The Global Archive For Devotees of The Follies Girl: Cult Guide

Dir: John Francis Dillon

When Sally McTurk's husband is murdered, her brother Ken Thornton goes into hiding and winds up in a small mountain community, using a phony name. He's taken in by a local family, the Harpers. A mutual attraction soon develops between Thornton and the family's daughter, Dorothy, but a local bully who has designs of his own on Dorothy sets out to have Ken killed. He survives the attempt, but his past comes back to haunt him.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

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

Brewster, the bean king, has an option of renewal on a certain bean canning plant owned by Ellis. Ellis does not desire to renew and hires Wingate, a shyster lawyer, to help him. Brewster has to send Betty to renew the contract. Later he sends his lawyer to help her and Ellis' man persuades her that he is a plotter. There follows plot and counter-plot, but all-innocently Betty carries the day.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

When her husband, struggling lawyer Horace Dillingham, is unable to provide adequate money for her insatiable desire for expensive cherries, Kitty Dillingham goes to work as a stenographer for him. One day while Horace is out of the office, Kitty mistakes Jonas Collamore, a defendant in a divorce suit for whom Horace is acting, for an important client. Kitty agrees to lunch, and, swallowing many maraschino cherries along with their cocktails, becomes drunk. Jonas takes her to a nearby inn where they are followed by Mrs. Collamore's detectives, who then summon Mrs. Collamore and her lawyer Horace. Kitty realizes Jonas is trying to create a compromising situation, and she leaves through the window. When the detectives break in, the only trace of Kitty is her hairpin. Kitty and Jonas then conspire to entrap their spouses. Both couples manage to straighten out their domestic problems at the last minute.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

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

Diana Rosson, a wealthy and beautiful woman, drives to her country home to escape the unwelcome attentions of her many suitors, particularly Trotwell, her guardian's favorite. Arriving in the middle of a raging storm, Diana rushes into the house only to be attacked by robbers. Passing by the house, Dick Webster hears her cries and rescues her, and the two quickly become friends. Diana falls in love with Dick, but his hatred of the rich prevents him from returning her affections. Anxious to win him, Diana tells Dick that she has a twin sister who insists on earning her own living. Dick agrees to deliver a message to the sister and promptly falls in love with the demure young woman, unaware that she actually is Diana. They marry, but when Horace Sciven falsely accuses Diana of stealing a violin, she is taken to the police station, where her husband discovers her true identity. Realizing that her deception was prompted by love, Dick forgives his young wife.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

Jerrold Jarvis Jones, a lowly shipping clerk, falls asleep on his office stool and has a dream: He is an aggressive, carefully groomed man of the world who welcomes adventure when an attractive girl addresses him as Tourvaine and takes him on an automobile ride. He is taken to a meeting of a secret criminal society known as "Children of the Night" and is mistaken for a new leader who was to arrive from abroad, a role he assumes until exposed. In a series of fights with the crooks, he rescues Sylvia (in real life a secretary in his office) and mingles in the world of high society. Awakening from his dream, he is fired with ambition and astonishes everyone by walking out with the stenographer.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

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

A London laundress attempts to rise above her station in order to capture the love of a wealthy young man, thus missing out on the truer love of one of her own class.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

Donald Keith, a young lawyer who takes up residence in the small town of Owasco, Michigan, finds himself opposed by lumber king Quartus Hembly, feared by all the townspeople. Keith takes up the case of Daniel Kersten against Hembly, who has cheated him out of his property, and during his investigation he discovers that the father of Thora Erickson, whom he loves, conspired with Hembly against Kersten, and at length he obtains a deathbed confession from Erickson. Hembly has Keith wounded on the night before the trial and bribes the jury, but Keith appears, stirs up the town in rebellion against Hembly in spite of his weakened condition, and wins his case.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

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

A young lady, who "hates the law" rises from the tenements to society. Financial reverses lead her to commit a series of burglaries as "The Bird". She becomes involved with the detective investigating the burglaries. After she confesses and pays for her crimes, they marry.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

An amusing satire on the simple village maiden who comes to the great city and falls a victim to its alluring temptations.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

Nancy Worthing, who comes home from boarding school to find that her parents have no time for her, pawns some of her mother's jewels to buy the clothes necessary for entering society. She persuades her father's chauffeur, Phil Ballou, to take her to a notorious cabaret, where a shooting occurs. In the confusion, Phil is arrested as the assailant, and when Nancy's parents learn of the missing jewels, they bring further charges against him. At the trial, Phil reveals that he is the son of wealthy parents who simply wished to earn his own living, and Nancy clears his name by confessing all. Phil and Nancy, united by their ordeals, begin a romance.