Editor's Top Picks Following the Footsteps of The Dragon: Cult Guide

Dir: Harry A. Pollard

Returning from service in the A. E. F., Dale Garland is given a rousing reception by his townsmen. County political boss Nebo Slayter persuades the community to nominate Dale for sheriff--thinking he can be easily manipulated--against John Millard, the incumbent, who refuses political compromises. Dale easily wins and pledges to give the citizens an honest deal. Millard's daughter, Alice, who is Dale's childhood sweetheart, learns of Slayter's dishonest schemes and sees his men murder a moonshiner for whom they had been furnishing protection. She informs Dale, who tracks down the slayers and arrests them after a battle. Meanwhile, the deputies arrest the slain man's accomplices, who implicate the political ring, and Dale jails them all. His honesty wins Alice's love.

Dir: Harry A. Pollard

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: Harry A. Pollard

A scientist discovers a death ray and locks it in a box, giving the key to his daughter, who soon finds herself hunted by criminals looking to steal the deadly mineral.

Dir: Harry A. Pollard

When a young bride, newly entered into society, discovers she is pregnant, she consults an old friend on the most effective means of abortion. The friend gives her a potent drug, and that night the woman locks herself in her room, presses the potion bottle to her lips, falls across her bed and begins to dream. In her dream, her husband finds out about her abortion and demands a divorce. Years pass and the woman, now decrepit and alone, is visited by the ghost of her "Child-That-Might-Have-Been." The ghost takes her on a spiritual journey where she sees her husband, who is remarried and happy with his own family, hundreds of smiling babies wrapped in flowers in Babyland, and finally her own death and damnation. At her demise, she wakes from her nightmare, joyful to find the drug untouched, and rushes to tell her husband about her impending motherhood.

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

Dir: Harry A. Pollard

Peggy Brockman's idyllic life with her oil-magnate father is disrupted when he remarries and arrives home with his bride and her two snobbish daughters. The new Mrs. Brockman reads that Lord George Raleigh is anchored off shore in his yacht, and regarding him as a possible conquest for one of her daughters, issues him an invitation to a garden party. In quest of his seclusion, his Lordship sends his butler Wiggins to attend in his place. Peggy is banned from the party, and in revenge, sneaks aboard the yacht where she meets the real lord who is enchanted by her. For her prank, Peggy is banished to college and the lord enrolls also. One night by mistake, Peggy climbs into the boys' dormitory and finds herself in Raleigh's room. To prevent a scandal, they elope, but on the way from the justice's house are arrested and thrown in jail. Peggy's horrified family arrives just in time to witness Lord Raleigh disclose his true identity and announce that Peggy is his bride.

Dir: Harry A. Pollard

The Leather Pushers were a charming series of eighteen 2-reel comedies based upon the story of a prize-fighter from the Colliers articles by H.C. Witwer. Each episode was self-contained and complete in itself. Formerly wealthy Kane Halliday (Reginald Denny) finds he must support himself with his fists in the ring after his father goes suddenly broke. A great mix of comedy and action set against the gritty world of the old New York boxing scene.

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

Dir: Harry A. Pollard

The "Kid'' is abroad. First he has a couple of rounds with old King Booze which results in his girl giving him a K. O. punch. In the big scene he fights a Frenchman who puts dope on his gloves which causes the Kid to be unable to see distinctly. He gropes around with his eyes nearly closed and takes a good beating while resting his eyes, but finally comes back with a mighty wallop and wins the fight.

Dir: Harry A. Pollard

Yulita is known to the inhabitants of one of the South Sea islands as "The Peart of Paradise." Her father, Gomez, a Spanish fugitive from justice, has reared her in ignorance of the evils of the outside world. Piete Van Dekken, the captain of a Dutch schooner and the only other white man the girl has even seen, is infatuated with her. John Dellow and his fiancée on a yachting cruise are forced to jump from the yacht and the next morning Dellow is found on the beach by Yulita. Gomez orders John shot, but Yulita saves his life and Gomez tells Dellow of how years before he married an American girl after accidentally killing her husband and another man. They fled to the island and there the mother died shortly after Yulita was born. Later John realizes his love for the girl but also remembers that she is a child. Van Dekken comes to the island and engages in a fight over Yulita. Denise, Dellow's fiancée, is also saved and found by John, who takes her with him and leaves Yulita alone on the island. He then sees Yulita start out in a boat after them and plunge into the sea. Dellow awakens from his dream in time to save Yulita from Van Dekken and the next day sails for home with his "Pearl of Paradise."

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Girl Who Couldn't Grow Up perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Harry A. Pollard

Kane is very much interested in a new sweetheart who is a professional skater. His old girl goes over to the enemy's camp and spurs on the rival by telling him that Kane insulted her. The fighter can hardly wait for the day set for the battle, but attacks Kane on the ice in Central Park. During the fight Kane is folded but refuses to accept the decision and goes on to a finish. He knocks out his opponent, but falls down from fatigue. The referee starts counting both fighters out, but reaching "nine" finds Kane recovered and upon his feet. The two girls then enter the ring and proceed to finish the battle.

Dir: Harry A. Pollard

John Douglas, a high-society playboy, is a cynic concerning the women of his social set, and has a pictured ideal of the girl of his dreams. Wising to avoid the upcoming social season, he hops a freighter bound for the Orient. It sinks in mid-ocean and he, as the sole survivor, is washed upon a island, where he is rescued by Nia, daughter of the tribal chief, Neto.John is puzzled as all of the tribe are white people, but he learns from the tribal chief they are descendent's of English-origin who also are on the island because of a ship wreck a few hundred years ago. John soon arouses the jealousy of Kaura, the tribal sub-chief who wants Nia as his bride, but Nia wants nothing to do with Nia, and favors John. Kaura demand that Nia become his bride, but John Rescues her and they head for the jungle, with Kaura and his henchmen in hot pursuit. The pursuit only lasts until a storm comes up and Kuara is killed by a bolt of lightning, and his followers take that as a sign the Gods aren't in favor of the pursuit. John and Nia take up residence in the Tribal Priest's jungle cave, after the Tribal Chief performs a marriage ceremony. They are quite happy and content, especially Nia who likes to play the harp John made for her. But a yacht appears on the horizon, and John struggles with a decision as to light a signal fire and be taken back to civilization.