Masterpiece Selection Resonating with the Themes of The Finger of Justice: Cult Guide

Dir: Louis Chaudet

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Louis Chaudet

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

Ted Winters was a famous fullback, but has hit hard times. He takes a job at a military academy in hopes of landing a scholarship. He also hopes to win the commandant's beautiful niece Betty. Cadet Major Snodgrass is also after Betty, and this causes problems for Ted and Betty.

Dir: Louis Chaudet

As an infant, Ruth Drake was stolen from her father by her vengeful mother, and then abandoned. She was adopted and raised by a pawnbroker, and as a young woman joins the Salvation Army in order to help the kinds of people she has seen--and was--growing up. When war breaks out in Europe, she volunteers to go to France, and there meets a young man who has had an affair with a prominent actress. When Ruth and the man return to the US, the actress is outraged that her former boyfriend is now seeing Ruth, and sets up a scheme to frame Ruth for a robbery. However, during the trial certain facts come out that shock everyone.

Dir: Louis Chaudet

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

Hoop-La, the beautiful star of Minor's Mammoth Circus, a one-ring affair which tours county fairs and small towns, delights crowds with her bare-back riding, trapeze acts, and clowning. Reared in the confines of the circus by Old Toodles the clown, in accordance with her father's dying request, Hoop-La naively accepts the attentions of good-looking Joe McGee, a cheap horseman, after winning a race for him as a jockey. Tony Barrows, the foppish scion of a wealthy family, falls in love with Hoop-La, but she resents his snobbery and makes faces at him. When Hoop-La learns that her father was wealthy, she secretly marries McGee to save herself from a dull society life, but when she discovers McGee's true character, she promises to keep him supplied with money if he leaves. After Hoop-La goes to live in her own luxurious home, McGee plans to make the marriage known and live with her, but he dies in a tent fire caused by his own drunken debauchery. Hoop-La marries Tony, who has matured and come back from the war.

Dir: Louis Chaudet

Alice Davis and Charles Turner are arrested for petting in an automobile and marry on impulse. When Alice's mother comes to live with them, she quickly sees that she is not wanted, and she finds a job soliciting for a bus touring company. In the meantime Charles's father, having sold all his property, arrives in town to live with his son and daughter-in-law. He also finds living with his children disagreeable, leaves the house, and accidentally meets Mrs. Davis. They fall in love and decide to announce their engagement, but Charles is arrested for embezzling company funds. At first reluctant to help his son, Mr. Turner is persuaded by Mrs. Davis to give up his life's savings to save Charles, and both couples are happily reunited.

Dir: Louis Chaudet

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

Rex Carson, son of cattleman Jim Carson and in love with Molly Moran, the daughter of a sheepman, defends the rights of the sheepherders to graze their herds on the free range, while his father and the other cattlemen oppose them to varying degrees, and this leads to the father disowning his son.

Dir: Louis Chaudet

Judge Grant sentences Paul Rogers to jail on circumstantial evidence, Paul's sister Lena swears revenge. A few years later, Judge Grant becomes a corporation attorney for a large firm. In collusion with the owners, Grant embezzles the firm's profits, thus forcing the value of the stock down and creating favorable conditions for a takeover. Lena, on the pretext of making an investment, meets the judge, who falls in love with her. Lena uses his infatuation to discover that the judge himself stole the money. Meanwhile, Lena has fallen in love with Tison Grant, a newspaper reporter and the judge's brother, and after they are married, she informs Tison of his brother's treachery. Tison threatens to give the story to the papers, but before he can, Paul is released from jail, kills the judge, and is wounded in the scuffle. Lena takes the blame for the killing but is freed from suspicion when Paul confesses before he dies.

Dir: Louis Chaudet

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

When a heroic rescue leaves him disfigured, Jack finds work and romance at a local bank. Betrayal forces him to flee town, but experimental surgery offers an unexpected path to justice.

Dir: Louis Chaudet

When brilliant lawyer Harry Sevier, an alcoholic, cannot cope with the prosecution's tactics, his innocent client Paddy the Brick goes to prison. After Harry's sweetheart Echo Allen, the daughter of Judge Beverly Allen, breaks their engagement, Harry leaves to combat his problem. Meanwhile, Cameron Craig, whose interest in a distilling corporation is threatened when a suit is brought before Judge Allen, steals incriminating love letters written by the Judge years earlier. Echo boards a train to offer to marry Craig for returning the letters. Harry, on the same train, and now beardless, follows Echo to Craig's home, where a burglary occurs. After Harry, not recognized by Echo, gives her the letters, Craig is shot, and Harry, along with Paddy--now a burglar--is sent to prison. Harry escapes and finds himself nominated to run for governor on the "dry" ticket. After Echo confirms that he was innocent of shooting Craig, Harry wins the election and her love.

Dir: Louis Chaudet

Nancy Glenn is a pupil in Pop Hogland's school for crooks. When, attired as a boy named "Spider," Nancy fails at her lessons as a pickpocket, Pop decides to pair her with Pliny Drew, a graduate thief and swindler. Nancy rebels at her proposed partnership with Pliny, and after she is involved in an auto accident and rescued by wealthy young Ralph Harding who takes her to his home to recover, Nancy pretends to have lost her memory. Gradually, Ralph falls in love with the girl, and his mother accepts her as one of the family. However, when Pliny attempts to involve Ralph in a mining swindle, Nancy sacrifices her security and exposes the plan, thus saving her benefactor. Learning of the conditions which drove her into life at the edge of the law, Ralph forgives Nancy and they face a happy life together.