The Definitive Watchlist For Devotees of The Crippled Hand: Cult Guide

Dir: [object Object]

Stephen Winthrop, a young playboy living in New York City, inherits the estate and all the holdings of his wealthy Canadian uncle but pays scant attention to it, preferring the "party" life in New York. He is unaware that the family attorney, Frank Garson, has forbidden hunting on the Wintrop lands in Canada, cutting off the livelihoods of the local villagers. Mary Cartier, goddaughter of the village priest, travels to New York to try to get Stephen to change the policy. He returns with her to Canada, sees what's going on, and lifts the ban, then decides to stay in Canada. Mary returns to New York to try to help Garson's ill wife and child, whom the sleazy lawyer has abandoned, but the wife dies and Mary brings back the small child to Canada. The villagers, mistaking the child for Mary's, are outraged at this "scarlet woman" flaunting her illegitimate child and attempt to drive her out. Complications ensue.

Dir: [object Object]

Fred Saunders rides into a wild town and aids the minister in recovering money stolen from the collection plate, thereby winning the love of the minister's daughter, June. Fred prevents Buddy, an orphan boy, from being trampled by a runaway horse and later "kidnaps" Buddy from an orphanage. Carney and his gang kidnap the boy in earnest, and Fred rescues him. Buddy turns out to be June's long-lost brother, and Fred and June are married by her father.

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

Dir: [object Object]

A self-appointed "love expert" tries to play cupid with uneven results.

Dir: [object Object]

Cattle rancher John Drake sends his son, Ted, to the Mexican border to stop the smuggling that is using Drake's land as the crossing point. Ted meets Ysabel Castro, the daughter of the rancher just across the border-river, when he saves her from a mad-bull. He captures a messenger for the smugglers, captures him and then goes to the gang's camp posing as the messenger. They soon find out he is an impostor, and he and Ysabel and her father are lined up before a firing squad. Maybe Silver King can summon the Calvary.

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

Dir: [object Object]

Georgiana Chadbourne is married to a good but dull man. When he dies, she decides to find a more exciting romance, one with a "bad" man. But a case of mistaken identity upsets her plans.

Dir: [object Object]

Dick Alden, a 12-year-old boy mistreated by his stepfather and picked on by the other residents of his village, is wrongly accused of setting fire to the local schoolhouse. He runs away but vows to take his revenge on the village. Years later he gets his chance when he returns to take over the mill he has inherited--he plans to close it down, which would throw most of the people out of work and destroy the economy. However, he runs into someone from his past that could put a halt to his plans.

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

Dir: [object Object]

Roaming cowboy Bart Andrews is arrested for vagrancy by a sheriff who needs men for the state road gang. On the way to jail, the sheriff stops off at a rodeo, allowing Bart the chance to ride a wild bronc. Bart tames the horse, and, at the urging of some cowboys, the sheriff allows Bart to go to work on the Lawrence ranch. Bart falls in love with Jean Dawson, the ranch manager's daughter, and prevents the theft of a trainload of cattle. Later, Bart surprises the foreman in the act of robbing the safe at the express office; the men fight, the station agent is killed, and Bart is accused of the crime. He frees himself, brings the foreman to justice, and reveals himself to be the real owner of the Lawrence ranch.

Dir: [object Object]

Miss Devore plays Tommy, a young woman who runs a boarding house for her father, an inventor of eccentric devices, and the boarders are the usual collection of neurotics in such an effort.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of In Search of a Sinner perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: [object Object]

Dad Randall is forced to mortgage his cattle to pay a debt to Ivor Johnson, who has bought them after stealing the receipts for the money Randall actually has paid. His son, Dean, returns home from action in the trenches and saves John Stickley, his daughter Grace, and a child from the grasping tactics of Texas Pete, a Johnson hireling who is charging for use of the waterhole. Meanwhile, Dad Randall is being forced to sign over the ranch, but Dean arrives and disposes of the villains just before Dad's death. When Johnson's cattle are rustled, Dean goes to work for him to track down the rustlers; returning the stolen cattle, Dean is tricked by Johnson, but with the aid of Grace and his horse, Silver King, he escapes. By a pulley stunt, Dean leads his pursuers into the sheriff's trap, and following a final showdown with Johnson, Dean and Grace are united.

Dir: [object Object]

Robert Bennett, an idle socialite, wagers $30,000 with his three friends that he can tell nothing but the truth for a period of one week. His troubles begin at a party where his friends' wives question Robert about their husbands' outside activities. Forced to tell the truth, Robert's veracity results in domestic disharmony. Consequently, his vengeful trio of friends pursue Robert for the next five days, intent upon silencing him until the week is over. They finally resort to committing Robert to an insane asylum where he escapes with the aid of Dolly, who is in love with him because she believes that Robert is a society thief. When the real burglar arrives, he tries to frame Robert for his crimes, but Robert is cleared as the week ends and claims both his wager and his sweetheart, Gwendolyn Gerald.