The Definitive Guide Deeply Connected to The Bluffer: Cult Guide

Dir: Travers Vale

After John Cuddlestone, an officer in the Queen's regiment, is accused by his brother Andrew of cheating at cards, he leaves England in humiliation. In India, he marries a Hindu woman, but shortly after their son is born, John is killed in a tiger hunt. Young Lorin is placed in the care of Buddhist priests, and on his twenty-first birthday, he is released from the temple and given his father's papers. Learning of John's disgrace, Lorin is filled with the desire for revenge and immediately sets out for England. Nan, a girl whom he saved from slavery, resolves to follow the man she loves and steals the sacred eye of Buddha, a precious gem, to pay for her passage. In England, Lorin earns renown in society circles as a swami. One of his clients is Andrew's ward, Lady Elsie Drillingcourt, whose fortune Andrew is rapidly squandering. Lorin catches his uncle cheating at cards, and when the old man realizes the swami's identity, he dies of shock. Lady Elsie recovers her money, while Nan, who has been pursued by angry Buddhist priests, returns the sacred gem and then journeys back to India as Lorin's wife.

Dir: Travers Vale

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

Ralph Semple already has a wife, but marries rich Beatrice Raymond, and then deserts her after cheating her out of $10,000. Later, when Beatrice hears that Ralph has died, she marries Jerry Trainer, a widower, but keeps her past a secret. Ralph, who started the rumors of his own death, then returns to blackmail Beatrice, who is determined to keep Jerry from finding out about her first marriage. Meanwhile, Ralph makes plans to elope with Jerry's daughter Edith, but when Beatrice learns of the impending wedding, she decides to stop it, and so goes to see Ralph in his apartment. Jerry walks in on them, however, and assuming that they are secret lovers, he throws Ralph out and denounces Beatrice. When Edith arrives at Ralph's, however, Jerry realizes that his wife was only trying to save his daughter, and so he and Beatrice are reconciled immediately.

Dir: Travers Vale

Dane Ashley, a successful young author, is informed that he has inherited an old estate in a small village, and being tired of his work and life in the city, he decides to go down and stay on the place for a brief rest. One day Dane is amazed to find a crowd of boys and girls pelting a young girl. He rescues the girl and would punish her tormentors, but she begs him to let the matter drop and hurriedly disappears through the door in the stone wall which separates his house from the one next to it. Much impressed with his young neighbor, Dane makes inquiries about her and learns that she is a Miss Virginia Carlton and that nothing is known concerning her except that she is crazy. Disbelieving the rumors as to Virginia's insanity, Dane uses clever little ruses to further his acquaintance, and the friendship so strangely begun, soon develops into love. Although Virginia cannot conceal her love for him, she tells him their friendship must cease, that there is a wall of shame and misery between them which prevents their ever being anything to each other. Dane thinks he has guessed her secret when he hears a baby at play on her side of the wall; he believes she has been the victim of an unwise and too-great love, but when he is with Virginia her purity and innocence totally contradict this theory. One night he is startled to see a face, which he is sure is Virginia, which is lit is lit up by a wild and impish gleam, peering in at his window. When he reaches the window he sees the girl fleeing over the high stone wall. A few nights later he meets her on the road. She gives no sign of recognition, but leads him on. Dane cannot understand; his heart sick at the thought that the pure-souled Virginia, whom he loves could act thus wantonly, but the next day, when he meets Virginia, she is again the sweet simple girl and he becomes convinced that it must be during moments of temporary insanity that she makes her nocturnal excursions. Nightly the girl is seen in the village, a beautiful evil spirit luring men from their firesides, to render them mad with strange passions and unfulfilled desires, for she always escapes from her victims. At last Virginia can restrain her feelings no longer and she tells Dane that she wants him to hear her story and to help her. Two years before, her twin sister, Helen, had fallen in love with a young naval surgeon. When their father had sternly forbidden her ever to see him again, the impulsive girl left home and went to the surgeon's hotel. There she lived with him as his wife for two weeks, until he was suddenly called away to foreign waters. Returning to her father's home, Helen was injured in an automobile wreck and her mind shattered. The father died of the shock, and Virginia, realizing her sister's condition, had rented the house in the country. Here Helen's child was born. Dane is overwhelmed with happiness to know that the girl he loves is neither insane nor the mother of the child he had supposed hers. He tells Virginia he will locate her sister and bring her back. He sends his friend, Dr. Robert Haskell, to Virginia to aid her. Virginia denounces Dr. Haskell for his treachery to her sister, and before he can reply, Dane brings in the unconscious Helen, whom he found wandering about the streets. Doctor Haskell works over the wounded girl, and while they await anxiously the result of his operation, he explains to Virginia that she is doing both her sister and herself grave injustice. He tells the astonished girl that he and Helen were married on the day she left her father's home, and that ever since his return from the foreign parts he had been searching vainly for his wife. Gradually life and memory return to Helen and she throws her arms about her husband's neck as Virginia and Dane look on.

Dir: Travers Vale

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

Richard Chanslor is about to be disinherited by his rich grandfather who objects to his association with chorus girl Lily Lorraine. In order to please his grandfather while still maintaining his present standard of living, Chanslor decides to marry Lois Page, a struggling young sculptress from a good family. Lois accepts his proposal on the condition that they continue their separate ways. The marriage in name only is a success until Richard begins to fall in love with his wife and breaks with Lily. Lois, unconvinced of her husband's sincerity, however, continues her close relationship with her instructor, Bob Hildreth. One day, Hildreth takes Lily for a ride to a country inn where he attacks her. Richard follows them and arrives just in time to rescue his wife who drives away with him. Both husband and wife then realize that their trial marriage has developed into a real marriage.

Dir: Travers Vale

On the promise of marriage, Sylvia Smith, a simple girl from Lone Meadows, follows her lover to the city only to discover that he already has a wife. While wandering along the docks, Sylvia stumbles onto a suicide note written by Fitzhugh Castleton, a wealthy gentleman who has planted the note to avoid a loveless marriage. Rather than go back to Lone Meadows humiliated, Sylvia pays Crosby, a convicted forger, to impersonate Castleton, forge his name in a marriage ceremony, then disappear. Once Sylvia installs herself in the Castleton mansion, Castleton returns from a sea voyage and, disguised by a long beard, hires on as the gardener. Castleton soon becomes enamored of the impostor widow and she falls in love with him, but neither one will admit his deception to the other. When Crosby shows up and demands blackmail money, Sylvia slips away to the country. Through the jealous interference of Crosby's wife, Castleton discovers the truth about Sylvia and goes to Lone Meadows to marry her.

Dir: Travers Vale

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

Sally McGill, a little Irish girl, brought up in a particularly sordid section, is compelled to work to support her entire family. Ben Blaney, the young foreman where she works, loves little Sally. Mrs. Rockwell, wealthy and childless, finds joy in taking a limited number of the poorest children to her country home each summer, and she selects those whom she will take. While visiting the lower East Side, which is distinguished by the name of "Pigtail Alley," she meets Sally and impulsively asks her to go along to earn her board and keep by caring for and helping with the children. Sally is overjoyed. Ben Blaney, however, proposes to Sally and is rejected. Mrs. Rockwell's niece, Isabelle, is jealous of Sally and takes a violent dislike to her. Sally's ambition is to become a refined lady like those about her, and she is attracted to Paul Taylor, but knows she is inferior to him. Isabelle succeeds in having Sally discharged. She then goes to work in a millinery store where she has opportunities to learn the refined ways she so admires, and joins a library to study on this subject. Mrs. Rockwell, in need of a maid, seeks little Sally out and offers her the position, and she again meets Paul, who proposes to her on her way home one evening, but she, realizing the great social gulf between them, does not consent and tells him he must never see her again. She leaves Mrs. Rockwell's employment to become an artist's model and because she pledged Mrs. Rockwell to secrecy about her new address, Paul goes to her mother, who, believing there is a possibility of a rich marriage, gives him Sally's address. Paul waits for Sally and escorts her home, standing in the doorway for a chat. Ben sees them just as Paul is embracing Sally and in a rage strikes Paul down. Later, when Ben learns that Paul has asked for Sally in marriage, he tells Sally that they are not made of the same clay, and that she has outgrown "Pigtail Alley," and he hopes that she will be happy with Paul. She goes to Paul and he holds her in his arms and finishes the sentence he started in the hallway, which Ben interrupted, "When do we start for South America?"

Dir: Travers Vale

When Aline Marsden learns that her husband Phil has been flirting with musical-comedy actress Bernice De Armond, she and her uncle, Pop Moore, compel him to sign a contract that gives each of them complete marital freedom for three months. Aline then travels to Palm Beach, Florida, accompanied by Pop and her sister, Jess Alden, while Phil remains in the North with Bernice. In Florida, Aline engages in a flirtation with Phil's old college friend, Wayne Annis, and when her husband, now weary of Bernice, comes to Florida, she gives him a chilly reception. Wayne, who has fallen in love with Jess, agrees to help Pop effect the married couple's reconciliation by arousing Phil's jealousy. The plan works so well, however, that the enraged husband nearly shoots his old friend. In the end, the friendship is preserved, Aline and Phil are reunited, and Wayne professes his love for Jess.

Dir: Travers Vale

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of A Self-Made Widow perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

During a raid on a gambling establishment run by her father, Cosmo Lester, Diana Lester rescues Hugh Carton, a member of the English Parliament and a candidate for the Cabinet. Hugh gratefully offers Diana a position as his sister's companion, and soon, the two fall desperately in love. Diana's happiness is threatened, however, when she learns that Hugh is married to a woman who will neither live with him nor divorce him. Diana becomes Hugh's mistress for a time, but his afternoon visits with her cause him to neglect his work. To save Hugh's career, his sister urges Diana to leave him, whereupon the unhappy girl returns to her father. She eventually accepts the marriage proposal of her old friend, Phil Duran, but before the wedding, she suffers a breakdown. When Hugh visits her with the news that his wife has granted him a divorce, however, she regains her health and good spirits, and is joined to the man she loves.

Dir: Travers Vale

Louis La Farge journeys to a little Alsatian village and there makes love to a pretty shepherdess named Marie Beaupre. Following his departure, Marie is cast out of the village, and, forced to survive in the mountains alone, she goes mad. On a hunting trip, hypnotist Dr. Cochefort and his friend Delaunay meet the "witch woman," as she is called, and take her to Paris, where she is cured and then named the heir to Delaunay's fortune. Her adopted guardian introduces her to Louis's twin brother Maurice, and she, believing him to be Louis, flirts with him while searching for an opportunity to obtain revenge. Andrea Montignac, Louis's mistress, begs Marie to give him up, not realizing that it is Maurice who courts her, and, at a masked ball, Marie announces that Louis and Andrea are engaged. Louis only laughs and seizes Marie, whereupon Andrea shoots him. When Maurice enters, both women realize their mistake, and Andrea commits suicide. Maurice then gives Marie his forgiveness and his love.

Dir: Travers Vale

When a Southern belle chooses one suitor over another, the loser plots revenge on his rival by causing him to desert the Confederate Army during the Civil War.