Cinematic Discoveries Following the Footsteps of Slander: Cult Guide

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John Malvin Grey, a member of the New York Stock Exchange, pays court to Clara Fenton, who returns his affection. Miss Fenton, aspiring to extreme wealth and social distinction contrary to the dictates of her heart, accepts the proposal of marriage of Peter Vaughan, a millionaire of somewhat advanced years. Helen Barrington, possessing a secret attachment for Grey, finally becomes his wife, when he realizes that his affection for Miss Fenton can be of no avail. After her marriage to Vaughan, Clara, unable to subdue her deep love for Grey, at every opportune moment appears in his company, endeavoring to continue her love affair with him, despite the fact that she is now married. At a dinner she gives, Peter Vaughan is shocked to observe his wife's carrying-on and her persistent advances to Grey. At a climax, his attention being called to the affectionate attitude assumed by his wife toward Grey, his heart gives way, he collapses and expires. In widowhood, regardless of the fact that Grey now leads a happy married life as a beloved husband and father, she pursues her wiles and attention. Being repulsed by Grey, she conceives a plan of inveigling him with the aid of Ashton Cameron, in the purchase of Avalanche mining stock, and then to cause the market to drop, reducing Grey to all but ruin, coming to his assistance with her extreme wealth, raising the price of stock and restoring him to affluence. She engages in this plan, believing that thereby she will place Grey under everlasting obligations to her, and possibly serve her ends in having him abandon his wife, to assume relations with her. By various tricks and subterfuges, she arouses the suspicions and jealousy of Mrs. Grey, until the moment arrives, when, believing that her husband is carrying on a secret liaison with Mrs. Vaughan, she determines to divorce him. Grey's young sister Rose is in love with Philip Carlton, and throughout the entire play, reigns as the standby of Grey. Ashton Cameron, also in love with Rose, offers to assist Grey out of his difficulties on Avalanche stock, providing he uses his endeavors to procure Rose's consent to marry him. Grey refuses this assistance at the sacrifice of his sister's future happiness, and Cameron proceeds to carry out his agreement with Mrs. Vaughan to ruin Grey. Polly, a street waif who is injured in an accident by Grey's automobile, is adopted by him into the family as his charge. In the denouement at a gathering at the office of Shaw, Grey's family lawyer, Polly reveals that she has observed Grey repulse Mrs. Vaughan, and declare to her that he loves his wife and will have nothing to do with her. Mrs. Vaughn is confronted with the proof of her various intrigues and diabolical schemes to arouse Mrs. Grey's jealousy, and finally admits the true situation and her own despicable actions. Grey is reconciled to his wife, and Clara Vaughan is left to pursue her way in the world, rejected and alone.

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

Fernande marries a man and schemes to get his wealth when his expected death occurs. But he dies before he can change his will. She next tries to kill the son who inherits, but he outfoxes her.

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Kate Clarke and her brother, Joe, are alone in the world. Kate learns of her brother's connection with a counterfeiter's gang only when the police invade their rooms to arrest Joe. After a desperate struggle, Joe escapes, but Kate is seriously injured by an accidental blow. She recovers, but the memory of her past is gone. Kate wanders away to the city and becomes a cabaret dancer. Richard Harris, a noted artist, has a vision of creating a "Madonna," but has been unable to secure a suitable model. While visiting the cabaret, he sees in Kate the model he seeks and she consents to pose for the painting. As the painting progresses, Harris' interest ripens into love, but this only amuses her. At length, bored by posing, she suddenly goes away. The painting is yet unfinished. Harris, heartbroken over his loss, pours out the whole story in a letter to his twin brother, Joseph, a minister. Meanwhile the train which Kate had taken is wrecked near the village where Harris' brother is both pastor and physician to his flock. Interested in Kate's peculiar case, he has removed her to his home. The shock has blotted out entirely the memory of the past few years of her life as a dancer, nor does she remember how she came to be aboard the train. She recalls only her life before her first injury. The artist meanwhile has made futile attempts to finish his "Madonna." Broken in health and despondent he sends for his brother. One day, in his delirium, seeing Kate before his eyes, he finishes the painting. The brother arrives too late, but recognizing Kate as the original of the "Madonna" he takes it back home and hangs it in the church. During the minister's absence, Jane Perkins, one of his parishioners who is jealous of his attentions to Kate, finds the letter which the artist has written to his brother. She reads it and learns the tragic story of the artist and the girl who posed for the picture, the "Madonna." Kate's brother, Joe, unrepentant, is still a counterfeiter and a member of a gang located near this village. Kate and Joe meet, but he begs her not to disclose his identity or whereabouts. Unfortunately, Jane sees the affectionate parting and straightway starts a scandal. A bazaar fete is in progress in the church rooms, and while some of the congregation are admiring the "Madonna," Jane discloses Kate's past, and thus for the first time the girl, who overhears it, cruelly learns the story of her lost few years. The church members turn against her, but the minister defends her. By impersonating one of the members of the church, Fagin, a detective, captures all of the gang except Joe, who takes refuge in the church. He is tracked there and accidentally upsets a small stove, setting fire to the church. Badly injured, Joe crawls to the place where his sister is now living. The minister rescues Kate. The "Madonna" is practically the only article which escapes the flames. Kate, returning home, finds Joe. His condition requiring medical attention, she summons the minister, who remains through the night with Joe. Pledged to keep Joe's presence a secret, the minister is unable to answer the elder's demand for explanations. Joe dies and the gossiping villagers soon learn the truth. The minister presents the "Madonna"' to a Metropolitan Art Gallery where the public flock to see it. Though they may not know it, they are looking at the perfect likeness of the minister's present wife and child.

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

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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Deserted by her husband, John Madison, because he incorrectly accuses her of having an affair, Mary Madison goes to her aunt's house to have her baby, and then loses her memory in a train wreck. John, however, hears that she has died, so he takes possession of their infant daughter. Years later, John has remarried and Mary has regained her memory, but she does not know that her daughter is still alive. When she learns how John prizes his daughter, she decides to gain revenge on him by disgracing her, so she plots to have the daughter seduced by an ex-convict who served time on a trumped-up charge. The ex-convict and the daughter fall in love, however, and after their marriage, Mary finds out that the woman she tried to ruin is her own daughter. A less vengeful Mary then goes to John and is reconciled with him.

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

Free and easy Garrett Cope loves Katherine Gresham, but his rival, Henry Miller, who is really Heinrich Mueller, a World War I German spy, gets rid of Garrett by having him arrested for the murder of Pembroke Van Tuyl. While Garrett is in prison, Katherine marries Mueller, but Sidney Dundas, knowing that the German actually committed the crime, finally confesses, and Garrett is freed. Meanwhile, Mueller takes Katherine to a remote island called No Man's Land, which he uses as a base for blowing up Allied ships. Garrett lands on the island, and after overcoming a number of Chinese servants and German agents, he succeeds in summoning an American ship, killing Mueller, and rescuing Katherine, who warmly demonstrates her gratitude.

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A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Jim Jepson returns home after serving five years in prison for bank robbery. He manages to live a straight life with his wife and little daughter until misfortune overtakes him. His wife dies, his daughter is forced to work for her living, and at this crisis in his affairs, he meets one of his former pals, Doc Burns, a jailbird, who is wanted in the west for another robbery. Jepson, who has become discouraged, is persuaded by Burns to resume his former life. They rent an old house next to a bank, tunnel through the cellar to the bank, working at night, while Mary, innocent of the life her father leads, continues her work as cashier in an all-night restaurant. Mary, returning home late, is saved from insult by Bob Darrell, a detective, who escorts her home. A man seen loitering in the vicinity, is recognized by Darrell, as "The Worm," a notorious crook. Darrel, who arrested Jepson and Burns twenty years before, follows "The Worm," and seeing him meet Burns, is convinced that there is another plot on foot to rob a bank. Believing Mary to be an accomplice, he causes her discharge so that she will be at home at the time of his raid. Easy access to the house is gained by arresting Mary as she enters the door and Darrell and the detectives descend to the cellar, follow the cracksmen through the tunnel and capture the gang as they are blowing up the bank vaults. Jepson endeavors to exonerate Mary at the trial, but she is given a short sentence while the others receive a long term. Four years elapse. Mary, released from prison, experiences the utmost difficulty in obtaining the bare necessities of life. Sick and starving, she is tempted to snatch a purse, but is saved from the first step in The Criminal Path as the sound of singing in a nearby Mission reaches her ears. She seeks refuge in the Mission, only to faint away. The young minister, Rev. John Horton, sends her to a hospital where he visits her frequently and on her recovery gets her a position with his sister, Mrs. Blair. Morton's interest in Mary ripens into love, while Richard Blair, the husband, attracted by Mary, annoys her with attentions, but she keeps silent to prevent a family scandal and hold her position. Unknown to Mary, Jepson escapes from prison and Darrell believes he can recapture him by watching his daughter. Jepson seeks Mary for help in leaving the country. Darrell obtains an invitation to a reception in the Horton home to watch Mary. Blair, finding Mary alone, insults her. To protect herself she seizes a bronze candelabra from the mantel, but is discovered. Mary, for Horton's sake, makes no accusation. Later a noise is heard in the library and Mary is discovered standing over Blair's dead body, but being unable to give satisfactory explanations, she is arrested for the crime. Meanwhile, Darrell, gathering clues, finds Jepson's trail, and convinced that he killed Blair, pursues him across country through ice and snow. Overtaking him, a terrific struggle ensues. Jepson is the victim of his own wicked design to throw Darrell into the ice hole. Notwithstanding, Darrell rescues him. Dying from exhaustion and learning that his daughter is accused of the crime, Jepson gives the true facts of Blair's death, which convinces Darrell that his conclusions were right and that Mary is innocent. At last, the road to happiness opens to Mary.

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Janet Ford, a penniless orphan, is reared with her mischievous identical cousin Lillian by Lillian's affluent parents. While Mr. Ford treats Janet kindly, Mrs. Ford remains cold. When Lillian is caught in a gambling raid, she convinces Janet to bear the blame, and Mrs. Ford orders Janet to leave. Lillian marries Sir Anthony Jessop and settles in England. Jessop, who soon tires of Lillian's frivolity, finds fulfillment with their son Bobby. When he rebukes Lillian for her midnight revels, she orders him to leave. Under the pretense of visiting her dying father, Lillian travels to America, followed by her lover, Raymond Fleury, and they travel West together after she persuades Janet to impersonate her at Ford's deathbed. When Janet learns that Bobby has been hurt, she sails to England and cares for him. After Jessop's uncle dies, he returns as the Earl of Devon, and grows to love Janet, who he thinks is Lillian. Janet is terrified because she also loves him. Hearing of Jessop's good fortune, Lillian returns. After Fleury pursues and shoots her, Jessop proposes to Janet that they quietly marry and keep their past secret.

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Pierre Rameau, the son of a poor gate-keeper, becomes the foremost physician and surgeon in Paris. Conchita, his wife who he loves above everything else in the world, dies leaving an infant daughter, Pamela. Rameau is inconsolable and keeps the room that Conchita died in inviolate, visiting it only on the anniversary of his wife's death. Twenty years later on one of these visits he discovers, among one of Conhita's letters, proof that she had been unfaithful to him and that Pamela, the girl he had raised from an infant to womanhood, was not his child. The shock drives him out of his mind, and he drives Pamela from his home, refusing to ever see her again. Dr. Talavanne, his best friend, informs him that Pamela is dying and only Rameau's skills as a physician can save her.