Essential Cult Cinema Mirroring the Impact of The Dead Line: Cult G...

Dir: Dell Henderson

Traveling under the name "Charles Conant," the son of an American mine owner tries to enter England in 1916 after masquerading as a muleteer, but the captain of his ship, suspicious when he sees him looking through a spyglass, plans to take him back to the United States. Charles escapes and visits his relative, Lady Dartridge, and falls in love with her daughter, Lady Joan Templar, who is loved by her cousin, chief constable George Templar who, suspicious of Charles' manner and unexplainable meetings and activities, wants to arrest him as a spy. After Charles handcuffs two German agents, he reveals that he is a secret-service man. Earlier, he mistakenly sold titanium from his father's mine to a German agent. His successful mission recovered the titanium before it went to Germany aboard a U-boat. Promising to wed Lady Joan, Charles leaves to join the Lafayette Squadron in France.

Dir: Dell Henderson

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

After Miriam Gibson is seduced and abandoned by a handsome adventurer, who marries an old woman with money, she becomes a prostitute to get money for her new-born child. When the baby dies, Miriam, now without hopes, goes to London and becomes the mistress and housekeeper of barrister Geoffrey Sherwood, who has become a drunkard after having been jilted by his fiancée Valentine, when she married a wealthy baronet. Miriam hopes to marry Geoffrey, but when Valentine, who is unhappy with her baronet, begins to trifle with Geoffrey, he responds and discards Miriam. Geoffrey soon realizes the shallowness of his affair with Valentine, who has not divorced the baronet, and his sense of shame is awakened by Miriam's kindness and consideration for others. They marry in a little Scottish kirk, and sail for Buenos Aires to begin a new life.

Dir: Dell Henderson

Stubborn Emily Delmar sneaks out of the house to go to a nightclub, and when she discovers that she has left her house keys at home, decides to spend the evening at the apartment of Richard Trotter, a young man who is pursuing her. Trotter comes home to find her there, and proceeds to take her to the house of her Aunt Geraldine. On the way there they stop at a beachfront hotel for dinner, and Emily, not ready to go to her aunt's house just yet, hatches a scheme to stay overnight and have a swim. Unfortunately, her Aunt Geraldine and Herbert Threadgold, a rival for Emily's affections, arrive at the hotel, see Richard and Emily there and assume "the worst". Complications ensue.

Dir: Dell Henderson

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

Pampered Frederic "Freddy" Pritchard, warned by his father that he must work or be disinherited, learns how to crack safes to help his girlfriend Gloria Nevins, whose villainous uncle holds security for the family jewels, as well as the right to vote on the disposition of the Nevins Motor Works. After Freddy steals the papers with the aid of his valet Smithson, Gloria's uncle locks him in a warehouse to prevent him from attending a crucial stockholders' meeting. Freddy escapes and saves the factory for Mrs. Nevins, who gives him power of proxy. Pritchard, Sr., pleased with his son, consents to Freddy's marriage to Gloria.

Dir: Dell Henderson

Press agent J. Butterfield Conroy, known affectionately as "Butts," is left only $500 when his wealthy father dies--until he can show that he has been "of service to humanity" in a scientific capacity. In a New York restaurant, Butts meets Mary Bruce MacDowell when her uncle Angus, an entomologist, chases a butterfly around his table. Smitten with love, Butts follows Mary to Bug Hollow, a resort where the professor is searching for a rare insect. After losing all his money playing poker, Butts starts to walk to Manhattan, when he meets Frank Morrison, an acquaintance, who hires Butts to invent a reputation for him as a scientist so that the professor will allow him to court Mary. Although Butts is successful, Mary, loving Butts, refuses Morrison. After Butts rescues the professor from his burning laboratory, set on fire by Brazilian swindler Ybor Cavallo, the professor consents to Butts' and Mary's marriage and Butts is awarded the rest of his father's estate.

Dir: Dell Henderson

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of By Hook or Crook perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Dell Henderson

After his father's death, Charles de la Fontaine, the Marquis d'Aubeterre, learns that the family is penniless and journeys to America to earn a living for himself and his sister Helen. The Countess d'Este secures him a position in the home of Lathrop, a millionaire, and the young nobleman instantly falls in love with Lathrop's pretty daughter Marian. Supposing that Charles is after her fortune, Marian avoids him and becomes engaged to the wealthy Rudolph Miller. Charles changes her opinion of him, however, when he and Marian are locked in an old tower, and, after swearing that he will only marry her when the two are equally wealthy, he makes a daring escape. Unknown to the Lathrops, Charles backs Marian's brother Frank in a financial venture, as a result of which the two young men become rich. Marian discovers that Rudolph is unfaithful, and with the "golden wall" of wealth that had separated them now obliterated, she and Charles wed.

Dir: Dell Henderson

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

To prevent her niece from becoming an old maid, Beatrice Hammond's aunt stipulates in her will that the girl must be married by the age of eighteen or sacrifice a million dollar inheritance. Beatrice is in love with Ronald Farwell, but he has been called to fight against the Germans in France, so Beatrice approaches her guardian, Gerald Eversleigh, with a plan: Gerald will marry her, thus insuring that she will inherit the fortune, but divorce her as soon as Ronald returns. The wedding is staged, and all goes well until Gerald falls in love with his wife. Meanwhile, Ronald falls in love with a French nurse and, upon his return home, offers to pay Gerald to remain married to Beatrice. Gerald happily accepts the offer but refuses the money, and Beatrice discovers that she has loved her husband all along.

Dir: Bruno Ziener

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Dell Henderson

Alice Avery, the orphaned daughter of an actress, is raised to adulthood in a small town by her strict Aunt Jane and Uncle Ezra. When artist Richard Danforth comes to town to rest, Alice falls in love with him. When he leaves, he promises that if Alice comes to New York he will care for her, so Alice decides to follow him there over the objections of her aunt and uncle, who want her to marry a local boy. In New York, Richard is surprised by her appearance and sends for Sarah, Alice's childhood guardian, to look after her. Nancy Arnold, one of Richard's models, is in love with him and jealous of Alice, and Alice is jealous of her. When Alice interrupts a quarrel between Richard and Nancy over her, she decides to run away and get a job on the stage. She becomes a famous actress and eventually is found by Richard, who realizes that he is in love with her. She then gives up the stage to become his wife.