Rare Cinematic Gems Exploring the Legacy of The Greater Law: Cult Guide

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

Annette finds a baby in the snow alongside her dead mother and takes it to Baptiste Dupre and his wife, where the two of them grow up. A corrupt sheriff is infatuated with her, and Jean Rivard (Tom Mix), an officer in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, must rescue her from him.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

When McAndrews was a boy his father took him to Lost Lake for a vacation, and a childish friendship was established between Vaughan and Jude Clark. He now goes to Lost Lake for recreation. Because the hotel accommodations are insufficient, Abner Clark takes Vaughan to his home, where in daily association with Jude the childhood friendship is renewed, and it gradually intensifies. Judge West, sensing the trend of events, charges Vaughan with "trifling" and reminds him that Jude is engaged to marry Dave Bean, a man of her own style. Harrison has induced Jude to pose for him, promising payment of $50 for the service, but the completed picture shows Jude in a pose she had never assumed. When Vaughan sees the picture, the opinion he has formed of the mountain girl suddenly changes. Several of the gossips get a view of the canvas and Harrison says he understood that Jude posed exactly as she was painted. Jude spurned the artist's $50 when she discovered the trick he played upon her, but when her father falls ill and needed hospital attention,, she pockets her pride and calls to get the cash. While she's at Harrison's camp Dave Bean, guided by the village gossips, enters and accuses her of lax morality, punishes the artists, and declares that the mountain girl shall never become Mrs. Bean. When Abner Clark dies, Jude is left without a protector or means of support, but Judge West intercepts her as she is about to leave Lost Lake and installs her at his own camp as full partner with him in his gold prospecting. Vaughan had left Lost Lake heartbroken because he believed ill of Jude. Months later, he writes to Jude that he has reconsidered and asks her to invite him to return. Jude's eager answer is unhappily stowed in Judge West's pocket for an indefinite time, and it is not until they strike gold that the missive is accidentally revealed. Discovery of the letter leads to a speedy understanding.

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

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

Larry Crane, junior partner in the firm of Crane and Son, wholesale fish dealers, will not take his work seriously and arrives at work nearer noon than morning. In his spare time Larry finds much pleasure in the company of Mabel Wyland. The two are only waiting until Larry becomes settled before they marry. Mabel's father has risen from the bottom and is now the proud possessor of a shoe factory. Mrs. Wyland carries the family affairs with a high hand, and her husband is a henpecked individual. Mother has definitely decided that Mabel shall be married to Percy Weatherfield, a fortune-hunter with an attractive title. Mabel, being typically American, prefers the careless, happy-go-lucky young fish merchant. Father, being henpecked, is afraid to voice his own opinions. Larry and his father quarrel and the old man proceeds to give him some advice, the substance of which is that he must display more interest in the business. The Wylands are giving a weekend party in their mountain home to celebrate the Fourth of July, and Mother Wyland has it all arranged so that Lord Percy and Mabel shall have a clear field. Larry, however, securing an invitation to the house party, succeeds in sidetracking Lord Percy. Larry enlists the assistance of young Bobby Wyland, who is persuaded to throw a bunch of small firecrackers beneath the bench on which Lord Percy is sitting, but in addition to the small ones given him by Larry, he puts in several of his own large crackers. The explosion is a great one, and Lord Percy is rendered unfit for duty for some time. Bobby is reprimanded, and laying the blame for his punishment to Larry and Mabel, he determines upon revenge. This opportunity comes while he is scouting about with a camera and is enabled to catch Larry and his sister in a lover-like embrace. This picture is developed and reaches the hands of Mother Wyland. She immediately has a fit, and nothing but an ocean voyage will help her. Clarence Velie is the head clerk in the Cranes' establishment, and unknown to the firm, has been secretly taking money from them. Mabel notifies Larry of their departure and he implores his father for a vacation to accompany them. His father refuses to allow him to leave. There is a sad parting between the two sweethearts, but on the pleasant journey Lord Percy is given every assistance. He and Mother Wyland come to an agreement by which they agree to pay him a dowry of $50,000 in return for marrying the girl. A big consignment of money is received for Crane and Son and Larry is sent to the office to get it. Clarence hears the arrangement and his cupidity is aroused by the large sum. Larry secures the money but reaches the bank too late to deposit it. He is forced to bring the money to the office and put it in their safe. Larry receives a telegram from Mabel telling him that her parents insist that she marry Lord Percy on the third of July, and she begs him to meet her in Honolulu so that she may marry him instead. When Larry brings the money to his father he tells him of this latest development and again pleads to get off. Father refuses again and tells him he can take $5,000 of the money he has as his share in the business and go. Larry thinks the matter over and decides to take his father's offer. He takes $5,000 of the money, leaves a note to his father and places the balance of the money in the safe. He then hurries to catch a boat for Honolulu. The boat doesn't sail until morning and Larry spends the night there in order to be sure to get off. Clarence sees Larry place the money in the safe for the night. He erases the word five and makes it $15,000, taking the additional $10,000 himself. The shortage is discovered next morning and father, believing Larry to blame, decides to give him a lesson. A detective is put on the track, who catches the same boat on which Larry sails. The detective's orders are to make a quiet arrest and bring the prisoner home without publicity, and he decides to wait until they reach Honolulu before acting. Upon their arrival at Honolulu, Larry is arrested. The detective finds the $5,000, but no sign of the additional $10,000. Larry asserts his innocence and claims there is a mistake. He eludes the detective and joins Mabel at their hotel. Father is told of their scheme and agrees to witness the ceremony, and they set out for the church. Detective Boggs pursues, but doesn't succeed in locating them until after the ceremony. He takes Larry in charge. Larry is thrown into the native prison and Mabel and her father, returning to the hotel, break the news to mother. Larry wires his father that there has evidently been a mistake, that he only took the $5,000. Jim Crane orders an investigation. Velie's dishonesty is discovered and the forged check is traced to him. Meanwhile Larry languishes in a Hawaiian prison. The Fourth of July approaches and Larry is taken out with the other prisoners. He refuses to work and fights with the guards. It would not be a holiday without appropriate celebration and Larry decides to have his own: He lights the fuse that is connected with a big store of dynamite and yells for the prisoners to run for their lives. Mabel and her mother have returned to the prison and meet the fleeing prisoners. Just as Larry is about to be taken back, Detective Boggs receives a cable from Larry's father stating that there has been a mistake and Larry, realizing that he is forgiven, makes plans for a happy honeymoon with Mabel.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

While on vacation in New York, millionaire cattle rancher John Keyes falls in love with musical comedy star Fritzi Carlyle. Recognizing the opportunity for a great story, Fritzi's press agent encourages her to accept the Westerner's proposal of marriage, only to deny it the next day in a wave of newspaper publicity. Disheartened, Keyes returns to Arizona and Fritzi continues performing until she suffers a nervous breakdown. Reading of Fritzi's misfortune, Keyes returns East, kidnaps Fritzi and takes her to Arizona. There, the change of climate performs wonders and she recovers quickly. Meanwhile, her stage manager sends detectives after her, and when they arrive in Arizona ready to arrest Keyes for kidnapping, Fritzi explains that the whole adventure was an elaborate publicity stunt and announces that she and her Arizona cowboy are going to be married.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of It Happened in Honolulu perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

Ruth, a shorthand, quits to avoid the advances of her employer, the police chief. The young woman finds a new job with Anthony Curtis, the district attorney who, with his battles for the law, is disliked by many police officers.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

Rejected by the army because of his petite size, French dress designer Andre Leriche conceives the idea of designing a gown that will aid his country. His employer, Madame Felice, sells the gown to Mrs. Mortimer Reyton, a middle-aged woman who is gradually losing the love of her husband. The gown so transforms her that, in honor of their wedding anniversary, Reyton buys three ambulances for France. Mrs. Reyton then sends the gown to her cousin Natalie. The garment so inspires Englishman Neil Cunningham that, to win Natalie's love, he returns home to enlist. In France, Neil proves himself a hero and, while leading an attack on a German stronghold, saves Andre's father, the mayor of the town, from death. Thus, the gown made a reality of Andre's dream to serve his country.

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

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

Tex Taylor has met the heroine on one of his visits to Los Angeles. He is owner of one of the biggest ranches in Texas and she is a daughter of a Colonel buying horses for the Government. He is invited to a dance by the Colonel and comes in his old clothes, as he is traveling light, yet has given his promise to appear. The foil to the hero is another horse buyer, agent for the Allies, who loves the girl. The bandit messenger mistakes him for Tex and entices him out of the ranch while the punchers are doing the honors to the Colonel and his daughter. The girl follows this man out and is captured by the Mexicans, for Phul. This gives Tex a chance to ride over the Rio Grande to rescue her by his own right arm and skill. The cowboys, after being fooled for a minute, beat off the raiders and then the girl and the hero come riding back on the same noble steed.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

Rancher John Stafford hires daredevil cowboy Ned Ferguson to hunt down cattle rustlers. En route to the ranch Ned is bitten by a rattlesnake and nursed by Mary Radford, who is writing a Western novel. Ranch foreman Dave Leviatt is jealous of Mary's interest in Ned and convinces Stafford that Mary's brother Ben is the head of the rustlers. Leviatt shoots Ben in the back, and Ben is convinced that Ned is responsible. Mary will have nothing to do with Ned, even after he rescues her from a cattle stampede. Finally, Leviatt is captured and confesses the truth, and Mary accepts Ned as her real, rather than fictional, hero.

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

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

At a French Canadian logging camp, stranger Louis Graintaire canoes through impassable rapids to the delight of Little Jean, a crippled boy who hopes that Louis will thrash his tormentor, camp bully Baptiste Navet. That evening Louis arouses Navet's enmity by dancing with Annette Bosseut, the daughter of the camp superintendent. Navet challenges Louis to a fight, but when the day comes, Louis and the boy cannot be found. When Louis returns, Annette and her father accuse him of kidnapping. After three bullies of neighboring camps die while trying to kill Louis, and Navet, repulsed by Annette, sets fire to the forest, Louis knocks Navet unconscious and saves Annette by canoeing through the dangerous rapids. He explains that he is the owner of all the camps and is making the rounds breaking bullies who terrorize the weak. Jean, sent to be cured, returns prancing about with a priest who marries Louis and Annette.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

Lawrence Percival Van Huyler, a society fop, protests against the necessity of living up to his snobbish family's blue-blooded traditions. His fiancée, Alicia Vanderveldt, abandons him for Richard Barnaby, who ridicules the pampered Lawrence and brags of his own daring exploits in foreign countries. While the Van Huyler estate is undergoing renovation, Lawrence uncovers a box containing a confession written by the family's founder, Peter Van Huyler. In it, the patriarch admits that he was actually an Irishman of humble birth who made his fortune engaging in piracy on the high seas. Delighted, Lawrence takes a construction job and adopts a fighting attitude, challenging those who had previously made fun of him. After learning that Richard's tales of derring-do were borrowed from a book, Lawrence exposes him and regains Alicia's love.