The Cult Collection Comparable to the Style of The Coming of the La...

Dir: Arthur Rosson

A professional boxer known as "Smiling Bill Flannigan" accidentally kills an opponent in the ring. He gives up the sport and heads west. He gets a job on a ranch as a cook, and before he knows it he finds himself involved in a war between ranchers and sheepherders.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

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

The Hopkinses are a family of squatters struggling against the wealthy landowners or "hilltoppers." When Jerry Hopkins is unjustly imprisoned, his young wife and baby die as a result of the shock, but his sister Polly maintains the faith that has been instilled in her by her grandmother. Later, Polly meets hilltopper Robert Robertson and the two fall in love. Their courtship is disrupted when Robert's sister Evelyn is blackmailed by Oscar Bennett, the man to whom she is secretly wed. In her efforts to help Evelyn, Polly falls under unjust suspicion. Meanwhile, MacKenzie, one of the vindictive landowners, arrests Polly's father and sends her brother to an orphanage. Devastated by these events, Polly's grandmother dies of grief and Polly swears revenge. She has Evelyn kidnapped and brought to her cabin, but the memory of her grandmother prevents Polly from harming her tormentor. Polly's nobility inspires Evelyn, who exonerates Polly, thus clearing the path for her marriage to Robert.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

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

Trix Ulner, who deals stud poker at Frank's small-town gambling resort, rescues Bernice Arnold from drowning, and her subsequent acquaintance with him causes scandal and annoys her sweetheart, Johnny Fletcher. When her brother, Jimmy, steals money from his father and loses it in a game with Trix and Frank, Bernice attempts to convince her father that he has mislaid the money and begs Frank for its return, but nevertheless the father tries to have Jimmy arrested. Bernice hides him in the home of Vida Brown, and when it burns they all find shelter in the Arnold house. Bert, Jimmy, and Trix rob Frank's house to retrieve the money, and in the process Frank shoots and kills Jimmy. When Trix threatens him, Frank swears that the boy died while trying to capture some burglars. Bernice weds Fletcher.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

Jockey Billy Garrison is framed and suspended for throwing a race. Depressed, he goes to a bar and eventually gets into a fight. He loses his memory and is taken to the home of pretty young Sue Desha, who gets him a job as a jockey for her father, Col. Desha. Unfortunately, the man who framed Billy, named Crimmins, finds out he's working for Sue's father and reveals Billy's past to the Colonel. Complications ensue.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of For Those We Love perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

The story presents a series of gags and fast-action incidents based on a plot which is concerned with the romance of a girl who works in a laundry and a wealthy chap. The girl's parents believe her the prize which will win affluence for them and, deceived by the villain, who hires expensive clothes and poses as a rich man, they try to marry her off to him. But Betty loves the other boy - the one who saved her life and who is engaged to a society girl he doesn't love. With the help of circumstance and a lot of determination on the part of the two lovers, Betty and Jack realize their ambition to become husband and wife.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

John Drake, a college athlete, starts for South America, where he has been promised a good job on the strength of his knowledge of the construction of safes and vaults. Aboard ship, he falls in love with Dolores Darcy, the daughter of a leading Latin American banker. Arriving in South America, John discovers that he has been made the dupe of criminals, who want him to open the vault in Señor Darcy's bank. John refuses, and his passport and wallet are stolen. In desperation, he signs up to fight an exhibition bout with Dynamite Díaz, the South American boxing champion. Isaac Belding, the leader of the criminals, has John kidnapped, forcing him to open the Darcy vault. John locks the gang in the vault, telling the police of his actions on the way to the bout. John beats Díaz and then captures Pierce, the banker's secretary, who is in league with Belding. John becomes the hero of the town, and Dolores declares her love for him.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

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

Parisian music hall celebrity Mignon marries young American civil engineer John Stanley. When John is suddenly assigned to undertake an engineering project in the Sahara, Mignon accompanies him and her son to the desert, although she is accustomed to a life of frivolity. After months of discontent, Mignon leaves her husband and son for Russian Baron Alexis, who establishes her in a palace in Cairo. Brokenhearted, John becomes a drug addict. Mignon later runs across her husband and son, who have become beggars. She is filled with remorse and returns to the desert to nurse her husband. John recovers slowly, reconciles with his wife, and the family finds happiness together.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

Dreamer dairyman Phineas Dobbs of Cow Hollow suddenly acquires a fortune when oil is discovered on his ranch, and celebrates by throwing a party for the whole town. One day a young woman comes to town, delayed by train trouble. Dobbs rescues her from the town bully, and agrees to follow her to San Francisco. The woman is actually a princess who is being forced into a marriage with a man who wants to share her throne. Dobbs rides by Market Street to the St. Francis Hotel in his Western garb, and performs daring stunts to rescue the princess in distress. Together they free the princess' father. Dobbs then returns to Cow Hollow, and the princess gives up her throne to become Mrs. Phineas Dobbs.

Dir: Arthur Rosson

Sky Parker, an Arizona cowboy, inherits a fortune from his eccentric uncle in San Francisco; under the terms of the will, however, he must live in his uncle's mansion for a year before claiming the bequest. Sky arrives in San Francisco accompanied by five cowboys, who immediately begin to raise western hell, stealing two Clydesdale horses from a brewery and shooting the gargoyles from the mansion roof. Sky's cousin, Miller, persuades a beautiful young girl, Maize, to help him prevent Sky from obtaining the inheritance, but she soon falls in love with the rugged ramrod and refuses to continue with their attempted fraud. Sky, not knowing of her duplicity, asks Maize to marry him; filled with shame, she runs away instead and boards a fast train. Trying to stop her, Sky chases the train in a car, which crashes; he then steals a cop's motorcycle, boarding the speeding train from that precarious perch. On the train, Maize confesses her guilt, Sky forgives her, and they declare their love for each other. When they return to his mansion, Sky punches Miller and throws him out of the house.