Essential Cult Cinema Drawn from the Same DNA as The Hand at the Wi...

Dir: Raymond Wells

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Raymond Wells

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

A ranch foreman wins a series of events at a frontier day rodeo.

Dir: Raymond Wells

A father arranges to have his effeminate son kidnapped by cowboys to make a man out of him.

Dir: Raymond Wells

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

During World War I, Jeanette Gontreau becomes a "godmother" to three Allied soldiers imprisoned in a German camp. Describing herself as an old woman, she sends them cheerful letters and baskets of small gifts until one of the soldiers, Harry Ledyard, informs her that he has been released and will visit her in New York. Panic-stricken, Jeanette dons a wig and spectacles, and although she convinces Harry that she is old and gray, she soon falls in love with him. Harry worships his "godmother," and when secret service agents discover coded messages on her letters, he shields her by assuming the blame. Eventually, however, Jeanette's employer, Frederick Armstrong, confesses that it is he who is guilty of espionage. Jeanette reveals her true age to Harry, who joyfully proposes to her.

Dir: Raymond Wells

Jane Lee, the daughter of a stockbroker, comes under the attention of John Brock, a villain, who covets the girl, and starts to ruin her father. In the end Lee finds himself penniless, and commits suicide. Brock assuming the role of Jane's protector, gives her work in his office. He arranged for her to remain late one night and then attacks her. She defends herself, and her outcries bring assistance. Brock accuses the girl of attempting to rob his safe and she is sent to prison. Governor Barnes, interested in welfare work, employs Mrs. Carrington in uplifting unfortunate girls. The Governor's son has gained his father's displeasure and is turned away from home. Mrs. Carrington has become interested in Jane Lee and when the girl's prison term expires takes her into her home. Jane later loses her position, because her prison record becomes known to Mrs. Carrington's friends and they compel her dismissal. She meets Richard White who has met financial reverses through John Brock. With mutual impulses for revenge, White and Jane combine to work against Brock. The girl has found a friend in Bess Murphy. White covets Bess and tricks her into coming to his apartment, telling her Jane is ill. White attacks her and her cries attract Jane, who lives in the same apartment house. In protecting Bess Jane stabs White to death. Her trial results in sentence of death. George Barnes, the Governor's son, has been an attendant at Mrs. Carrington's mission and has met Jane and Bess. Meanwhile he has reformed and becomes a lawyer. He is in the west when he hears of Jane's misfortune and hurries home, to urge his father to pardon Jane. There is great rejoicing when the prodigal returns, the Governor consents to the pardon and Jane marries the Governor's son.

Dir: Raymond Wells

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

It is about the Civil War. Dismayed it was made in Norfork Arkansas in 1928

Dir: Raymond Wells

George Arnold, head of the Paradise Valley Land Company, has been robbed of $10,000 by Jim Kinkaid, who has fled the country. Arnold secures the services of the Burton Detective Agency to get Kinkaid. Nellie is put on the case. She goes to the gambling house. Her ignorance of gambling nearly betrays her. Romero Valdez, Kinkaid's right-hand man, feels that everything is not on the square in regard to this woman. But Kinkaid has become strongly attached to Nellie and will listen to nothing against her. Nellie becomes aware of the goodness of Kinkaid's heart and finds the job of betraying him distasteful. She forces herself to the work and has succeeded in getting Kinkaid accustomed to cross the border with her. She then wires to New York for them to send the men to make the arrest. Letty Frank, a convict with a grudge against Nellie, manages to escape and goes to Mexico. He reaches Kinkaid's gambling house and recognizes Nellie as a New York detective. Kinkaid is told. Nevertheless, he takes his usual walk with her that evening. Seated on their accustomed bench, he tells her how he had discovered a number of foreigners on the desert absolutely destitute; they told him of how they were robbed of their life's savings by Arnold, through a crooked real estate deal. Kinkaid took care of the people and went to New York to see what he could do to get their money back. Upon asking Arnold to refund the money, he was laughed at, for the transaction was perfectly legal. Kinkaid, by force, took the money from Arnold, escaped into Mexico and returned it to the immigrants. Detectives arrive from New York. Nellie asks Kinkaid to go for a walk. Romero, not trusting her, has followed with two Mexicans, to be there in case of need. Kinkaid is arrested by Arnold and the detectives and Romero coming up with assistance, is deserted by his followers at a critical moment, and he is also arrested. In the jail, Kinkaid and Romero again become friends and Kinkaid wagers his entire possessions that Nellie will "run true to form." In her room, Nellie sees a way out of her difficulty. She steals the keys of the jail from the sheriff and opens the door. At dawn, Kinkaid, Nellie and Romero enter the town from the desert and are met by an ovation from their friends. Kinkaid gives to Romero the gambling house and everything connected with it, finding that his future and his happiness lie with Nellie, away from everything pertaining to his former life.

Dir: Raymond Wells

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

Cashiered out of the army by what he believes was an unjust court-martial, the man known as The Weakling wanders aimlessly in the desert and is found by cowboys from the Lazy Y Ranch. They clean him up and give him a job on the ranch as a cowboy. He soon finds love with a local dance-hall girl, and discovers that his luck may be changing in more ways than one.

Dir: Raymond Wells

Jimmy Dolan has just been defeated in a fight with "Spider" Flynn. Jones, Dolan's trainer, had bet their whole bank role on the battle. Twenty-four hours from Paris, in the little principality of Konigstadt, lived a king and his ward. Countess Alicia, a beautiful girl, was courted by Count Conrad, the King's nephew. Prince Frederick was to pay the King a visit, and the old King planned to wed him to Alicia. Count Conrad gets a message from the Prince asking him to come to a certain café. Conrad finds Frederick in company with a Mlle. D'Orsay. He begs Conrad to say he is stricken with scarlet fever. The Count consents, but plans to be revenged on Alicia. Jones and Jimmy enter the café. The Count calls Jimmy to his table, offers him twenty thousand francs to impersonate Prince Frederick, gain Alicia's consent to marriage and thus humiliate her. Urged by Jones, Jimmy accepts, and Conrad begins to teach him courtly manners. Jones is to play the role of an Arabian bodyguard. Jimmy and Jones are presented to the King and to Alicia.. Jimmy and Alicia are promptly interested in each other. Some days later, Jones and Jimmy read in the newspaper about "Spider" Flynn's being the champion of all Europe and are indignant. He sends Flynn an insulting message, challenging him to another battle, and Flynn immediately accepts. The King decides to call on Jimmy informally, and finds Jones and his friend boxing. The King takes up boxing and has a gymnasium built. Prince Frederick and Mlle. D'Orsay quarrel. He arrives at Konigstadt the evening of a dance given in honor of Jimmy. Jones sees him at the hotel, and with Jimmy's help ties him in a chair. The Prince escapes and tells the King of the outrage. The big fight is on between Jimmy and "Spider" Flynn. A great crowd has gathered, and among them the King, Alicia and the Prince. Jimmy defeats Flynn and the King is one of the first to congratulate him. The King looks from Alicia to Jimmy, saying there is a Count's title vacant in Konigstadt and that he hasn't had a good boxing match since Jimmy left.

Dir: Raymond Wells

Donald Naughton, the lazy son of a self-made millionaire named Bill Naughton, is sent to his father's rock quarries to replace the crooked superintendent, Mike Carney. The job at first proves difficult for Don, who does not know how to handle the rock drillers, but is made somewhat more pleasant by the presence of Shiela Dolan, the pretty daughter of Naughton's old friend Lynch, an alcoholic. Don hires a new gang of workmen, but they prove to be anarchists secretly in Carney's employ. The young boss earns the respect of the regular hands by beating Jerry Shea in a fight, but Carney and his partner, Greek Louis, succeed in stirring up a strike. After Don and his men defeat Carney's agitators in a brawl, Don saves Carney from a lynch mob. The men return to work with a new respect for their boss, and Don wins Shiela's love.