, as an added help to recuperate from the strain of starring. Little Mary the next day went auto riding with the chauffeur. But fate then took a hand in the story of Mary's life. Captured by Gypsies and later escaping in the midst of a battle royal amongst the tribe she finally made her way to the hut of a crabbed old man, but she finally overcame his crabbedness by her cute and winning smile. Unknown to Little Mary, her benefactor was in reality her grandfather, James Andrews, who had taken his money to this backwoods place because of his son, Dr. Andrews, who had married against his wishes. The chauffeur, wild with anxiety, finally located Little Mary in the cellar, where she had gone to help the old man, who had fallen while miserly counting his money. Would they be able to reach the city in time? They faced a hard task, but Little Mary had known harder work when she had starred in Cinderella.

Dir: Henry King

Old Captain Ward, who hates society, lives in the hulk of his ship with his granddaughter Sally, whom he prevents from meeting people. Because Sally's mother died in childbirth without revealing the name of Sally's father, the captain continually vows to avenge her death. When Sally finds Teddy, a lame dog, she smuggles it aboard, but it runs away, and she follows it to a beautiful house belonging to the famous Judge Gordon. Hugh Schuyler, the judge's young friend, and Sally fall in love. After the captain chases Hugh away, Sally attends the judge's party, dressed in fine clothes which the judge bought, but the captain finds her and takes her away. When the judge visits the captain and confirms his suspicion that Sally is his daughter, the captain attempts to kill him. Sally intercepts a blow, and awakens to find that the judge has proven that he secretly was married to her mother, but because of illness, had lost contact with her. Sally accepts Hugh's proposal, and they sail away with the judge, the captain, and Teddy and his family.

Dir: Henry King

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

Jeanette Browning overhears Silas Stone, an aged Wall Street wolf, demanding her as his wife in payment for saving her father from financial ruin. Upon her acceptance of Stone's proposal, her father receives a check to cover his shortage. She then conceives of a plan to make Stone break their engagement so that she can sue him for breach of promise. Stone is invited to the mountains to visit the Brownings, and Jeanette pairs her youthful strength against the old man's advanced age. After tiring him out with dances, midnight suppers, swims and horseback riding, Jeanette plays her trump card when she introduces Stone to her brother Larry, the shame of the family because of his insanity which she claims to have inherited as well. Horrified, Stone attempts to steal away but is caught by Larry. Jeanette feigns despair at the loss of his love and threatens to sue for breach of promise. After Stone patches her broken heart with a check for $100,000, Jeanette confesses to her father that "brother Larry" is actually her sweetheart whom she pressed into service to frustrate the crafty old man.

Dir: Henry King

Iris Lee is reared in the small town of Dalton by her deceased mother's friend, Martha Kane; when she reaches adulthood, Martha's son Jim falls in love with her. When she fails to return his affections, Mrs. Kane treats her so coldly that Iris decides to leave the stuffy little village for the metropolis. On her journey, she accepts a ride with Jack Andrews, but after he attempts to kiss her, she leaps from the car and walks the rest of the way. While singing in the choir of a large metropolitan church, she is discovered by Jack's wealthy father Peter, who recommends her as a soloist. Light-opera star Helen Manning, who has helped Iris to cultivate her voice, quarrels with her theatrical manager, and Iris is offered her position. On opening night, Jack bursts into her dressing room and drunkenly offers to take her home. Distressed, Iris returns to the village, but Jack, who remorsefully has given up drinking for a job in his father's firm, follows her to Dalton. Finally convinced of his love, Iris agrees to marry him.

Dir: Henry King

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

Wealthy diamond collector Larry Hanrahan is given the opportunity to assist the beautiful, jewel-bedecked woman he admires in a Broadway café when she and her guardian are attacked by robbers. Larry is invited to visit the grateful pair, Col. Paul Gascoyne and his ward Adrienne, at the colonel's laboratory, where he is introduced to Wintermute, a chemist who produces imitation diamonds. In return, Larry asks them to view his priceless diamond collection. Although he has fallen in love with Adrienne, Larry is forced to believe that she is a thief when he is robbed by a woman wearing Adrienne's scarf. Larry finds his jewels in Gascoyne's house, but before he can escape, a group of thugs overpowers him. Adrienne assists him in contacting the police, who arrive in time to capture Gascoyne and his gang. Badly wounded, the colonel confesses that Adrienne has been his innocent dupe, whereupon Larry happily takes her to his heart.

Dir: Henry King

Millionaire J. Warren Hobbs, Sr., sends his lively young son to New Mexico to buy back a mine he previously had thought worthless but since has discovered is rich in tungsten deposits. Lord Willoughby, the mine owner's twin brother, suggests to Hobbs's business rival, Rufus Renshaw, that he buy the mine, after which Willoughby, Renshaw and Renshaw's daughter Helen, the sweetheart of Hobbs, Jr., catch a westbound train. Angered when Helen scorns his advances, Lord Willoughby disguises himself as his brother and sells Renshaw the mine; meanwhile, Hobbs, Jr. purchases it from its real owner, Louis Willoughby. Soon after Renshaw discovers that Lord Willoughby tricked him, Hobbs, Jr. learns that the mine is worthless after all and sells it to Renshaw in return for the old man's permission to marry Helen. Having successfully tricked the whole party, Hobbs and his fiancée make a quick exit.

Dir: Henry King

Chief of the German secret service in Paris, Prince Kondemarck has been ordered to secure for his government the service of the most clever and beautiful woman obtainable. Liane Dore, widow of the late Sebastian Dore, who was killed mysteriously, agrees to serve on the prince's promise to reveal in one year the name of the man who killed her husband, against whom she has sworn vengeance. Unknown to Liane, the prince himself accidentally killed Dore who, posing as a bachelor, betrayed the prince's sister. In the course of their association as spies, Liane and the prince fall in love. When war comes, Liane throws her home open to wounded Frenchmen, and Baron Arnorld von Pollnitz, a German spy seeking revenge on the prince, denounces Liane as a spy. Arrested and sentenced to death, she is saved by the prince. After learning that her rescuer was her husband's killer, Liane is on the verge of betraying him when he produces letters which prove her husband's duplicity, and together they flee on board the prince's yacht.