Hidden Genre Gems In Alignment with the style of The Dummy: Cult Guide

Dir: Francis J. Grandon

Jean Servian's eyesight is failing and is desperate for money, marries wealthy widower Geoffrey Vane after telling him that he must be satisfied with her gratitude rather than her love. Then, following an affair with artist Philip Derblay, who finally leaves her, Jean settles down to a quiet, boring life with Geoffrey, who knows nothing about her failed romance. Years later, however, after Lucille, Geoffrey's daughter by his first wife, becomes engaged to Philip, Jean feels compelled to tell the story of her own affair with him. The disclosure has little effect as Lucille makes no change in her wedding plans, but then, when she breaks in on a violent argument between Philip and Lucille, Jean accidentally shoots and kills her former lover. A trial results in her acquittal, however, after which Jean realizes that she really does love Geoffrey, who easily forgives his wife for her past indiscretion.

Dir: Francis J. Grandon

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

When socialite Ethel Wyndham turns down his marriage proposal because of his working-class status, Jim Carew leaves civilization and goes prospecting in the Yukon. While striking it rich in Alaska, he begins a romance with Little Snowbird, but before settling down with her, he decides to take one last look at life in the big city, and so he goes to New York. At a restaurant there, he sees Ethel, and immediately tells her of his success and proposes once again. Ethel is tempted to accept him until Thomas Martin, who has involved her in a blackmail operation, threatens to expose her if she marries Jim. Once again broken-hearted, Jim returns to Little Snowbird, only to find that, believing that he would never return, she committed suicide. Before dying, however, she gave birth to their daughter, to whom Jim devotes the rest of his life.

Dir: Francis J. Grandon

Nora, a girl of the lower East Side of New York City, marries a rising ward politician. A child is born. They are happy, but the young politician is running for office against the old ward boss and has to be out every night. The wife becomes jealous of a certain woman. Nora's child dies. Things get worse for her as jealousy and the seeming neglect of her husband increase. She finally leaves him and becomes a model for a noted painter. The husband finds where she is, but makes no attempt to force her to return to him, though he still loves her. One of the artist's friends, a magnate in the motion picture business, promises her a chance. Her rise to stardom is quick. The climax of the story is a struggle between the old love and the new fame. She does not know that the politician has become a first-class lawyer. Finding that the old love and the new fame are not incompatible, she is reunited with her husband.

Dir: Francis J. Grandon

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

The story opens in the office of an oil company. The president received a letter from a friend notifying him there is oil in the town of Glory. He forms a dummy railroad company and sends a representative to Glory to get rights to the property by promising that the dummy company will establish a station at Glory. While getting the rights to the property, the oil representative goes through what he supposes a fake marriage with the postmistress of the village. Time passes and the postmistress leaves the village for a neighboring town, where she gives birth to a child. Unable to support the child, she brings the baby to the village hotel run by two Germans, and, under cover of darkness, leaves the baby there. The baby is adopted by the village, named Glory Glory, and brought up by the two Germans. In the meantime the mother has made her way to the city and drops from exhaustion in front of the president of the oil company's house, when she is picked up and carried in. Upon examination by the doctor he finds the fall has caused her to lose her memory. The president is a widower and upon the woman's recovery decides to have her stay as governess and bring up his young son. Several years pass by and both Glory and the president's son are grown up. They accidentally meet and fall in love. The oil company decides to take possession of the property at Glory and then a fight ensues, the son taking sides with the girl he loves and her people. During the lapse of years the man who put through the original deal for the oil company and who married the postmistress has risen to be a judge. The case is brought before him and he dismissed the charges of the citizens of Glory. The son decides to assist and steals the papers relative to the case. The judge and president of the company finally decide to make restitution. The marriage is found to be legal. The people get the oil property back, and Glory is happy with her sweetheart.

Dir: Francis J. Grandon

Two passionate suitors pursue actress Elaine Elton Oscar Billings, the head of several large theaters, and millionaire Jack Dexter, whom she has never met. To force her to spend time with him, Jack pretends to be a chauffeur and gets a job with Elaine, who soon feels quite attracted to him. Then, Oscar combines a marriage proposal with a threat, and tells Elaine that she will never work again if she refuses to become his wife. Elaine gives in and marries Oscar, but then murders him because of his numerous affairs, after which she herself dies while trying to escape from the police. Elaine then wakes up, and after realizing that her marriage and the events that followed it were a bad dream, decides that the nightmare may have foretold the future. As a result, she ignores Oscar's threat to her career, and marries her millionaire chauffeur.

Dir: Francis J. Grandon

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

Justina Howland lives in Mexico near the U.S. border with her uncle Miguel and his son, Luis Alvarez. The uncle plans to have Justina marry Luis in order to get the money which she will inherit. Matters come to a climax when Miguel sends for a priest and announces the marriage will take place at once. Justina escapes on the mule that brought the padre to marry her and crosses the border, where she is given shelter by the soldiers under command of Lieutenant Morton. In the morning she tells her plan to get to her Aunt Betty in Lowell, Mass. The soldiers discover she can dance and get her to dance for them, taking up a collection to take her safely to her aunt. Justina arrives safely and all goes well until Uncle Miguel makes the discovery of Aunt Betty's address on a photograph and comes to Lowell, bringing Luis with him. The two Mexicans arrive at about the same time as Lieutenant Morton's regiment. Betty is delighted to see her rescuer again, and when she learns that he is the local Boy Scout Master, she envies the boy scouts and decides to become one of their number. Miguel hunts up the local sheriff and brings him to Aunt Betty's home to capture the runaway. Miguel asserts that he is the girl's lawful guardian and will force her to marry Luis. One of the scouts has been hurt and brought to Aunt Betty's home, so Justina decides to put on his uniform and gets away through the window, while Aunt Betty holds off the searching party. A long chase follows until Justina finds herself unable to go a step farther and breaks down. The pursuers catch up, and at the same time Lieutenant Morton, warned of Justina's fate, appears. The girl is leaning against a large stone (the state boundary mark) and she unconsciously moves to the other side of it, putting herself across the boundary of New Hampshire. For that reason the uncle is unable to take his ward until he secures a New Hampshire sheriff. While this is being accomplished Morton secures the services of a minister and the little party is turned into a wedding procession, the Boy Scouts forming a lane of honor through which the latest recruit, plucky little Justina, and her new husband, walk.

Dir: Francis J. Grandon

When wealthy Wall Street stockbroker Stephen Duane neglects his wife Julia for business, she consorts with philanderer Bert Brockwell. Finding them in an embrace forced by Brockwell, Stephen denounces Julia and leaves. After losing his fortune in the market, Stephen refuses Julia's offer to sell her jewels, and stays away for one year, while she opens a successful millinery store and has a baby. Despondent, Stephen decides to shoot himself, but when he hazily imagines Julia entering and catching his dead body, he drops the gun and decides to renew his life. After Jonathan Cosgrove, a friend, gives him $5,000 and a room in his home, Stephen discovers Brockwell in Mrs. Cosgrove's bedroom, forcing himself on her. Stephen hurls Brockwell through the window and then, to save Mrs. Cosgrove's reputation, allows Jonathan to think that he is the guilty party. After Mrs. Cosgrove discovers that Brockwell is a forger, she confesses to Jonathan, and arranges a meeting between Stephen and his wife and son that ends happily.

Dir: Francis J. Grandon

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

Concerned that she will ruin the Rev. David Warwick's career by marrying him, actress Letty Noon accompanies her fiancé to the home of Pastor and Mrs. Holbrook to seek advice. In answer to their question, the old parson narrates the story of young Jim Brown, a minister who resolves to reform the rough miners in a small Western town. His strength and dedication deeply impress the townspeople, but his sermons seem to have little effect on "Wild Honey," a dance hall girl who resents his constant admonitions. Wild Honey secretly loves Rev. Brown, however, and after she impulsively kisses him, he forgets his preaching and thinks only of her. One of Wild Honey's jealous suitors frames the reverend for murder, but she clears his name and, later that night, tells the parson of her love. Hearing her declaration, another rejected suitor attempts to shoot Rev. Brown, but Wild Honey shields him and is seriously wounded. The reverend then takes her to another town, where they happily grow old together.

Dir: Francis J. Grandon

Henri Le Rocque's arrival to an island village causes much consternation when he insists upon advanced rental for the land he owns. Accompanying Le Rocque is his nephew Paul, recovering from the effects of an unfortunate love affair. One day, little flower girl Fleurette visits the Le Rocque estate to make a present of a rare flower and is shot as a trespasser. She is nursed back to health at the mansion, and Paul falls in love with her. However, her former sweetheart, Jacques, appears and persuades Fleurette to run away. As Fleurette returns to the village, she learns that the villagers are planning to storm the mansion and, realizing that she loves Paul, rushes back to warn him. This endears her to Henri, who urges Fleurette to marry his nephew and bring happiness into their lives.

Dir: Francis J. Grandon

A raft carrying a little girl and a dead woman drifts in from a shipwreck to Devil's Island. There, a band of thieves and smugglers name the girl Rose Marie, though she grows up as "nobody's girl." Living in a cave, she learns to read through the kindness of Jason, who is soon killed by the cruel leader, Red Gull. In Red Gull's power, and urged on by Jason's jealous wife, Rose Marie makes her escape in a rowboat, where she is spotted by an aviator flying above the sea. He rescues her, taking her to be cared for at his home where she is well treated. When newspapers report a mysterious shipwreck on Devil's Island, Rose Marie reveals the way in which Red Gull lured ships to their doom there. She guides the authorities to the island, where, after a fierce battle, the thieves are wiped out. Eventually the aviator falls in love with Rose Marie, and "nobody's girl" is somebody's sweetheart at last.