Hidden Genre Gems In Alignment with the style of The Great Ruby: Cu...

Dir: Barry O'Neil

McTeague begins life in the mines. He later becomes an unlicensed practicing dentist. He is a man of violent physical passions, but until he meets little Trina, who visits his dental office, his love instincts have never been aroused. McTeague induces Trina to marry him through the sheer force of his domineering personality. The couple are not happy. Trina develops miserly instincts and when she wins a $5,000 lottery prize, she hoards the money and grows more and more avaricious. McTeague quarrels with Marcus, his former rival for Trina's affections, and the ill feeling between the two men leads to a fierce combat in which McTeague proves the victor. In revenge Marcus has McTeague prevented from practicing dentistry because he has no diploma. McTeague leans on Trina for support but she turns him away. Trina has a severe illness and while recuperating develops a mania for fondling her hoarded gold pieces. McTeague returns to find Trina showering handfuls of gold upon her bed. After a terrific scene he strangles her and steals the money. Marcus, determined to avenge Trina's death, trails the fugitive McTeague into the heart of Death Valley, where the two men come at last face to face in a final battle to the death under the blistering desert sun.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

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

When Jules Beaubien's father died, the young man found himself heir to the stout old mansion in Montreal and the big fortune the family had made in the lumber of the great Canadian forests. But on his deathbed his father made a confession: 20 years ago he met a squaw of the Ojibway tribe and a girl child was born to them; she was now up in Nipissing country with a French-Canadian family who adopted her by arrangement with the father. Old Beaubien's last words to his son exacted a promise that the boy would find his half-sister, educate and care for her, and give her a liberal share of the estate. As soon as affairs were settled Jules started on his quest to find Annette. Arriving in the Nipissing country, he found that the family had moved from the valley, but he was informed that a woodsman, Baptiste Le Grande, could tell him all about her as he had been her sweetheart. He loved the girl with all the strength of his rough manhood, but a city man came along and betrayed her. Baptiste tried to tell the story, but his rage would not permit him to be coherent and Father Paul continued. He told Jules that the seducer had abandoned the girl and gone back to America. Annette, knowing she was disgraced, ran away from her foster parents and wandered to the camps where the women of the trappers tried to care for her. She became delirious, but she never mentioned the man's name. When her child was born she wandered out into the storm with her babe in her arms, lay down in the snow, and died, and the wolves ate her and the child. The rage of Jules and Baptiste was terrible. They swore to find the man and kill him. Baptiste took a crucifix from his bosom, both men kissed the symbol, and for two years the quest of vengeance continued. In the Indian summer Jules heard that frequently parties of engineers would quarter at Andrew McTavish's house in the forest. Here Jules and Baptiste resolved to put up for a while. Two other men arrived, civil engineer Mr. McDonald and his assistant Mr. Huntley, who were surveying for a Canadian railroad. McDonald was a splendid specimen of physical manhood, about 40 years old and very entertaining. His ability at his profession made him rich and with all he was a man of courage and likable. McTavish's daughter Hilda, a fascinating girl, did the cooking and housekeeping, and it was not surprising that McDonald and Jules soon noticed that each were contesting for the smiles of the Scotsman's daughter. Hilda was not adverse to the pleasantries of the good-looking boarders, for her life was far from happy; her mother, not being able to stand the irascible McTavish, had run away when Hilda was a child, and the father vented his revenge and hatred upon the daughter. Soon the rivalry between Jules and MacDonald became an open book. Jules loved Hilda, while the other man was simply playing for a dishonorable advantage. One day the men admitted their rivalry face to face. Jules was willing to play the game fair. The rogue laughed in the other man's face, admitted that he had a wife in America, but boasted of his power over women. In his bravado he told of an affair some years ago with a little girl up in the Nipissing country. It was the story of Annette. Jules would have killed him on the spot, but he was a man of honor; he could not assassinate, he must fight this fiend. Then he must tell also Baptiste, who would also want to kill him, and commit this deed he would if Jules fell in the fight. McDonald, feeling he was losing ground with Hilda, planned to work her ruin through the father. He told McTavish that he had a good mother in America that would care for and educate Hilda and that then he would marry her. The old Scotsman was only too willing to get rid of the girl and demanded of her that he would go with McDonald. Jules had told Hilda of the good love and the bad love and she learned to love Jules. When McTavish ordered her to go with McDonald she resisted. The old man in his rage would have seized her by the throat and strangled her, but Jules bore him to the floor of the cabin, while Baptiste from outside the window covered MacDonald with his Winchester. The fight was desperate and long, but Jules seized Hilda and, with Baptiste and Huntley, who discovered his master's villainy, the four hastened to the creek and in a canoe which had been furnished with supplies for the trip, made towards the Canadian railway for Montreal. McDonald followed and Jules left the party at a landing to meet him. A desperate duel was fought, in which McDonald was killed, and after burying the body, Jules and his party hastened to home and happiness.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

Marion Livingston, daughter of the boss of the Elsinore coal mines, rescues a young superintendent of the mines, from a mob of miners. Jack's brother, Harold, comes to visit him and falls in love with Marion.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

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

John Burkett Ryder is a master of finance with a boundless desire for wealth. No mean avarice, but a love of the power to be gained through riches, a domineering will and an unscrupulous soul. Previous to the opening of the story Ryder has compassed the financial ruin and professional disgrace of Judge Rossmore, of the Supreme Court, to avenge himself for certain adverse decisions which the judge has rendered against the corporation. Shirley Rossmore, the judge's daughter, and young Jefferson Ryder returning from Europe on the same boat, have met and register a pretty story interest in each other, being at the time entirely ignorant of the friction now existing between their respected fathers. Shirley has written a novel, and from Jefferson's description of his father has made the star character of the story a fair prototype of the master of finance. Ryder, without consulting his son's wishes, has already announced an engagement between Jefferson and the daughter of Senator Roberts. Shirley Rossmore's book which is written under the pseudonym of Sarah Green gets into Ryder's house and makes such an impression that the great financier employs a detective to find the author. Sarah Green is found and Ryder employs her to compile his biography, not dreaming that she is the daughter of the judge he has ruined. Now comes the battle between the Lion and the Mouse. The Mouse wins the Lion's admiration by the outspoken audacity of her opinion of his life and moral code. Kate Roberts, whom Ryder had selected to be his son's fiancée, elopes with his aristocratic private secretary, "Fourth groom of the bed chamber to the second Prince of England." Ryder, to pacify his son and to offset his attachment for Shirley Rossmore, suggests that he marry Sarah Green, "who has proved herself far more brilliant than the judge's girl." It is then Shirley's turn; she declares her identity and admits that she has secured certain letters from Ryder's desk that will prove her father's innocence. Ryder orders her from the house, then he sits up all night, consumes innumerable black cigars and finally conquers his own vanity. Next day Jefferson Ryder proposes, but Shirley declares that she will never marry a man that has such a father. With bitter words, Jefferson denounces his father; he tells him that the girl he loves objects to the family. But John Burkett Ryder eats a big slice of humble pie; he announces that he will prevent the impeachment of Judge Rossmore and implores Shirley to accept his son. The Mouse has conquered the Lion.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

Janet Hall begins a romance with Dale Overton, a small town minister, after the death of Henry Dalton, with whom she had an illegitimate child. At first, because of her past, she refuses to marry him, but then, after listening to his sermons about forgiveness, she consents, although she makes sure that he knows nothing of her history. Finally, however, he does find out about her relationship with Henry, and just as Janet feared he might, he renounces his wife. Defending Janet, Dale's friend, Stuart Doane, accuses the minister of spreading the word about tolerance without actually believing it himself. Dale realizes his hypocrisy, and then, after forgiving Janet, sees through her recovery from a breakdown brought on by the sudden disclosure of her past and by the subsequent strain on her marriage.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

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

Atwater and Hingham are two rival colleges in the Middle West, and Hingham has for several seasons bested Atwater at football. There is a well-grounded impression that Atwater's weakness on the Gridiron must be attributed to the inherent opposition of its president, Dr. Witherspoon, who has a notion that Atwater, being a Presbyterian institution, should play gentle and unbloody football, and the members of the squad must attend recitations. Fortunately, football has two enthusiastic champions in the president's daughter, Jane, known as "The College Widow" because she bids farewell to her fiancé at every commencement, and Mrs. Dalzelle, a grass widow, who is the convenient and unwatchful chaperone of all the young women who have the entree of the Atwater Campus. These two, after much earnest argument, succeed in convincing the doctor that true college supremacy can only be attained through the excellence of its football team, and the paramount consideration is the defeat of Hingham, a Baptist institution, not far distant. The Atwater eleven, under the charge of Jack Larrabee, a graduate coach, and Matty McGowan, a professional trainer, proves so hopeless as a possible conqueror of Hingham, that Stub Tallmadge, an undergraduate, is sent abroad to search for new athletic timber. After many peregrinations among the farms and manufacturing towns he succeeds in unearthing a young giant named Murphy, who seems to have every qualification and being totally unschooled. It is arranged that he shall enter Atwater as a special student in a course of art, but even the ponderous Murphy is not potent enough to pull the team out of the rut into which it has fallen, and further building up of the team becomes more and more of a necessity every day. Comes there at this time to Atwater a millionaire named Bolton, whose son has for three years been the unapproachable half-back of Hingham, and the arrival of the two creates great enthusiasm among the college athletes. But when it is discovered that Billy's presence with his father is only to secure the services of a tutor, to squeeze him through the fourth freshman year so that he may claim to have spent four years at college, the consternation in Atwater knows no bounds. Coach Larrabee determines to secure the famous halfback at all hazards, and although he is supposed to be almost engaged to Jane Witherspoon, he evolves a plot by which she shall work her wiles upon Billy Bolton, and induce him to enter Atwater as a regular student. This, as usual, proves to be no difficult task, for poor Billy falls in love with Jane at first sight. His father is a long-time patron of Hingham, which institution has often conferred honorary degrees upon him in return for financial assistance, and before leaving Atwater for a quick trip to Europe, he leaves a check for $1,000 in his office as a bet that Atwater cannot beat Hingham in the Thanksgiving game. But he has not reckoned on the wonderful deftness of the college widow as a temptress, for, no sooner has he sailed from New York, when she induces his son to resign from Hingham and become half-back for Atwater. "The plans of mice and men gang aft aglee," however, and in luring the love of the great Hingham star, she falls deeply in love with him herself. On the night of the victory, when he won his game almost by his own exertions, At water is ablaze with lights and fireworks, and the students despoil many stores of their signs and fences of their gates. Then it is that for the first time he discovers that he has been made the dupe of a flirt and decides upon moving west with his father, where even mention of the very name of Atwater would not be possible. At the same time, Jack Larrabee discovers that his plot has become a veritable boomerang, for it has resulted in losing forever the love of Jane Witherspoon, A great celebration of the victory is arranged for the evening of the game at a hotel near the college and while the merry band of revelers are dancing about the mighty bonfire, these disclosures are made, and two fathers announce that their children shall go to the west together. During the progress of the banquet which is to terminate the festivities of the day an accident happens in the kitchen which causes a rapid and devastating conflagration and the guests escape death only after the most superhuman efforts, many of them being compelled to walk through fire or jump from windows into fire nets. To the horror of all, it is announced that Jane has become lost in the scramble for the two stairways and is in the burning building. Billy has been injured by a leap from a window, but Jack Larrabee offers to risk his life to save Jane. The firemen and police, however, assure him that such an effort would be nothing less than a plunge to death, and mass in front of the burning doorway to prevent him from entering. Calling upon his football team, a wedge is formed, which ploughs a way through the massed firemen. Jack feels his way through the fire and smoke, and places his lost love in her more worthy lover's arms.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

To keep his social-climbing wife and daughters in the lifestyle they are accustomed to, wealthy John Hunter makes some large investments in the stock market, but the stocks crash and he loses a great deal of money. When he discovers that his son-in-law Dick Sterling has lost $3 million making investments in his name, Hunter kills himself. His wealthy aunt offers to bail the family out, but on the condition that the money she gives must be under Sterling's strict control. Complications ensue.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

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

David Spencer falls in love with actress Babbie Norris, but his wealthy, propriety-conscious father John Spencer makes him marry aristocratic Janice Lane. After five years with Janice, David is so miserable that he goes to the river to drown himself. When he sees a corpse floating in the water, however, he decides instead to change clothes with it and leave his own identification cards on the dead man. Then, starting life over, David gets work as a laborer. He meets Babbie again, and soon moves to the Northwest with her. Meanwhile, after the dead man has been identified as David, Janice marries Dr. Stone, whom she has loved for several years.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

Walter Norman, a wealthy member of the smart set of a small city, becomes an habitual inebriate. His best friend, Richard Grant, makes every effort to bring Walter to his senses, but has no influence until one night, when Norman, under the influence of liquor, attacks James Harker during a party at a fashionable restaurant. Grant takes Norman away on his yacht, and succeeds in curing him of all desire to drink. Norman takes up a new life in New York and becomes socially popular and successful in business. He falls in love with Julia Landis who considers drinking to excess an unpardonable sin. She returns Norman's love, thereby arousing the intense jealousy of John Royce, a successful Wall Street man. In the meantime Harker has married the girl over whom he and Norman quarreled, and has come to New York to raise funds for a questionable business enterprise. He meets Royce in a business way, and at a reception discovers Norman and his fiancée and learns the reason for Royce's hatred for Norman. From Harker, Royce learns of Norman's former indulgence in drink. He promises Harker to back his enterprise if he will get Norman drunk and bring him before Julia, knowing that she would break the engagement if she ever saw Norman in such a condition. Harker succeeds in getting Norman to take the first drink he has had since the sea voyage. With the first drink Norman's weakness returns, and Harker parades him before Julia in a drunken condition. Julia breaks her engagement to Norman, who plunges into the wildest dissipation until, money gone and friendless, he is forced into the streets to make a pitiful living as best he can. Royce at length prevails on Julia to marry him. He is blackmailed from time to time by Harker, who threatens to tell Julia the trick by which Royce and he shamed Norman before her. Norman learns of the trick played upon him and inspired by revenge decides to reform. Under another name he gambles on a careful system and wins. With his winnings he goes into Wall Street and steadily piles up his capital until he becomes a formidable figure in the market. He then turns his financial guns on Royce and brings him to the verge of failure. Julia at length overhears a conversation between Royce and Harker and learns how Norman was tricked by the two plotters. Infuriated, she seeks out Norman, pledges her love to him. Norman tells Julia to return to her home and forgive Royce, and in turn permits Royce to recover from the financial trap in which he has caught him. Desperate for money, and maddened by Royce's final rejection of his demands, Harker waylays Royce and shoots him. On account of the known enmity between Royce and Norman the latter is accused of the crime, brought to trial and convicted. He is sentenced to die, but at the last moment Harker's wife discovers that it was her husband who shot Royce and gives the news to the police. Out of the shadow of death Norman comes face to face with Julia and a new life.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

Dick Baker, cashier of the National Bank, is in financial difficulties through his wife's extravagance. Becoming desperate, he plays the stock market with "borrowed" securities. Schmidt, a social climber and director of the bank, goes in with Dick on some of his speculations and in return Doris, Dick's wife, is expected to receive Mrs. Schmidt. Pat Alliston, a wealthy young man, is in love with Doris, but is playing "on the level." Doris refuses to receive Mrs. Schmidt one afternoon while Alliston is calling. This infuriates her and she confides in her husband, who then refuses to go in on a deal with Dick. Porter, Dick's younger brother, has learned something of Dick's difficulties, and blames Doris for her extravagance. Doris complains of Porter to Dick and they quarrel. The next day the stock Dick has invested in drops heavily and his margin is wiped out. He cannot cover it and is forced to let it go. Schmidt has become suspicious and sets detectives to watch Dick. That evening Dick learns that Doris is dining with Alliston again and asks her why she doesn't get a divorce and in anger she says, "Very well, I will." Doris plans to go to Japan with Mrs. Prescott, a chum, Alliston and their daughter Bessie. She has planned to give Dick the impression that she is eloping with Alliston so that he will get a divorce, but Doris confesses to Mrs. Prescott that if Dick should even hold out his hand to her, she would stay. Schmidt's suspicion is again aroused, and when Schreiber. the detective, reports that Doris is planning this trip. Schmidt thinks Dick is planning to slip away with them and cautions Schreiber to guard against this. Schmidt has Knight, the bank examiner, go over things and when Dick learns of this and of Doris' intended departure, feeling utterly deserted and alone, he attempts suicide, but is prevented by the unconscious intervention of Bessie. Alliston calls for Doris and Bessie and they meet Mrs. Prescott at the railroad station. They are followed by the detective's assistant and brought hack, he mistaking Alliston for Dick. Doris denounces Dick for having, as she supposes, detectives trail her and Alliston, and when she learns the truth, falls unconscious to the floor. Dick carries her into the drawing room and they are reconciled. Knight tells Schmidt that his suspicions of the bank's soundness were groundless and the latter leaves crestfallen. Alliston, alone in the hallway with Bessie, realizes his own part in this domestic tragedy. Knight asks him if he will help him to give Dick another chance, and he agrees. Knight writes a check and a note and sends it by Bessie to Dick.