The Definitive Watchlist For Devotees of The Barrier: Cult Guide

Dir: Edgar Lewis

Stephen Browning, a minister in a small city, is unable to cope with the strong opposition in his parish, which is fostered and led by Raphael Creeke, his rival for the love of Irene Manton. Meanwhile, James, Stephen's brother, is released from prison after serving a term for borrowing money to lend to a friend's sick wife and child, and upon hearing of his brother's tribulations decides to act as the minister's substitute. After Stephen goes to a neighboring farm to recuperate from a nervous breakdown, James assumes his brother's identity, inspires the confidence of the congregation, discovers Creeke's conniving and wins Irene's love. With the help of a blackmailer, Creeke attempts to expose James's record, but his scheme backfires when the minister wins the support of his congregation by admitting his true identity. Stephen is murdered by Jacob Dreener, one of Creeke's accomplices, who mistakes the minister for his brother. James is then left to occupy his brother's shoes permanently, bringing Creeke to justice and winning Irene for his wife.

Dir: Edgar Lewis

After Sheridan Redpath, known as Sherry, squanders the last of his inheritance on drink, he plucks up his courage and decides to go to work. Employed as a bodyguard by Andrew Gilman, the richest man in town, Sherry is on duty one night when he discovers burglars ransacking the neighboring Compton residence. Entering the house, he captures two men, one of whom proves to be Gilman's stepson. Subsequently, the two rogues break jail and are pursued by the sheriff's posse, of which Sherry is a member. Gilman's stepson takes refuge in his mother's apartments, and in the ensuing gunfire, both son and mother are killed. Sherry then becomes a power in the Gilman business and, once again solvent and sober, marries his sweetheart, Morna O'Brien.

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

Dir: Edgar Lewis

In order to avoid exposure attendant upon the birth of Harold Gage, the fatherless son of Constance, he, through arrangements made by Lady Staunton, the haughty sister of Constance, is placed under the care of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall, who are paid to rear the boy as their own, cautioned against revealing to him or the outside world his true identity. Mrs. Marshall's real son, in the early years of his life, acquainted with the doubtful parentage of Harold, taunts him. The two engage in a boys' fight, Harold being severely cut on his left arm by a scythe in the hands of his young foster brother, the wound leaving an ugly scar. The lad, sensitive of the treatment of his foster brother, finally migrates to Australia as a stowaway, where, by reason of forced circumstances and his near starvation to death, become a bush-ranger. Because of the rapidity of his operations, and his ability to escape detection and arrest, he, as the unknown bushranger, received the sobriquet of "Capt. Swift." He attempts to hold up a traveler, George Gardner, who is willing to suffer death rather than part with his gold. "Capt. Swift," hesitating to take a human life, compels him to alight and rides away with the wayfarer's mount. Swift, after having robbed the Queensland bank, suffers remorse, and determines to reform. Under the name of William Wilding, being the name of his companion in Australia, who died of starvation and thirst on the desert, he returns to London, where, at an opportune moment, he saves James Seabrook. whose life is in jeopardy by reason of a runaway horse. "Capt. Swift," invited by Seabrook to his home, there meets Mrs. Seabrook, their daughter Mabel and their niece Stella Darbisher. Harry Seabrook. brother of Mabel, a whole-hearted but impetuous young man, takes immediate dislike to Swift, whereas Stella Darbisher, a girl of romantic disposition, admiring the brave spirit inherent in Swift, becomes strongly attached to him. Marshall, the foster brother of Swift, is now employed as butler in the home of the Seabrooks. At a gathering the conversation is directed toward the escapades of one, "Capt. Swift," in Australia, whose name had become almost a household word throughout England. In the course of conversation, George Gardner, who is a friend of the Seabrooks, having returned from Australia, calls at their home, and there identifies Wilding as the notorious "Capt. Swift," and is in turn recognized by Swift, but his identity is not revealed to the others. Mrs. Seabrook recognizes a strong similarity between the man Swift and her boy, given away in adoption to the Marshalls. Her fears are later justified, when, at a dramatic and tense moment, she proves the fact to him. Swift, however, in order not to stigmatize his mother, determines to leave the household of the Seabrooks. Stella Darbisher's infatuation for Swift has progressed to such a point as to cause a strong reciprocal feeling on his part for the girl. The rivalry of Harry Seabrook for the hand of Stella causes a violent quarrel between him and Swift, the consequences of which are avoided by the timely intervention of Gardner. Marshall, eavesdropping during a conversation between Swift and his mother, Mrs. Seabrook, learns of the identity of Swift, and further proves it by a scar on Swift's arm, the result of the wound inflicted by Marshall when the two were boys. With this knowledge Marshall attempts to blackmail Swift, and being repulsed, acquaints the police with his whereabouts. A detective from Australia has arrived in London to apprehend Swift, having traced his movements to that place. Gardner, strongly admiring the manhood of Swift, determining if possible to save him, warns him. Swift, cornered in the home of his mother, rather than suffer arrest, together with the attendant exposure, and the possible revelation of his real identity, and to save the girl he loves and his mother the disgrace that would necessarily follow, jumps out of a window, knowing that the possibility of escape is meager. Marshall, working in league with the detective, is hidden in the shrubbery, and seeing Swift, fires, mortally wounding him, at the same moment that the detective from a window above shoots, the cross shot which strikes Marshall, puts an end to him. The denouement ends without the identity of "Capt. Swift" being revealed to the others.

Dir: Edgar Lewis

Montana cattleman Austin Brandt is jilted by Rosemary, who elopes with stranger Royce Greer, but he is consoled by his 20-year-old niece Joan. Rosemary later returns to Custer City to run a dance hall with her husband, who mistreats her. Eastern capitalist Robert Barton comes to town with his son Ford to settle a financial misunderstanding with Brandt. After reprimanding his son, Robert Barton is later found dead in his bed. Knowing of their financial argument, Ford believes Brandt is responsible, while Greer and his gang claim that Ford committed the murder. Convinced of his innocence, Ford asks Brandt to help him find the murderer. They discover that Barton was shot with a .38 caliber bullet, and Greer carries such a revolver. Meanwhile Greer's mob storms Brandt's house demanding Ford be taken prisoner. Brandt forces a confession from Greer, who is dragged away. After her husband's death, Rosemary departs and leaves a note explaining her love for Brandt. Joan and Ford find happiness together.

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

Dir: Edgar Lewis

Stolen when a baby by a mulatto woman, who becomes a half-crazed witch, and raises her to beautiful womanhood with the belief that she is her own daughter, Belle cannot bring herself to mix with her race and accept the attentions of a noble character in the person of Ben Swift, in whose veins the blood of the red, white and black races are mixed. A handsome white stranger. Page Warren, from the North, who believes her a white girl, falls in love with her. She returns his love while at the same time hiding the fact that she is the negro witch, Lindy's, daughter. Page incurs the hatred of the bad element among the blacks, while failing to appreciate that there is also a good element among whom are men and women as noble as any of his white companions. He incurs the hatred of Ben Swift, who misinterpreted his attentions to Belle, and resents the mixing of the races, not knowing that Belle has not disclosed her identity to Page. The attacking of Page by a gang of bad blacks, following his fight with one of their leaders, his rescue by Ben Swift, who has learned of Belle's love for the white man. the discovery by Page that Belle is a mulatto, the sensational disclosure of the fact that she is the last daughter of a prominent Southern family, the death of Ben Swift while defending Page and Belle from an enraged mob and the beautiful handling of the subject of the spiritual equality of men makes "The Bar Sinister" an intensely interesting drama with a powerful appeal to all classes.

Dir: Edgar Lewis

Herbert Carey discharges the Dudley brothers, Joe and Jim, from their positions as overseers on his plantation and thereby incurs their enmity. War is declared and Carey, after bidding his wife and daughter Virgie farewell, joins the Southern forces, the Dudleys joining the Northern. The spring of '61 finds Carey the most dangerous and daring of Confederate scouts. The Dudleys are under the command of Colonel Morrison, a dashing, chivalrous young Northern officer. Grant closes in on Richmond and orders Morrison to capture Carey. Morrison takes a small detachment of troops, including Jim Dudley, and going to the Carey homestead, searches it. Dudley, seeing a chance for revenge, sets fire to the house, but in endeavoring to escape is shot and killed by Morrison, who has discovered his treachery. Penniless and with the house in ruins, Mrs. Carey and Virgie finally seek shelter in their former overseers' deserted cabin. Mrs. Carey sinks down and finally dies. Carey, hearing of this, gets to the cottage and assists Uncle Billy to bury her. Carey, wishing to remove Virgie to Richmond, receives a pass from Lee permitting Virgie and an escort to go through the Confederate lines. As he goes to the cottage to deliver the pass to Uncle Billy he is discovered and captured in it by Morrison. Carey tells him why he had come and Morrison's heart, being touched, he also gives Carey a pass through the Northern lines, telling him to take Virgie into Richmond himself. Joe Dudley discovers this and informs the Northern officer that Morrison has given a pass to Carey, the notorious scout, to pass through the Northern lines. Carey and Morrison are captured, court-martialed and sentenced to be shot. Little Virgie, hearing of this, goes to Grant and pleads with him to save her "Daddy." Carey is called before Grant and tells his story. Grant's heart is touched and he releases Carey telling him that though he cannot honor Morrison's pass, he can honor that of General Lee. Morrison is released also, and Carey and The Littlest Rebel. Virgie, are once more reunited. After the war finds Morrison, his wife and child, meeting Carey and Virgie over his wife's grave; the North and South join hands. The Confederate flag is seen meeting the Stars and Stripes; they flutter for a moment, then slowly intertwine and the picture fades away.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Calibre 38 perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Edgar Lewis

Dr. Robert Winston loses faith in himself and his religion when his own mother dies under his scalpel. Abandoning his profession, he moves to the Canadian Northwest, where he avoids companionship and drinks constantly. Despite Robert's atheism, he attracts the interest of Jeanette Mercier, the minister's daughter, and under her gentle influence, he is slowly regenerated. In the meantime, an Indian named Lone Deer bids a temporary farewell to his sweetheart Winona, whose father wishes to die among his own people, but when he finds her canoe overturned in the water, he assumes that she has drowned. Later Lone Deer saves Jeanette from Lou Baribeau, the brutal and lecherous company agent, but is seriously wounded in the struggle. Rev. Mercier convinces Robert to operate, and because the procedure proves successful, the doctor regains his faith and marries Jeanette. Winona finally returns to aid in Lone Deer's recovery.

Dir: Edgar Lewis

Bill Matthews and his partner, owners of the "Croix D'or mine, are beset on all sides dues to the schemes of a trusted colleague who plots to take their mine away from them, and leaves no under-handed method un-attempted in the process.

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

Dir: Edgar Lewis

The scene is set in the Pennsylvania petroleum region. Oil worker William Brett has used his scanty hoard of savings to send his daughter Jane to the city to secure a higher education. Completing her course as a trained nurse, Jane visits her old home. Amid the settlement's corroding influence, her brother becomes a thief. Jane's sister Annie falls a prey to the blandishments of a tempter from the city. Fired with indignation against the injustice of affairs, Jane devotes herself to the double mission of avenging and of righting the wrongs of which her family and the community in general have been subjected. Her father is seriously hurt in an accident at work, and his pay is stopped. Jane hastens to the city, determined to make an effort to awaken William Jameson, the millionaire owner of the oil field, to a realization of the wrongs imposed upon the workers. She arrives at a time when the millionaire's son John Jameson, who glimpsed the light of uplift, is vainly pleading with his father to listen to his plans for the betterment of the workers' conditions. Jane is compelled to force her way into the Jameson mansion during the progress of a bal masque given in aid of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She accosts William Jameson in his study, and wild with anger and further maddened by the millionaire's gibes, she tries to kill him and is arrested by detectives. Although she and young Jameson have not met, the latter is instrumental in obtaining her release. Jane goes back to the workers and a secret strike is formed, Jane being the ring-leader. They determine to fire the wells to teach Jameson a lesson. It is at this time that John Jameson comes to the oil wells to investigate conditions. His identity is not known by anyone except the superintendent. Morgan, the ringleader of the workers, is in love with Jane, and on the eve of the firing of the wells he learns of Jameson's identity by breaking into his cottage. The same evening, to save the property, young Jameson goes to Jane, confesses his identity, and pleads with her to help him save the property. Jane is in a quandary. She has fallen in love with the man, whom she believed to be a workman, and he with her. Finally, when she goes to the meeting place of the strikers and pleads with them to hold off, Morgan, who has just broken into Jameson's hut, rushes in, and accuses her of being a traitor. There is a fight. They trample over Jane and rush to the wells. Jane, realizing that they will turn to her unsuspecting lover and try to kill him, drags herself to him and just in time throws herself in front of him as the strikers rush to kill him. However, John Jameson bares himself to the strikers, asks them to listen to him, and proves to them that he is there on their behalf. He then goes to his father and forces him to give in to the strikers, and all ends happily.

Dir: Edgar Lewis

Karl "Curly" Casterline, a wrongfully discharged New York City policeman, finds work on the Midwestern farm of Adolf Bauerle to help the war effort. Curly is attracted to his boss's niece, Mina, but also realizes that Adolf and his cohort, Kurz, plan to blow up a troop train. Curly kills the two saboteurs and saves the train, but he is jailed by the abusive Sheriff Herman Lindig. Although Mina praises Curly for saving the soldiers' lives, he is sentenced to death and is denied a pardon from the governor. After the case attracts national attention, the governor explains that he prolonged Curly's incarceration to draw attention to the danger of German propaganda. Curly marries Mina and is later pardoned by the governor, who enlists him as an officer to protect the state from its enemies. Sheriff Lindig and his German conspirators are convicted and escorted to federal prison by Curly.