Hidden Genre Gems for Fans of The Duke of Chimney Butte: Cult Guide

Dir: Frank Borzage

Brent Brewster, formerly a Yale athlete known for his pole vaulting prowess, is unsuccessful in business. When his wealthy relatives send him out to fend for himself, Brent joins a detective agency. After Craig Lansing, a family friend, hires Brent to investigate the numerous jewel thefts in Poughkeepsie, Brent works undercover at Lansing's house party and recognizes Captain Drake, an English crook. Although Brent temporarily forgets detective work when he meets Ann, the beautiful sister of Lansing's wife Ruth, Ann's remark that $40,000 a year would be enough for her to live on brings Brent back to the job. Meanwhile, Drake is intent on compromising Ruth, who flirts with him while Lansing is away. When Lansing returns unexpectedly, Brent accepts the blame for the flirtation to protect Ruth's honor, because of his love for Ann. After Brent vaults with a clothes pole through a window to prevent Drake's escape, Drake is exposed. Brent then learns that he has inherited a legacy which will enable him to satisfy Ann's monetary needs.

Dir: Alexander Butler

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

In Alberta, Canada, a Cornish emigrant unmasks a rustler posing as the girl's "blind" father.

Dir: Frank Borzage

Immediate Lee, employed on the ranch owned by one Masters, is discharged by the manager through the influence of one of his men, who is in the brand blotting game with Masters. Beulah, a dance-hall girl, has attracted the attention of Hurley, a brand blotter, but prefers Lee. Hurley entraps Lee and cuts his mouth open with a wide gash, which leaves a permanent scar. Lee vows vengeance and follows the man all over the country. He at last meets him face to face, but Hurley is saved by the intercession of Beulah. He later is killed in a fierce encounter. The brand blotters are discovered and punished by the aid of Immediate Lee, and Beulah receives the reward of loyalty and devotion by becoming Lee's wife.

Dir: Frank Borzage

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

Jennie is a slavey in a theatrical boarding house. To her the actors are all wonderful, but Montague Booth is the chief. In an accident Booth is disfigured for life and is saved from suicide by Jennie. They join a medicine show in which Booth is lecturer, but Jennie cannot stand the road. Booth leaves the show and takes up a homestead claim. The manager of the show sends one of Booth's old loves to get him back, for his services are valuable, but Belle fails after very nearly wrecking everyone's happiness.

Dir: Frank Borzage

Successful model, Phyllis Clyne, convinces a down-and-out nobleman, Billy, to pass her off in society as titled gentry. They fall in love and when it turns out that her late father actually was a lord, they decide they now can marry.

Dir: Frank Borzage

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

Shopgirl Rhoda Regan is in love with the Harmony Lad, the leader of a New York street gang called the Hudson Dusters. After two gang murders are committed in the Pepper Box, a local cabaret, the Harmony Lad promises his worried sweetheart that he will abandon the gang for a singing career, and true to his word, he soon accepts a job on the Pepper Box stage. When Stumpy Darcy, the new leader of the Dusters, kills rival gang leader Wedge Barker, who had flirted with Stumpy's girlfriend, Mamie Conlon, the Harmony Lad flees to New Jersey to escape police interrogation. In order to throw the police off the track while her lover escapes, Rhoda dances all night long with Stumpy, who has come to a masked ball dressed as Charlie Chaplin. Stumpy follows Rhoda home, where the police, imagining him to be the Harmony Lad, arrest him. His name cleared, the Harmony Lad marries Rhoda and embarks on a promising career in vaudeville.

Dir: Frank Borzage

Giulia, a Neapolitan girl, much against her will, becomes the mistress of a wealthy gangster. Her "protector" is stabbed to death by Giulia's hot-headed musician lover Tony (Francis McDonald), whereupon the heroine takes refuge in the villa of French playwright La Farge. Under La Farge's careful tutelage, Giulia develops into a famous actress, capturing the heart of the Duke De Chaumont. Though LaFarge himself has fallen in love with the girl, he does not stand in her way when she accepts the Duke's proposal. But Giulia has not reckoned with Tony, who is still crazy about her and still willing to kill any man who stands in his way. Tony murders LaFarge, then sets his sights on the Duke, intending to kill the poor fellow during the wedding ceremony. Hoping to save the Duke's life, Giulia pretends to have fallen out of love with him and returns to Tony.

Dir: Frank Borzage

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

In the Latin Quarter of Paris, American artist David Lane (Norman Kerry) marries his model Yvonne (Olive Thomas), but just prior to the birth of their baby, David's mother dies, and he is forced to depart for the United States. In David's absence, his father hires a lawyer to convince Yvonne that David has abandoned her, and grief-stricken, she dies soon after her little girl is born. Yvonne's trusted friend Pierre rears the girl as a boy, whom he calls Toton, and trains her to become a skilled pickpocket. Meanwhile, David adopts a boy named Carew, and when he grows to manhood, the two move to Paris to establish an art studio. In robbing the studio, Pierre recognizes David, and to avenge Yvonne's death, he claims that Toton has been taught to hate her father. Later, Pierre becomes convinced of David's innocence, and before he dies, he reveals the truth to Toton. Finally, the girl is reunited with her father and marries Carew.

Dir: Frank Borzage

Josiah Pringle, a benevolent old musician, who ekes out his livelihood by giving music lessons, after playing the organ for twenty years in the church of a little New England hamlet, must make way for a younger man, Gordon Howard, who comes from Boston. Faith Pringle, adopted by Josiah and his aged sister, Letitia, is leader of the choir, and when Pringle is replaced, she refuses to sing, but relents at Pringle's gentle insistence. When the new organist appears, Pringle's pupils leave him for the younger man, but he feels no resentment against Howard and compliments him on his playing. A young ruffian attacks Faith, but Howard rescues her and Pringle, deeply appreciative, invites Howard to the house. For many years Pringle has been working upon an improvement in organs. He shows the model to Howard who discovers a point that has baffled the old musician for ten years. The young ruffian, seeking a way to revenge himself on Howard through Pringle, shows Pringle a newspaper bearing the picture of a young man, resembling Howard closely, sought as an embezzler, but Pringle, in his kindly way, says that if Howard has reformed, he will not be the first to persecute him. Pringle places his model in the hands of Howard, to obtain a patent. Howard writes that he has secured an advance of $20,000 royalties and they hear nothing further from him. As the weeks drag by and Pringle's small store of money is exhausted, he and his sister are forced to the decision that Faith must be returned to the orphanage whence she came. The day of her departure comes all too soon. At the last moment, Howard comes in and explains that after receiving the money he placed it in a safe for the time being. In passing a building in the course of construction, he was injured. At the hospital to which he was taken, no means of identification were found on him, and just as soon as he recovered his memory he returned to the Pringles. The cloud on his antecedents is cleared when he looks at the newspaper pictures and says "My brother, the poor fellow is dead now." Through Howard's influence, Pringle is reinstated as organist and the friendship between Faith and Howard quickly ripens into love.

Dir: Frank Borzage

After a young inventor discovers a powerful new explosive, agents from a German chemical firm induce him to study at a German university. While there, he is repelled by certain aspects of the people, and he leaves for Belgium. When the war begins, the inventor saves a Belgian burgomaster's daughter from Prussian invaders. The inventor and the girl endure horrible suffering because of the war, but they find happiness at its end, while the formerly fighting nations direct their effort towards world peace at the Paris conferences. The assassination of Kurt Eisner of Bavaria occurs at the end.