The Definitive Guide Inspired by the Vision of The Beggar of Cawnpore: Cult Guide

Dir: Charles Swickard

D'Artagnan goes to Paris and becomes a member of the famous King's Musketeers. The Queen sends him on a dangerous mission to England. His three companions are either captured or put out of commission in the course of fights on foot and horseback. D'Artagnan reaches London and recovers from the Duke of Buckingham a pair of studs the Queen gave him as tokens of regard. On the ship on which he returns the hero is captured by his deadly enemy, De Rochfort. Jumping over the side, he clings to the chains of the vessel till it reaches port in France. He restores the studs to the Queen, and she has them put back into the necklace where they belong. Cardinal Richelieu has induced the King to command the Queen to appear wearing the necklace at a great court ball. When he sees the complete necklace, his plan to embarrass the Queen falls through. In addition to obtaining the favor of the Queen, D'Artagnan is rejoiced over the safe return of his comrades and his reward from his sweetheart for his bravery.

Dir: Charles Swickard

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

Wealthy young American Carrington O'Connell is traveling Europe with a "social advisor" to become more polished and sophisticated. While stopping at an inn in Switzerland, he is entranced by pretty young Adrienne Le Blanc, whose parents own the inn and in which she entertains travelers. Adrienne falls for him, but his "advisor" warns him against such a socially "unacceptable" relationship, and he reluctantly leaves. Adrienne soon gets a contract with a theatrical agent for appearances at a musical hall in America, where she happens to meet Carrington's wealthy father Michael. Complications ensue.

Dir: Charles Swickard

Diligent American art student studying in Paris, Claire Martin suffers a blow to her head that transforms her into a woman of questionable morals. She then becomes involved with Scott Houghton, an unscrupulous artist who paints a suggestive portrait of her. When Houghton attempts to seduce Claire, she resists and in the struggle strikes her head and is restored to her former personality. Claire returns to America with no recollection of her lurid life, but when she meets Houghton at a party, he promises to illuminate her past. He lures Claire to his hotel room where his nephew stabs and kills him. The violence traumatizes Claire, who believes that she perpetrated the crime. When Houghton's nephew confesses, Claire is cleared of the crime and her seedy past and is free to marry her sweetheart Howard Kent.

Dir: Charles Swickard

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

Although fond of childhood playmate Marcelle Riley, Luke Halliday, whose father made his fortune as an Arizona miner, becomes engaged to Eleanor Steele, a New York society belle. When Scar Norton arrives from Arizona and discloses that Luke's mother was an Indian, Luke is so traumatized that he breaks his engagement and ventures West to live among his mother's people. About to marry the Indian maiden Mo-Wa, Luke discovers that he cannot go through with the ceremony and retreats to the Settlement of Lost Hope, where he again encounters Scar Norton. Enraged when Scar taunts him over being a half-breed, Luke is about to kill his accuser when Marcelle and her father arrive and prevent him from committing the crime. Returning home with the Rileys, Luke finally realizes that Marcelle's pure love transcends all boundaries of race.

Dir: Charles Swickard

In the wayward western town known as Hell's Hinges, a local tough guy is reformed by the faith of a good woman.

Dir: Charles Swickard

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

When her mother dies, Mary not only becomes the household slave of her overbearing father, Scottish American Andy MacTavish, but also becomes a mother to her little sister Ruth at their home on the Dakota plains. Years later, Jack Fraser, the son of a surgeon at the nearby fort and a steady visitor at the MacTavish home, secretly marries Ruth although he is deeply loved by Mary. Sometime later, a baby is born to Ruth, and Mary, doubting her sister's assertion that she is married to Fraser, takes the child to the fort to find out the truth from Fraser himself. Andy, believing the baby to be Mary's, orders her from the house. In the meantime, the Indians go on the warpath and Mary is surrounded. Buck Mathews, a half-breed who has lusted after Mary, sees her with the child, and pitying the helplessness of the girl, leaves the Indians to protect Mary. Fraser arrives just as Buck is fatally wounded, rescues Mary, who forgives Buck before he dies. Fraser now acknowledges that he is the husband of Ruth.

Dir: Charles Swickard

College student Li Ting Lang is a favorite of his friends until his attentions toward socialite Marion Halstead bring forth protests on all sides. In defiance, Marion announces her engagement to Li Ting Lang. Gradually, she becomes socially isolated and Li, realizing that she will be friendless, releases her from her commitment. Soon after, an emissary to America arrives with instructions to compel Li to return to his native land and administers a drug to Li, who awakens aboard a ship bound for China, while back in America, his friends believe that he has committed suicide. Li arrives in the middle of a revolution and becomes a great military leader. Years later, while visiting the Orient on her honeymoon, Marion sees Li and recognizes him. Venturing to his house, she is followed by one of his enemies who plans to kill the girl and throw the guilt on Li, thereby ruining him. When the plotters arrive, Li defends Marion single handed until a rescue party of his old college chums comes to his aid. After a warm reunion among old friends, Marion departs with her husband, and Li is sadly left alone once again.

Dir: Charles Swickard

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

At the death of Count de Beaulieu, his daughter Jeanne learns that her father had been the arch criminal known as The Phantom. The only other person who knew her father's identity was his lieutenant, Franz Leroux, who now demands that Jeanne marry him in return for his silence. She agrees and they go to America where Jeanne meets an old friend, Jane Elliot. Jeanne confides her secret to Jane, and the two decide to flee to Florida. When en route their train is wrecked and Jane killed, Jeanne, in order to protect herself from her criminal husband, assumes Jane's identity. Posing as Jane, she visits the Marstons and falls in love with Henry Marston. Soon after, Leroux arrives and Jeanne is forced to tell her story. While explanations are in progress, one of Leroux's confederates, whom he had double-crossed, kills the criminal. Henry then forgives Jeanne her deception and together they begin a new life.

Dir: Charles Swickard

The picture tells the story of a little Spanish boy who is cast upon the shore of the east coast of Mexico early in the sixteenth century, when Mexico was dominated by the Aztec Indians. Never having seen a white person before, the local natives, a tribe called Tehuans, bring him up as a god and call him Chiapa. When he reaches manhood, Chiapa is given authority over his entire tribe. He falls in love with the priestess, Tecolote, and she yields to his advances although she is quite unworthy of him, and encourages other suitors. Then the Aztecs hear that under the white god the Tehuans are very prosperous, and start forth to conquer them. The Aztec army is under command of Mexitli, the chief general of Montezuma, the Emperor, and having conquered the Tehuans, he carried off Tecolote as his personal slave. Chiapa follows as a spy. In the garden of Montezuma, he is wounded by a guard, but Lolomi, the beautiful daughter of the Emperor, saves him. They fall in love. Meanwhile Mexitli has tired of Tecolote, and now seeks the hand of the Princess Lolomi, who would rather die than have him. As the Emperor gives Mexitli his consent, he tries to get the princess by force, and in doing so discovers Chiapa. Luiapa is sentenced to die at the end of the year on the sacrificial stone. But Lolomi, finding her pleas to her father of no avail, sends word to the Tehuans that their god is captive. An avenging army sweeps down, and there is brought about a sequence of thrilling scenes with a smashing finish.

Dir: Charles Swickard

A friend of Dick Bailey is killed by a mysterious assailant, whom Dick suspects to be Stack, who is in league with the crooked sheriff. Out on a spree Dick swears he will marry the first woman he sees, who happens to be Ruth Hammond, sister of his dead friend, arriving to take charge of the Hammond ranch. Revolted by his rough proposal,she fires him as the Hammond foreman and she proceeds to the ranch. Stack informs her he has purchased the ranch for the payment of the back-due taxes, and she relents and rehires Dick and his friends to aid her in her fight against Stack.