Editor's Top Picks Following the Footsteps of Rough-Riding Romance: Cult Guide

Dir: Arthur Rosson

Steve Brent, a construction engineer with an excellent reputation, is blamed for having used inferior materials on a bridge that collapses. Bert Thornton, his employer's son, is actually responsible, but not wishing to expose him, Brent surrenders his position. Assuming another name, he goes west to work on a desert irrigation project where the manager's daughter, Mary Ralston, recognizes him but keeps his secret. Ralston is informed by an enemy of Steve's, but Mary helps to protect Steve's name until he is exonerated and becomes free to marry her.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

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

When District Attorney Johnson is seemingly unable to defeat a gang of drug smugglers, his assistant, Richard Jones, sets out on his own to investigate the lawbreakers. Richard soon learns that Bob Madison, the brother of the girl he loves, is a drug addict under the control of the gang. Bob joins the investigation, which leads them to an opium den in Chinatown owned by Mr. Greer, who is a rival for Bob's sister, Constance. Richard rescues her from one of Greer's drug dens, then discovers that the district attorney is taking bribes from the narcotics ring. As a reward for his outstanding work, Richard is appointed the new district attorney.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

A professional boxer known as "Smiling Bill Flannigan" accidentally kills an opponent in the ring. He gives up the sport and heads west. He gets a job on a ranch as a cook, and before he knows it he finds himself involved in a war between ranchers and sheepherders.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

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

Parisian music hall celebrity Mignon marries young American civil engineer John Stanley. When John is suddenly assigned to undertake an engineering project in the Sahara, Mignon accompanies him and her son to the desert, although she is accustomed to a life of frivolity. After months of discontent, Mignon leaves her husband and son for Russian Baron Alexis, who establishes her in a palace in Cairo. Brokenhearted, John becomes a drug addict. Mignon later runs across her husband and son, who have become beggars. She is filled with remorse and returns to the desert to nurse her husband. John recovers slowly, reconciles with his wife, and the family finds happiness together.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

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

Overcoming his addiction to drink, John Fairmeadow leaves the Bowery for a western logging camp posing as a minister. His fistic ability and his gentle manner reform the town drinkers and put the saloon out of business. Meanwhile, John also protects pretty orphan Pattie Batch from the attentions of Jack Flack; Flack is killed by saloon keeper Pale Peter after the body of his wife, Clare, who was betrayed by Flack, is discovered in the river; and John is united to Pattie.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

Cassidy, a derelict suffering from tubercular lungs, who is stranded in San Francisco, realizes that death is imminent and desperately seeks to return to his home town of New York. Determining to rob a house in order to procure the funds to complete his journey, Cassidy breaks into District Attorney Grant's home but is caught by Grant. After hearing the boy's story, Grant is so touched that he gives Cassidy money to return home. Cassidy is able to repay his debt that very night when the district attorney's daughter is kidnapped by his political enemies. Learning the girl's whereabouts from his friend, the bartender, Cassidy rescues her and takes her home. Then, badly wounded, he makes his way to the railroad station where he dies.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

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

Doc Saunders, an alcoholic, leaves his little daughter Mayme in the care of his sister and goes West to start a new life. In the little town of Sago, Doc becomes an avowed prohibitionist, thus earning the enmity of Art the saloon keeper. Back East, Mayme grows to adulthood and marries reporter Jimmy Baggs who has just been hired by the newspaper in Sago. When Jimmy begins to drink heavily, Mayme appeals to the town doctor for help. Doc Saunders, recognizing her, chooses not to disclose that she is his daughter, but instead invites them to move into his house for treatment. Jimmy reforms until one day he is sent to the saloon to get a statement on the liquor question for his paper. When Jimmy returns home drunk, Doc, enraged, invades the saloon brandishing a gun and shooting wildly. Doc is arrested and tried, but pronounced not guilty by a jury that sympathizes with him. With Art's power finally broken, Doc confesses to Mayme that she is his daughter, and the family sees an end to their troubles.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

John Drake, a college athlete, starts for South America, where he has been promised a good job on the strength of his knowledge of the construction of safes and vaults. Aboard ship, he falls in love with Dolores Darcy, the daughter of a leading Latin American banker. Arriving in South America, John discovers that he has been made the dupe of criminals, who want him to open the vault in Señor Darcy's bank. John refuses, and his passport and wallet are stolen. In desperation, he signs up to fight an exhibition bout with Dynamite Díaz, the South American boxing champion. Isaac Belding, the leader of the criminals, has John kidnapped, forcing him to open the Darcy vault. John locks the gang in the vault, telling the police of his actions on the way to the bout. John beats Díaz and then captures Pierce, the banker's secretary, who is in league with Belding. John becomes the hero of the town, and Dolores declares her love for him.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

Andy Lanning, a peace-loving blacksmith, rescues Ann, the fiancée of Charles Merchant, from a runaway team. When the town bully picks a fight with Andy, he knocks him unconscious, and (thinking he has killed him) Andy rides into the hills. Merchant, jealous of Ann's admiration for Andy, bribes the sheriff to kill Andy, who has joined a band of outlaws in the wastelands. Forced to defend himself, Andy kills the sheriff, but later he saves the new sheriff's life and forces him to hear his story when he is placed in jeopardy by the outlaw band. Meanwhile, Ann, who has broken her engagement to Merchant, engages a lawyer to clear Andy, and he returns to find her awaiting him.