Rare Cinematic Gems Sharing the Atmosphere of Piccadilly Jim: Cult Guide

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

Newland Archer is engaged to May Mingott of a prominent New York family. Shortly after the engagement is announce, Newland finds himself attracted to May's older married cousin Countess Ellen Olenska.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

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

Anthony Campbell threatens to send his daughter, Marie, to China as punishment for her continued extravagance. She welcomes the suggestion because her sweetheart, George Holt, is planning a business trip to the Orient. When they arrive, Marie's Chinese maid, Liu Po-Yat, gives her a tiny vase to keep her from harm. However, the vase was stolen years earlier from the Manchus, China's ruling dynasty, and their pursuit of the lost treasure plunges Marie and George into danger. The young lovers are ultimately sentenced to death, and as they are being led to their execution, Marie awakens, realizes she has had a nightmare, and makes George promise that they will honeymoon anywhere except China.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

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

Henry Baird, a young newspaperman with a second-hand car but little money, decides to raffle off the car at a county picnic, so that he can take out his sweetheart, Mabel Darrow, the daughter of a wealthy businessman. However, as soon as Henry gets the money, his tailor demands that he pay off his debt. Also, youngsters set the car on fire before he can give to the winner, Joseph Plant, whose wife Evelyn was formerly Henry's sweetheart. Henry arranges with Joe to work for two weeks at no charge at Joe's house, which is next door to Mabel's. Suspecting that Henry and Evelyn are still secretly fond of each other, Joe gives Henry only menial tasks to perform. Despite complications, including misunderstandings on the part of Mabel's father and the arrival of vamp Dorothy Kind pretending to be Henry's wife and the mother of his four children, Henry maintains his honor, thwarts a rival for Mabel's affections, and wins her hand.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

Hugh Carver is an athletic star and a freshman at Prescott College. He falls in love with Cynthia Day, a popular girl who loves to go to parties. He finds that it is impossible to please her and still keep up with his studies and his athletic training, and soon the two face some difficult decisions.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

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

When newlywed Robert Ellis suspects that his missing wife is having a clandestine affair, he appeals to his friend, Pat Murphy, to find her. Pat's search leads him to the Waldorf-Astoria where he finds a woman named Edna Ellis and, assuming that she is Ellis' errant wife, kidnaps her and returns her to Ellis. Complications arise when the real Mrs. Ellis arrives home and discovers another woman. After several comic incidents, Pat falls in love with Edna and Ellis learns that his wife's secret rendezvous was with her sister.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

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

Geoffrey West is smitten by Marion Larned, whom he sees in a London restaurant reading the personal or "agony" column, and places an ad asking her for an introduction. Her response that he must write her a letter each day for a week to prove that his acquaintance would be interesting prompts him to write her a fascinating tale about the murder of an English army captain. When Geoffrey finally confesses to the murder, Marion tries to protect him from the law, but with the sudden outbreak of World War I, her father puts her on the next boat back to the United States. Geoffrey catches the boat and there confesses to Marion that the whole story was a fiction invented to win her love.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

Always follow what your heart is telling you.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

Charlie Everard elopes with chorus girl Mary Smith against the will of his father, and Everard, Sr., has his son shanghaied aboard a sailing vessel. Believing herself deserted, Mary joins her chorus friend, Gwen, and refuses an offer from Everard's lawyer to have the marriage annulled. Charlie returns to her but reproaches her for associating with the theater set. After the birth of their child, alone and facing poverty, she surrenders the baby to the grandparents. Three years later, however, Everard, Sr., experiences a change of heart, and mother, father, and child are united.