Visionary Picks Drawn from the Same DNA as The Girl, Glory: Cult Guide

Dir: Roy William Neill

Two wives, one rich, one poor, each find themselves tempted by romantic seducers, and each faces the dilemma of remaining true to the husband who neglects her or of falling into the arms of another.

Dir: Roy William Neill

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

Upon hearing that her parents have been killed in the war, actress Genevieve Bouchette returns to her native village of Deschon, France, and engages in Red Cross work. The Germans capture the town, and when Genevieve refuses to submit to the amorous demands of one of the soldiers, he orders her branded with the "cross of shame." Her sweetheart, Jean Picard, now a volunteer in the French army, is seriously wounded while attempting to deliver important orders to Col. Bouchier, and Genevieve saves his life by telling his pursuers that he is dead. After delivering the papers herself, Genevieve visits her lover in the hospital, but he fails to recognize her, having lost his memory through shell shock. When Jean sees the cross of shame of Genevieve's breast, however, his memory returns, and the two pledge their troth.

Dir: Roy William Neill

Inga Sonderson an artist model and her sweetheart, sculptor Robert Milton, win recognition through the efforts of Daniel Garford, an artist of international fame. One day, upon returning home to find his wife in the arms of another man, Garford becomes so despondent that he loses all interest in his work and turns to opium for comfort. Inga, seeking to redeem her patron, follows him into the opium dens and brings him home. Meanwhile, Milton, seeing his sweetheart return late at night with Garford, misunderstands and in a jealous rage breaks his engagement. Under Inga's care, Garford gradually begins to reform and, regaining his reputation, asks her to marry him. Milton, grief-stricken that his love is wed to another, is about to leave the city when Inga appears and announces that she is planning to marry the man she loves, Milton.

Dir: Roy William Neill

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

When Mark Reid, a young man seeking his fortune in the gold fields of California, discovers Mike O'Hara attempting to jump his claim, he becomes violent. However, the Good Samaritan intervenes and prevents him from injuring O'Hara, Reid, ashamed of his behavior, offers his adversary a share in the mine. Hearing of their good fortune, Morrison, a promoter from San Francisco, makes the partners an offer they cannot refuse. Reid goes to San Francisco to conclude the deal; while there he meets Morrison's niece Barbara and the two fall in love. Morrison learns of their engagement just as he is about to strip Reid of his profits in a bogus stock deal. The news fails to deter him and Reid loses all his possessions, believing that Barbara was an accomplice in her uncle's scheme. Returning to the gold fields, Reid discovers that O'Hara has staked another successful claim and the two men renew their partnership. Reid rises in the financial world and is about to crush Morrison, when the Good Samaritan intervenes once again, bringing Barbara to Reid's house where his better instincts prevail.

Dir: Roy William Neill

After being dishonored by noted artist Fielding Powell, struggling model Paula Lee resigns herself to living as his mistress until a misunderstanding causes their separation. Paula meets and falls in love with Powell's old friend Dr. Melfi, and they marry and are happy until Powell pays a visit to Dr. Melfi and is astonished when Paula is introduced to him as Melfi's wife. His old desires aroused, he forces a promise from her to visit him that night. In his home, he demands that their old relationship be continued as the price of his silence. Paula tries to escape and is struggling with him when Melfi's servant, desiring to avenge his sister's honor, which had been destroyed by Powell, plunges a knife into the artist's heart. Dr. Melfi is summoned and arrives in time to hear Powell confess that he was responsible for Paula's predicament.

Dir: Roy William Neill

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

New bride Winnie Davis wants to buy her husband Elmer a birthday present, but she can't because he insists that all household expenses be charged to him, and she doesn't want him finding out what she's buying him. She decides to make money by using the family car as a taxi, puts on a "chauferette" uniform and soon is attracting many new customers--mostly male. Matters become more complicated when a jealous former suitor of Winnie tries to ruin her husband by putting financial pressure on Elmer so Winnie will come back to him..

Dir: Roy William Neill

Young Gloria O'Connell falls in love with her neighbor, James Oliver. She is sent to a small town to stay with her three spinster aunts, while James becomes a newspaper reporter and arranges to write a story on the town and its large old-maid population. James pursues overweight "Hippo" Harger, a rival for Gloria's affections, and challenges him to a duel. When James' newspaper story appears, the disgruntled old maids hunt down the author. In a fit of anger, Gloria decides to marry "Hippo," but James rescues her at the office of the justice of the peace. The youthful lovers continue their relationship with their parents' understanding.

Dir: Roy William Neill

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

Marcella Duranzo finds it increasingly difficult to support herself and her ailing father on her earnings as a clothing store fashion model, she accepts an assignment from Lois Underwood, the bored wife of millionaire Robert Underwood. For $1,000, Marcella agrees to live in Reno for a time under Lois' name; meanwhile, the restless wife may accompany her lover, Count Louis Le Favri, on a yacht trip and still sue her husband for divorce. Robert, however, visits the fashionable Reno hotel in which Marcella is registered and soon learns the truth. In Reno, Robert's son Bobby becomes seriously ill, and when Marcella nurses him back to health, Robert falls in love with her. Lois, who has found a new lover in Jack Porter, is about to sue Robert, naming Marcella as the co-respondent, when the jealous count, posing as Jack's chauffeur, drives himself, Jack and Lois into an oncoming train. Marcella then consents to marry Robert.

Dir: Roy William Neill

Pearson Hunter, a jealous Southern plantation owner, returns home with his new wife Shirley, a Northerner. Shirley's socializing enrages Pearson when he finds her in the company of Alexander Chapman, a drunken wastrel, but after a bitter quarrel, they reconcile. Pearson's younger brother Morgan soon arrives accompanied by his fiancée, Margery Gibson. Shirley befriends Morgan, creating jealousy in Margery, who goes to Pearson for consolation and advice, but instead rekindles Pearson's own jealousy. Later, at a dance in the Hunter home, Chapman reappears uninvited. Morgan, aware of the situation, removes Chapman to the garden where the latter says insulting things about Shirley. Morgan knocks Chapman out, then returns to the house just as Jim Webb, a poor man with consumption enters the garden. Upon seeing Chapman, Webb kills him in revenge of a past conflict, but when a servant discovers the body, Morgan assumes that he is guilty and seeks council from Shirley. Pearson breaks in on them and, assuming a romance between them, despondently goes to the garden where he overhears Webb's confession, which results in a reconciliation among all the parties.

Dir: Roy William Neill

In a Western mining town, millionaire Gordon Appleby meets Maida Madison, a civil engineer, and proposes. The two marry and return to Philadelphia, where they are coldly received by Gordon's snobbish family. Gordon's elder brother Mortimer's highbrow sensibilities are particularly offended by Maida's breezy manner, and he determines to break up the marriage. Meanwhile, Maida learns that Gordon's sister Eunice, whose husband is a lieutenant overseas, has formed an attachment to playboy Rupert Fenton. Maida decides to save Eunice when, at a party, she overhears her planning to elope with Rupert to Egypt. Late that evening, Maida follows Eunice to Rupert's apartment, where she is seen by Mortimer, who almost succeeds in convincing Gordon of her unfaithfulness. Maida refuses to explain her presence at Rupert's in order to shield Eunice, who, ashamed, confesses her guilt. Filled with gratitude, the Applebys accept their Western daughter-in-law into the family.