Rare Cinematic Gems Exploring the Legacy of Purity: Cult Guide

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

Louie is the vendor of an article of diet known to the trade as "hot dog." Mike is a sandwich man, who carries the advertising legends of a tent and awning manufacturer. They observed a gang of urchins maltreating a little pup. In trying to assist the little dog Mike and Louie were treated to a bombardment of sundry loose building materials close to the hands of the small boys. But the dog was rescued and Mike and Louie were united in friendship through the common cause of the pup. Mike and Louie sought an adjacent drug store for first aid to the dog. The drug store was operated by an unprincipled person, whose chief trade was in "dope." Mike and Louie happened in just at the time the alleged druggist was apprised that a police raid impended. He was preparing for a hasty retreat. He seized the opportunity and presented Mike and Louie with the drug store until he should return if in return they would keep a little girl Mary, aged ten, who had been left to his care. Mike and Louie become owners of a drug store, guardians to the child, and masters of a pet dog. The police, not knowing that the place had changed hands, decided to raid it. Mike and Louie were dragged to court, where they had to prove that they had just come into possession of the drug store and assumed guardianship of the child. The judge commended them after a pathetic scene and Mike and Louie returned to the drug store. Eight years later the drug store is more dilapidated than ever. Mike and Louie were eking out a bare existence, giving all their money to the education and desires of Mary. Some time during the eight year lapse, Mike and Louie had acquired a clerk. Bob, who had graduated from a school of pharmacy and who had come to them to gather practical experience. Mary and Bob fell in love with each other. Things took a bad turn when the "Drug Trust" refused to grant Mike and Louie more credit. They were forced to make spurious drugs. Through an accident Mary learns of the trickery. The next day she imparted to Bob the details of her discovery. Contrary to her expectations, he laughed and told her that it was far more harmless to sell the stuff that Mike and Louie were making than the actual dope which was harmful to the customers. In the midst of the explanation Mike and Louie came in and saw the two youngsters in an embrace. They demanded that Bob stop his love making. He replied that he intended to marry Mary. He was told that if he had any business ability he would be working some place for a salary instead of with Mike and Louie for nothing, and to make the thing harder Mike suggested that before Bob marry Mary, he make a million to buy her all the little trinkets that she might want. Bob decided to make a million for Mary. Sitting in the park reading the paper, an article on the new "Science of Mind" caught his eye. He stopped to think and recalled his argument with Mary that it isn't what you take, but it is what you believe when you take it. So Bob got the great idea. Bob rushed back to the drug store and imparted his idea to Mike and Louie, who merely scoffed and asked him where he would get the money with which to advertise and distribute the wonderful pills. Bob had an idea and betook himself to the "Drug Trust" and impressed them with the fact that he had the greatest drug panacea ever discovered. They drew up a contract with him, and agreed to pay Mike and Louie one million dollars on date of distribution of the pills. An enormous system of advertising was instituted. All over the world appeared the legend, "Mike's and Louie's panacea for all ills, take a pill every hour, pray and have faith." Orders flocked in from every portion of the globe. The night before the day upon which the pills were to be released. Mike, Louie, Bob and Mary were so engrossed in their work that they forgot poor Fritz, the dog. who became hungry and ate a cake of soap. Finally he was discovered by Mike, who knew he was sick. They looked for remedies and could find none, when Louie had the great idea that if the pills could help people, they could help the dog. But Mike answered that the dog could not pray. However, they decided they would pray for him so Fritz was handed a bunch of pills. Unknown to Mike and Louie, the pills contained a light narcotic, so that when taken in large quantities they caused profound sleep. They thought that the pills had killed him. Immediately they had visions of thousands upon thousands of dead people, all of whom had taken the pills. After due consideration they made a suicide pact deciding to kill themselves with their own pills. Mike and Louie slept and dreamed that they had gone to Heaven. Here they met the druggist, Mike, certain that the druggist was in the wrong place, decided to throw him out This started the noise. Mike, Louie and the druggist were dragged before St. Peter. Mike woke up. Outside the drug store the crowd had gathered, led by officers of the "Drug Trust." They heard the noise and were certain that the relations of the dead people who had taken pills had come to wreak vengeance on them. Finally they were quieted and handed what was found to be a check for a million. Thus did Mary get her million, and Bob his Mary.

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The story opens with an allegorical prologue, which presents various personified vices, including ambition and greed, then moves into the following drama: Arnold Gray, a fighter against child labor and other social ills, comes under the influence of Rhoda Lewis, an ambitious clubwoman who helps him win the gubernatorial nomination. Arnold meets and falls in love with Jane Morton, a respected writer, and they soon marry. All goes well until Jane becomes pregnant. Hard at work on a child-labor bill and winning the governorship, Arnold feels that a baby would be an encumbrance to his career. Jane is at first elated by her pregnancy, but Rhoda and Arnold gradually talk her out of having the baby. Because she suffers acute depression, Jane visits Dr. Brainard and confesses her troubles. Arnold is elected governor, but because Jane dies soon afterward, he no longer cares about living. After dreaming of his unborn son, Arnold awakens to find his wife beside him, joyful that his ordeal has been only a nightmare.

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

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A ruthless, miserly millionaire wakes up one day and finds that a quarantine sign reading "Danger Within!" has been tacked onto the front door of his mansion, and guards have been stationed outside to make sure that no one enters or leaves the building. The only other person in the house is Dolly, his chief clerk's six-year-old daughter, who went into the house out of curiosity just before it was quarantined.

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

Mike and Louie are at work pitching hay. In an idle moment they get hold of a Chicago newspaper, and Mike, who cannot read, sits absorbing the dope while Louie spells it out of the paper. Suddenly Louie comes to a want ad seeking Mike Schultz, who is heir to a fortune. They go to Chicago, see the attorney. Philo Markham. And receive the fortune of $10,000. Markham interests them in a western ranch which comes into his hands in lieu of cash for legal fees of $238.00, and changing the amount to $23,800, sells it to them for $9,500.00, permitting them to retain $500 of their legacy for traveling expenses. It happens that Markham's daughter, May, elopes on the same train west with Mike and Louie. Her husband is a disappointment. He gambles away all his own money. To avoid him she gets off at a small way station near Crowntown, the point to which Mike and Louie are bound. Mike and Louie arrived at El Reposo, the name of the ranch, on foot and discover that they have been buncoed out of their wealth. Aside from their return tickets and their livestock, they have nothing in the world left. While they are bemoaning their sad fate the goat eats the tickets. He is starting on their life insurance policies when he is discovered and runs away to the hills. May meanwhile is overpowered by her husband and Pedro. Hee screams bring Mike and Louie to her rescue. The crooks are routed. May, remembering that her father had renounced her marriage to Chester, tells them she has no father. All go to the home of a farmer named Woods. Woods finds a job for May later as a piano player in a dance hall, but Mike and Louie, who have become her self-constituted guardians, determine to go there also and watch over her. Steve Barton, a gambler, with the aid of French Bessie, succeeds in getting May into his power. Mike and Louie, however, again come to her aid and escort the weeping and repentant May home. Mike and Louie realize that the quickest way to save May from total perdition is to immolate themselves on the altar of self-sacrifice, and thus permit her to gather in the coin on their insurance policies. They, therefore, change the names on their policies, making her the sole beneficiary. They decide that the best way to to fight each other to the death and the survivor then kill himself. They fire volley after volley at each other. Both fall, but neither is hurt. Then they embrace, but are confronted by Chester and Pedro, who force them to exchange clothes with them. A posse comes in pursuit of Chester and Pedro for bank robbery, and they are chased off a cliff and fall to oblivion. The posse naturally believes that Mike and Louie have been killed, so with the clothes of Chester and Pedro on them, Mike and Louie decide to hoof it to Chicago. May secures the insurance and leaves for Chicago. At a small mining town Mike and Louie give away the goat and sell the burro for an extravagant sum, securing enough to return by rail to Chicago. Reaching Chicago, they secure positions in a big hotel as waiter and bus boy. Markham discovers May in Chicago, recognizes her, and they become reconciled. They celebrate the event by a big dinner at the hotel, where May is seen by Mike and Louie, and to the consternation of everybody she embraces them both. Markham rushes up to find out who May is embracing. He is recognized by Mike and Louie and charged with fraud. Markham offers restitution by presenting them with a check for $20,000, and everyone is happy.

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Marie Osmond is an astrologer. Among her patrons is Henry Winters, who is in love with her. She tells Winters that she cannot marry him because of her being suspected of the murder of her husband some years before. Davis, who was present at the time of Marie's husband's death, is also a frequent caller at her house. Philip Morse comes to Chicago and here meets Marie, who falls in love with him. He is fascinated by the woman. He is called to New York and there meets Violet, a young girl, who is in reality Marie's daughter. Marie hears of his meeting the girl and sends Davis to New York to separate them. She later finds out that Violet is her own daughter, and after many troubles she is cleared of the murder of her husband and makes Morse happy by becoming his wife.

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

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Louie, the janitor of a large New York building, leaves New York for a small town to try to work out his formula for the "manufacturing of gold from baser metals." He has picked at random numerous chemicals and intends to try them out. He arrives in Solemn, where lives Mike, a confectioner, and Claire, a young school teacher. Mike and Louie become friends and both are working on the chemicals, into the town comes a young millionaire, who falls in love with Claire, but she will have none of him until he proves that he can do something. He hears of Mike's discovery and persuades Mike and Louie to form a company with him, and they call themselves "The Big Three." They go to New York, and there by bluff interest a Wall Street magnate in their proposition. After many difficulties it is found that Mike's formula will not make gold of baser metals, but that it is a perfection of "puncture proof rubber." This formula brings Mike and Louie riches and Claire discovers that her millionaire can do something and agrees to marry him.

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During World War I, John Bowman, the captain of a tramp steamer, refuses to allow his wife and daughter Shirley to accompany him on a long voyage because he fears that the ship may be torpedoed. Before his departure, he entrusts his life insurance policy to shipping agent Sam Bullard, who, unknown to John, once courted Mrs. Bowman. Shirley, a clairvoyant, has a vision in which her father's ship is torpedoed, and the next day, Sam reports that the ship has been sunk and John killed. As Sam, using indelicate tactics, tries to acquire both Mrs. Bowman and the insurance money, Shirley, who had seen her father rescued in her vision, sends a wireless message that leads to John's rescue. Upon his return, John releases his wife from the hotel room in which Sam has locked her, then puts the villain out of commission.