The Auteur's Selection Complementing the Tone of The Calendar Girl: Cult Guide

Dir: Rollin S. Sturgeon

A professor's daughter craves excitement and sends her father on a treasure hunt. The captain leaves him to die on the island and returns for his possessions and the girl. Dick saves her father from the island and comes to her rescue.

Dir: Rollin S. Sturgeon

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

Bettina Vanderpoel, the charming daughter of New York millionaire Reuben Vanderpoel, departs for England to visit her sister Rosalie, who is married to Sir Nigel Anstruthers, an impoverished English nobleman. Arriving at their dilapidated estate, Betty finds that Nigel not only has wasted Rosalie's fortune, but has treated his wife and their little son cruelly. Betty promptly repairs the estate with her own money and then introduces her sister into English society. In the process, she meets Lord Mount Dunstan, a proud but penniless nobleman who lives in the adjacent estate. Although strongly attracted to Betty, Dunstan avoids her so as not to appear a fortune hunter. An epidemic breaks out among the farmers, and Betty, hearing that Lord Dunstan has died, goes riding late one night to forget her sorrow. Sir Nigel finds her in a deserted hut and tries to attack her, but Lord Dunstan appears, rescues her, and finally confesses his love. Soon after, Sir Nigel contracts apoplexy and expires, thus freeing Rosalie.

Dir: Rollin S. Sturgeon

Realizing that it would be difficult to support a wife on his meager income, struggling physician Jack Stilling loses his love, Faith Channing, to the wealthy James Winthrop. After Faith and Winthrop marry, they begin to drift apart as Winthrop becomes consumed with his pursuit of social ambition. When her husband falls under the spell of fashionable Hortense Filliard, Faith determines to bear him a child in order to win him back. The infant dies soon after its birth, however, and Faith falls into a deep depression, forcing Stilling to prescribe morphine for her. Winthrop, spurred on by Hortense, conceives of a plan to addict Faith to the drug and then file for divorce. His plans backfire, however, when he becomes a slave to the drug and dies in a fit of delirium. Stilling intervenes in time to spare Faith the ravages of addiction, and the doctor and the woman he never ceased loving prepare for a new life.

Dir: Rollin S. Sturgeon

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

Hugon, a Canadian backwoodsman who is respected for his strength both of limb and of character, falls in love with Marie even though she has another sweetheart, a young man named Gabriel. Realizing that Marie favors Gabriel, Hugon good-naturedly offers to help the boy develop muscles and stamina but soon abandons the hopeless task. Meanwhile, Roque and his group of crooked surveyors have made plans to swindle the woodsman out of his property. Hugon's discovery of the plot leads to a brutal fight in which he is seriously injured. Deeply ashamed, he hides himself in a lonely cabin. Seeking to console Hugon, Marie reminds him of the strength of the spider, which continually rebuilds its broken web. Gabriel proposes to Marie but later backs out, and she, realizing her love for Hugon, builds a home with him on his restored property.

Dir: Rollin S. Sturgeon

How the lust for power influences and drives lives and destiny.

Dir: Rollin S. Sturgeon

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

Abel Manning, an attorney, has spent the greater part of his life waiting for "something big." Joan, his daughter, is teaching school and is of great financial assistance to her father. Senator Kitwell is to hold a big political rally, and Manning is elated because he is to give the address. Geoffrey Daniels returns home for the election, bringing his college chums. He sees Joan and is interested. As Joan's father is making his speech, Geoffrey plays a joke on him, incurring Joan's contempt. In the meantime the Mexicans are scheming for a new government and Gonzales goes to Washington to use his influence in securing an American consul his gang can influence. Kitwell wins, and Manning, believing Kitwell's promise to do something for him, goes to Washington. He is given nothing, however, his funds diminish and Joan finally joins him. Geoffrey is appointed to install wireless stations at some valuable mines in the Mexican country, Gonzales, promising Kitwell an interest in the mines if he will send a consul who will recognize their new government. Kitwell, believing Manning the right man, appoints him, and the latter views this as his great opportunity. As Gonzales endeavors to rope Manning into their scheme, the real man in the old attorney rises against the traitors and he puts Gonzales out of his office. As he is sending a cable to Washington for help, Manning is seized by Gonzales and his men, the cable instrument demolished and Manning threatened with death if he does not join the Mexicans in their revolution. Geoffrey learns of the situation, and that Joan has been taken to Gonzales' ranch, rushes to the rescue just as a company of American marines land and after overpowering the Mexicans, the marines put Manning upon a box and he delivers an oration with great intensity. His loyalty has won for him at last the recognition he has so long coveted.

Dir: Rollin S. Sturgeon

Fearing former suitor James Armstrong, Louise Newbold accompanies her husband William on a trip to the Colorado Rockies. While riding a mountain trail, Louise and her horse fall over a high cliff. Her injuries are so severe that she begs her husband to kill her to end her suffering, and, out of love, he does so--and blames Armstrong for being the instrument that drove Louise to take the dangerous trip. Five years later, Armstrong meets Enid Maitland and falls in love with her, and they go on a camping trip with several acquaintances. While out fishing, Enid is caught in a sudden violent storm and is rescued by a mountain man: William Newbold, who has become a recluse. But the snow imprisons them in his camp for the winter. The spring thaw brings Armstrong and others searching for Enid, and Newbold recognizes Armstrong as his old enemy.

Dir: Rollin S. Sturgeon

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

Robert Wainwright, arriving in the Argentine Republic to look after his father's business, finds himself in a hotbed of revolution. Stopping at the home of Don Arana, foreign minister to Rosas, the tyrant, he meets and falls in love with Bonita, Don Arana's niece. Bonita favors the rebels and through Wainwright's love for her, wins him to their cause. He communicates with General Urguiza, the rebel leader, but the messenger is intercepted by Tirzo, Rosas' spy. As Tirzo also aspires to the hand of Bonita, he schemes to get Wainwright out of the way, and insinuatingly suggests that he leave the country at once. Wainwright arranges for passage on the first ship leaving for the north, but contrives to escape, after the vessel leaves port. He returns to Don Arana's home, meets Bonita and acquaints her with his plan to join the rebels. She makes him a present of Mephisto, a wonderful horse, and suggests he change his name to Alvarez. Wainwright, now a rebel under the name of Captain Alvarez, so distinguishes himself that he becomes the scourge of the Federals. He is commissioned by General Urguiza to get in communication with Don Arana, who is secretly in sympathy with the rebels, and arrange for the capture of a convoy of a million in currency dispatched to the Federal forces. Captain Alvarez and Don Arana are arranging for the delivery of the convoy when the house is surrounded by the Federals through the work of Tirzo. Captain Alvarez is captured and led off a prisoner. Tirzo remains and promises Bonita to save Alvarez's life is she will marry him. She is about to consent when word comes that the prisoner has escaped. Alvarez returns to Bonita's home, fearful that harm has befallen her, and promises to return again at midnight to make sure of her further safety. Alvarez returns to his command, and captures the million in currency and is on his way to keep his midnight appointment with his sweetheart, when he hears Tirzo plotting with a band of gypsies to kidnap Bonita. Alvarez arrives at Don Arana's first, waits for Tirzo, who comes alone, and in a fight kills the spy whose body is carried off by the gypsies. A band of Federals intercept them, recognize Tirzo, and rush to Don Arana's house, where they capture Alvarez, and he is to be shot at sunrise. In the meantime the Federals are defeated and Rosas, the tyrant, flees for his life. Alvarez, by a trick, induces the Federals guarding him to flee. The rebel forces arrive opportunely, and all ends happily in a picture emblematic of the birth of a new republic.

Dir: Rollin S. Sturgeon

While attending college in Washington, D.C., Yuki Onda, the daughter of a Japanese samurai, meets and falls in love with Pierre Le Beau, a diplomatic attaché. At the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, Pierre is sent to Japan as attaché to the Australian ambassador. When Yuki's father discovers his daughter's romance with a foreigner, he becomes enraged and betroths her to Prince Hagane for political reasons; being an obedient daughter, Yuki agrees to the match. During a political meeting, Yuki's husband commands her to see that nobody enters the house. During her vigil, Pierre arrives, half-crazed with fever and the desire to see his beloved. Out of revenge, he steals an important document from Hagane; believing that his wife has acted in dishonor, Hagane agrees to trade Yuki for the paper. Worn out with grief and struggling against her love for Pierre, Yuki kills herself, and Hagane delivers the body to her true love.

Dir: Rollin S. Sturgeon

Mary Melville marries rich playboy Claude Varden to please her invalid mother. On the night they are to depart for a South American honeymoon, Mary's mother becomes seriously ill and Mary decides to stay home and taker care of her. Varden goes on the trip anyway, as he owns some mines in South America. However, Tom Nelson, the husband one of the many married women Varden has had affairs with in the past, is stalking him and follows him on board the ship. On the ship Varden meets the beautiful and rich Nitra Ruiz and her brother Ramon. Deciding that he doesn't want to be married to Mary anymore, he proposes to Nitra. However, his plans don't quite work out the way he had wanted them to.