Hand-Picked Alternatives for Fans of The Fortune Hunter: Cult Guide

Dir: Tom Terriss

John Burkett Ryder, "the richest man in the world," determines to discredit a judicial decision which works against the interest of his millions by discrediting its author, Judge Rossmore, and causes impeachment charges to be laid against him in Congress. The judge's daughter Shirley Rossmore, learns of his trouble and returns home from Paris, where she has won success as a writer. She is loved by Jefferson Ryder, son of the magnate who is slowly killing her father. Determined to force the millionaire's hand, she publishes "The American Octopus" under a pseudonym, using Burkett's character as the central figure. He is attracted by the book and brings Shirley, whom he knows as Sarah Green, to his home to write his biography. This is the opportunity she is seeking, as it gives her a chance to obtain the two letters which will clear her father's name. Jefferson Ryder helps her secure the desired papers, but his father catches him and denounces him as a thief. Shirley, who loves Jefferson, cannot stand to see him so branded and confesses her identity to his father. The "Lion" had long since been won by the charm of the "Mouse," and the story is cleared up in pleasing style. - Moving Picture World 1919.

Dir: Tom Terriss

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

The story concerns a young girl who spends her entire life in trying to obtain money to pay off the mortgage on her farm. But the day comes when she can no longer meet the claims, and Jarvis, the man who holds the mortgage, gives her the alternative of selling herself to him in return for the land. She spurns his offer, but adopts a plan to sell herself in service for one year to the highest bidder. Her old sweetheart arrives too late to save her and later proves that he was not worthy of her. The year passes without her "master" claiming her. Then the girl learns that Jarvis had bought her services because he had really loved her and she, having learned to care for him, marries him. - New York Dramatic Mirror, July 27, 1918.

Dir: Tom Terriss

John Sark is the owner of a piece of land coveted by Henry Murden, leader of the band of "White Riders," who has purloined the information that a railroad wishes to buy the property. Sark is a naturalist and has for an assistant Rose Ember. He discovers one of the rider's masks which is made of one of Rose's handkerchiefs, and this introduces a mysterious element into the love affair. The mask belonged to her father. The riders try to force Sark's hand, but are obliged to capture him. Rose, seeing Sark lead away, dons a mask and riding close to his horse, cuts his bonds. Sark kills Murden, and, finding that his savior was Rose, is once more happy in his love. - Moving Picture World 1919.

Dir: Tom Terriss

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

An expose of the methods used by a police-department to extract a confession from a suspect, regardless of innocence or guilt, and the effect and consequences on a family when an innocent member breaks under the interrogation methods and confesses to a crime he did not commit.

Dir: Tom Terriss

The opening picture finds Edith (Alice Joyce) in prison where she has been for the last three years. She is a widow and her baby has been placed in an institution. She is paroled, finds her child and steals him from the asylum. After wandering around she finally obtains a position in a department store, where Jim Roberts, superintendent, falls in love with her. They are married, but she fails to tell him of her past. Mabel, also freed from prison, demands that Edith join with her and her side partner in a crime, under threat of exposing her past to Jim. Jordan, a friend of Jim's visits them. He is a detective, and recognizes Edith as a former thief. Further to involve her, Mable, hiding from the police, forces Edith to give her refuge in her home, where she immediately proceeds to steal everything in sight, money being her particular passion. Jordan tells Jim he is harboring a thief and he tells Edith she must leave, but Edith, still fearing Mabel, confesses to the theft of money and Mable is allowed to stay. The two men then plan to trap Mable by placing $400 in a desk. As Edith takes the money from the desk, lights are flashed on and she stands before the two men as the thief. The distracted girl now tells her husband of her first theft to save her baby and of her present attempt to keep her past from him. The men have a battle, the detective gets badly beaten up, but is moved by her great courage, gives her back to Jim and the child and through his efforts she obtains a free pardon. - Review from Variety, May 10, 1918.

Dir: Tom Terriss

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

Maurice Dumars, a journalist, is enamored of Madeline Renard of a French opera company. She is to sing Marguerite in Faust and induces Monsieur Morin, a gold worker, to make a past replica of a string of pearls, which belong to her mother and which is worth $20,000, for the great jewel aria. Morin makes the counterfeit gems, and the next day is found dead. The $20,000 which Mr. Morin received from Madame Thibault to invest for her is missing from his effects but a note from him to Madeline which is found saying he had done her a great favor in making the jewelry casts suspicion upon the opera singer. When she makes her appearance as Marguerite in Faust she is hissed, and she tells of her business relations with M. Morin and of her mother's jewels. Simultaneous with her leaving the convent a year or so later, where she had gone to seek refuge, Dumars finds pinned on the walls of Mme. Tibault's inn the $20,000 in bank notes which M. Morin had given her and which she had carelessly left there . With the mystery cleared, Madeline is again sought by Dumars and all who had done an injustice. - Moving Picture World.

Dir: Tom Terriss

William Lanyon, a West Indian planter, dies and leaves all his estate to his nephew, Dick Lorient, a New York society rounder, who is engaged to be married to his cousin, Dulcie Lanyon. Dick leaves to inspect his property and John Stark, the overseer, to whom the estate has been left in the event of Dick's death, conspires to gain possession of the property. In Jamaica, Dick meets the "Woman," and in the Flame of Passion, passes through rushing waters and fires of hell. How he escapes the siren's deadly fascination and the villainous scheming of Stark is depicted herein.

Dir: Tom Terriss

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

The story is of Angelina Allende, who is left an orphan by the suicide of her father, a real-estate visionary who has beggared not only himself but his friends in a vain attempt to "boom" the deserted hamlet of Anne's Bridge. Receiving news of his death, Angelina returns home, where she is presently inveigled into a trip to New York by two men, one of whom wants the property and the other of whom wants Angelina. In a restaurant scene which follows, Bink, the elder of the conspirators, makes advances to Angelina, is repulsed and then is shot by Wolver his fellow conspirator. The police enter, Angelina is accused of the shooting, and she is sentenced at length to a three-years' term in a home for delinquent girls. Emerging at the expiration of her sentence, she returns to Anne's Bridge. Here, in the lonely days that follow, she advertises for boarders and is at last rewarded by the appearance of James Deane. It is here that the love story begins; and it progresses until Angelina is cleared, through Deane's efforts, and, finally, is free to marry him. - New York Dramatic Mirror, November 10, 1917.

Dir: Tom Terriss

Frank Draper, a patriotic young American, has invented the most wonderful explosive in the world which he intends giving to the United States. In defending a pure girl from the machinations of an enemy, he is involved in a serious crime which sends him, an innocent man, to prison. Angered at this interruption to their plans and desirous of obtaining the explosive for a foreign government, international spies connive successfully at Draper's escape. They then hold him a prisoner and the young patriot is given the choice of sacrificing his own life or that of his country. He chooses the preservation of the latter, and his sands of life have almost run out, when trapped and bound, he is rescued at the eleventh hour. Thankfully acknowledging his escape and returning to freedom, he gives to his country a wonderful weapon of preparedness and together with the nation's thanks, he receives the love of the girl he once defended.

Dir: Tom Terriss

The friends of the story are John Drene, a sculptor, and Jack Graylock, a painter. Both men swear eternal friendship on the night before Drene's marriage. Later on the artist runs away with the sculptor's wife. The couple tire of each other, and the woman becomes an outcast. Then Graylock falls honestly in love with a flower girl, one of those sweetly innocent young women found in romance of the Chambers school Her name is Cecelie, and she follows the painter back to Paris. He installs her with the housekeeper of the studios where he lives, and introduces her to Drene, who is at once inspired to employ her as the model for a half completed statue posed by his wife. Drene, who was present when the runaway woman paid for her folly be being accidentally burned to death, has never suspected his friend, but Cecelie unintentionally betrays him. Drene is filled with a determination to kill Graylock at once. He then concludes that this would not be sufficient punishment, and informs the artist that on a certain day he must shoot himself or be killed. As a further revenge, Drene makes up his mind to wind Cecelie away from Graylock. He starts to put his plan in operation, not knowing that the girl has already fallen in love with him. Her gentleness and devotion soften his heart toward his one time friend, and he tries to prevent Graylock from carrying out the compact. The artist fires the shot as agreed, but only wounds himself, and Drene finds peace and happiness with Cecelie. - Moving Picture World.