The Cult Collection Inspired by the Vision of The Heart of Romance: Cult Guide

Dir: Harry F. Millarde

Annie Laurie is betrothed to Donald McGregor just before he leaves Scotland to fight the Germans in France during World War I. At home, Annie discovers a man washed up on the shore and cares for him until her father, fearing that she and the stranger, Lieutenant Hathaway, are falling in love, turns him out of the house. When Hathaway recovers, he returns to the front where he befriends Donald, while Annie becomes a Red Cross nurse. Both men are wounded in a charge and hospitalized. There Annie, though still torn between the two, eventually decides to honor her vow to Donald and marries him.

Dir: Harry F. Millarde

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

Vera Loudon is unhappily married to wealthy, profligate Herbert Loudon, who openly makes advances to Mrs. Alicia Carteret at a dinner party. Donald Cavendish, a former admirer of Vera's, witnesses her humiliation and advises her to leave her husband, which she is unwilling to do. During a rainstorm, Donald's automobile breaks down, and he and Vera stop at the Loudon lodge nearby. When Herbert comes in with Mrs. Carteret, Donald and Vera escape unnoticed. Donald returns to claim the gloves he left behind at the lodge. A fight with Herbert ensues, and Donald leaves without the gloves. Herbert is later found dead at the lodge. The gloves make Donald a prime suspect, but Vera uncovers the real culprit: Mr. Carteret. Vera finds happiness at last, married to Donald.

Dir: Harry F. Millarde

Mark Sabre hires young Effie Bright to keep his snobbish, cold-hearted wife Mabel company while he goes off to war. When he returns home from the front wounded, he finds that Mabel has fired Effie, who shows up at Mark's door with her baby, having no place to go. Mark takes her in, but Mabel leaves him when the town shuns him for what they believe is going on with Mark and Effie. Matters are further complicated when Effie, driven to desperation, commits an unspeakable act that results in Mark having a nervous breakdown--and then things get worse.

Dir: Harry F. Millarde

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

The arrest in America of a foreigner for evading military service in his native land results in his daughter becoming "No. 274" in an orphanage. She is later adopted by a couple who plan to sell her into matrimonial slavery, but she wins the love of a rich young man, who marries her. Later she is reunited with her father through playing a violin, to which she has clung through all her misadventures.

Dir: Harry F. Millarde

Society girl Priscilla Kane relishes excitement, escapes from her boarding school and then rejects the man her father has selected for her. While visiting a mending shop, Langdon Trevor, a journalist who has exposed Priscilla's father as a food profiteer, mistakes Priscilla for a seamstress and asks her to call on him. Priscilla, attracted to Trevor, plays along, visiting Trevor and doing his mending. On one such visit, the photographer hired by Kane to frame Trevor snaps the young man in bed with Priscilla as his nurse. The two escape through a window and are married.

Dir: Harry F. Millarde

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Unknown 274 perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Gretchen, an abandoned child, is raised by Frau Van Lom, the nastiest woman in the little Dutch village of Olenburg. As she grows up, Gretcen's few moments of happiness are those she spends with Carl, who is also an abandoned child, but who is raised by a poor family. When Gretchen refuses to marry a wealthy old man in exchange for his paying off Frau von Lom's mortgage, she is framed for theft and jailed. On top of that, Carl is taken away from the village and sent to the palace of the king. Complications ensue.

Dir: Harry F. Millarde

A marital misunderstanding between iron manufacturer Perry Risdon and his wife Olive occurs when her extravagant spending forces him to devote all of his time to business, which she interprets as neglect. Millionaire Ned Beckwith, Olive's former suitor, sees the developing breech and attempts to use it to his advantage by secretly forcing a bank to make Perry repay an $80,000 loan within 24 hours. When Beckwith agrees to Perry's loan request on the condition that he divorce Olive, Perry knocks him down. Olive, vacationing alone in Pasadena, gets word of her husband's straits and sells her jewelry to raise $30,000. Beckwith replies to her request for the rest by inviting her to his apartment that night. Deeply troubled, Olive goes and is saved from Beckwith's seduction when Beckwith's mistress, Marta Holmes, calls Perry, who arrives and fights Beckwith. Marta then kills Beckwith and drowns herself, while the Risdons are reconciled.

Dir: Harry F. Millarde

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

Lieut. Ralph Harrison is in love with Major Marston's wife, who pretends to love him. Harrison's mother implores Capt. Jim Craig to intervene to save her son from dishonor. When Craig visits Mrs. Marston, Harrison appears, precipitating a quarrel during which Harrison is wounded in the shoulder. Craig then leaves, and the major discovers Harrison. The major kills Harrison, and places the blame on Craig. To avoid a scandal, Craig runs away. Madge Summers of the Secret Service tracks him down and the two fall in love, but Craig is arrested and taken back to the army post. Further evidence of his wife's infidelity causes the major to go mad. He murders his wife and confesses to Harrison's murderer. Cleared of dishonor, Craig finds happiness with Madge.

Dir: Harry F. Millarde

Bonnie is the object of a brutish bully who likes to spend his time at her foster father's saloon. Arthur, a playwright has come to town after the woman he loves, has married another man for his money. Arthur marries Bonnie to protect her from the bully, meanwhile, the other woman has become a widow and now wants Arthur back. She arranges to put Bonnie in a compromising position with another man; her plan almost succeeds, but Arthur and Bonnie's strong bond of love cannot be broken.

Dir: Harry F. Millarde

Former miner Daniel Slade becomes a wealthy investor and runs for political office, ultimately becoming the governor of his state. Daniel's wife, Mary, is unable to adjust to a life in high society, often embarrassing him in the presence of his colleagues. Temptation arrives in the form of Katherine Strickland, the daughter of a prominent senator, who takes Daniel away from his old-fashioned wife. However, Daniel eventually realizes how much he loves Mary, and he returns to her.