Editor's Top Picks Sharing the Atmosphere of Stronger Than Death: Cult Guide

Dir: Herbert Blaché

An old woman in Frederick, Maryland during the U.S. Civil War displays her American flag in defiance of the armies of Confederate general Thomas J. Jackson. Based on the folk tale that grew from the poem by John Greenleaf Whittier.

Dir: Herbert Blaché

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

Georgiana Carley, the woman, and Richard Coleman, the man, have been friends since childhood, and have grown to love each other without having become aware of the fact. Sam Coast, a wealthy young man, formerly a rough miner, has also fallen in love with Georgiana, and is determined to let nothing stand in his path to obtain her for his wife. Georgiana is of wealthy family, and her brother, through money left him by his parents, has a considerable fortune. This brother, Steven Carley, is of a lovable but weak disposition, given to speculation, and Georgiana has great trouble in preventing him from losing his money. During the Philippine war many young men volunteer for service. Among them Dick Coleman, who obtains a lieutenant's commission, and he prepares to leave for the Philippines. Before leaving he realizes that he loves Georgiana, and decides to propose to her with the intention of marrying her on his return. Sam Coast is aware of the affection existing between Dick and Georgiana. and uses every effort to prevent them coming together. He has himself proposed to Georgiana and has been refused. When Dick calls upon Georgiana shortly before leaving for the Philippines with the intention of proposing, Sam breaks into the conversation and keeps the two young people apart, and finally informs Dick that he has proposed to Georgiana himself and has been accepted. This naturally upsets Dick very much and causes him to leave Georgiana without making any declaration. He acts in such a strange way that Georgiana cannot understand what is wrong with him. He finally leaves for the Philippines followed by an agent of Coast's who has also enlisted, and whom Coast has employed to prevent any correspondence passing between Dick and Georgiana while he is in the Philippines. Sam's next step is to accomplish the ruin of the Carley family. In order to force Georgiana into such a position that she must either accept him and his wealth, or suffer hardship and poverty. Georgiana, however, is obdurate, and in spite of the loss of her fortune and even her reputation, still keeps the family together. Through an ambush of Dick's regiment in the Philippines, Dick is believed to be dead, and Georgiana learns the news in the papers. She is again confronted by Coast, and the situation has become such that he has it in his power to dishonor her brother's name. To prevent this, she makes the final sacrifice of her own love for her family, and agrees to marry him. Dick Coleman, however, was not killed in the Philippines, but simply wounded and taken prisoner by the Filipinos. He escapes and unexpectedly arrives at the Carley home just in time to prevent the marriage.

Dir: Herbert Blaché

A young profligate son of a wealthy merchant falls in love with the daughter of an inventor, who has devoted the best years of his life to perfecting the machinery of his employer's plants. After an accident has caused the death of the inventor, the merchant, none too scrupulous, lays claim to an unpatented invention. Not aware of his father's acts, the merchant's son is courting the inventor's daughter, but parental opposition is interposed. Offering his son a half interest in his business if he will renounce his love for the girl, the father is dumbfounded when his son refuses and decides he wants the girl more than the money. Ordered from home, the son secures a job as stevedore on the docks. The foreman takes a dislike to the boy and tries to browbeat him. After a quarrel, the boy accidentally pushes the foreman into the river, runs away and tells his sweetheart that he has committed murder. Detectives pursuing him, arrest and bring him to headquarters, where he is sentenced to Blackwell's Island. During his sojourn on Blackwell's Island, he learns that the man he is supposed to have murdered is alive, and, enraged at the injustice of his sentence, he breaks jail. In the meantime his young sweetheart has also discovered his innocence through a friendly attaché of the Governor's office, and with his assistance dashes to Albany, where the Governor is persuaded to issue a pardon for her young hero. The next and last scene discloses the happy couple in their own little home.

Dir: Herbert Blaché

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Shadows of a Great City perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Herbert Blaché

Young Phyllis Shaw, tired of being poor, sets out to snag a rich husband. She meets a young artist named Jerry, who falls for her, but she rejects him because he's not rich. She then meets Kirke, who is exactly the type of man she's looking for, but with one problem--he won't marry her, but as his "kept woman" he will lavish her with money and gifts. What to do, what to do . . .

Dir: Herbert Blaché

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

A crooked promoter commits two murders in his efforts to gain wealth and influence. He is shot on the night of his election as governor and repents of his crimes on his deathbed.

Dir: Herbert Blaché

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Herbert Blaché

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

A woman sold as a bride to the local Rajah is saved by her lover and his loyal tiger.

Dir: Herbert Blaché

The invalid Count de Suchet, nearing death, tells his friend, artist Henri Dutray, about the tragic events of his early life. He secretly married a dancer, and after she gave birth to a daughter, his father convinced her that she was ruining her husband's life. She gave the baby to an old couple, and then killed herself. The grieving count now worries about his daughter. Meanwhile, Jeanne, an Apache dancer in Montmartre, refuses to be sold by her brother Jacques to an old rogue. After she escapes and hides in Henri's studio, Henri, because he needs money, plots with Jacques to make the count believe that Jeanne is his daughter. Although Jeanne rebels at first, she moves in with the count and grows to love him. After the count dies happily, Jacques robs the count's safe and finds a photograph of Jeanne's mother. The butler shoots him, but before he dies, he reveals that Jeanne really is the count's daughter. Jeanne then marries a boy from the adjoining estate.

Dir: Herbert Blaché

The opening scene is of the interior of the Malamute saloon. Dangerous Dan McGrew and the lady known as Lou are seen seated at a table in one corner. A dog-sleigh stops outside, and its owner, a tired-looking, bedraggled miner, stumbles through the door. After treating the house, he sits down at the piano and begins to play. Into the soulful, stirring music he pours his pent up feelings of hatred, sorrow, love, and regret. Years before, Jim Maxwell's best friend Dan McGrew had deceived his wife into believing him unfaithful. Their elopement completely unnerved him for a time. But finally he resolved to forget about it, until he next met Dan McGrew. Years afterwards, while prospecting, he met his daughter, now grown to womanhood and married. Her husband had been arrested for a murder committed by McGrew, and Maxwell assisted in effecting his escape. Just previous to the miner's entrance, Nell's husband had been captured in the saloon by the sheriff. As Maxwell finishes playing, he turns about, faces Dangerous Dan McGrew, and tells him, in uncomplimentary language, what he thinks of a man of his type. The lights go out, two guns blaze in the dark, and both men fall. Maxwell recovers and is reunited with his wife Lou. McGrew dies.--May 22 1915.