Underground Favorites Mirroring the Impact of The Honey Bee: Cult G...

Dir: Rupert Julian

Two families had been neighbors in the South for years; Maud, her brother Howard, and Cecil Lane were playmates. One day as they were playing on the lawn the fathers of Maud and Cecil betroth their children in a bumper of wine. Shortly thereafter Cecil's father loses his fortune through poor speculation and commits suicide. Maud is sent away to school. Cecil begins a musical education, remaining at home and growing up to be the village music teacher. Years later Maud returns home, and soon her brother Howard arrives with a foppish friend, Lord Lovelace, who straightaway lays siege to Maud's heart. Maud and Cecil meet at the village shrine and renew their childhood love. Against her will Maud consents to a betrothal with Lord Lovelace. On the night of the betrothal party Maud and Cecil plan to elope, but their arrangements are discovered and thwarted, a duel between Cecil and Howard developing with in the hour. Maud hears the shots fired, and beholding her brother slightly wounded sends Cecil away in anger. He leaves the village under the impression that Howard will die. Cecil goes far away, and in a great city his musical talents are recognized. Maud, meanwhile, in contrition, would have Cecil return to her, but he keeps his mother poorly informed and Maud is unable to get word to him. When Cecil composes the song, "Come Into the Garden, Maud," his fame is assured. At this time war breaks out and Cecil, Lord Lovelace and Howard become soldiers, eventually meeting on the battlefield. Lord Lovelace knows of Cecil's song and his great fame as its composer, and at the moment he is about to die of his wounds, Lord Lovelace sends word to Cecil, that Maud is waiting for Cecil in the garden. Believing that Cecil has been killed in battle at the same time her brother Howard and Lord Lovelace die of their wounds, Maud decides to dedicate her life to religion and enters a convent. When Cecil ultimately comes home he is too late to reach Maud with any communication. He spends the rest of his life in sorrow going every day to the convent walls and playing his famous song that Maud might hear and know that he thus awaits the final end, faithful to his childhood sweetheart.

Dir: Rupert Julian

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

Lucille, a beautiful and romantic young woman, marries John Linforth, a wealthy businessman, who is twice her age, and too distracted by his business affairs to give her the attention she craves. John is pleased when she takes a liking to his young friend, Ronald Standish. After the friendship has grown to romance, however, John tries to keep the two apart. As he is about to depart on a short trip, John orders Ronald from the house. Later that night, Ronald asks Lucille to elope with him, but before they leave, they realize that an illegal union would only lead to unhappiness, and Ronald returns home. A burglar, who, in stealing certain securities from John's desk, witnesses the couple in an embrace, blackmails Ronald into purchasing the bonds. To save her lover, Lucille confesses everything to John, who promises to give his young wife her freedom. A year later Lucille and Ronald marry.

Dir: Rupert Julian

Police headquarters has been plagued by a series of robberies, culminating in the theft of a priceless necklace smuggled from Europe. The detectives are on the track of a gang led by master thief Ramon Mordant and his accomplice known as "the Face" because of his twisted and hideous countenance. Among the detectives on the case is undercover agent Clara Hawthorne, masquerading as a mysterious, glamorous woman. The Face and Clara play a cat and mouse game until, while they are both in pursuit of Mordant, the Face secures the necklace and turns it over to Clara, at the same time revealing himself to be Prentice Tiller, chief of the Secret Service.

Dir: Rupert Julian

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

In the act of robbing a set of rare jewels from a museum, a robber is wounded in the hand. Prentice Tiller, while dressing a wound in his hand, overhears the woman in the next hotel room, Gertrude Temple, telephoning Aaron Molitor, to whom she is to deliver some jewels. Posing as Molitor, Prentice calls on Gertrude but disappears when Molitor, who also has been wounded in the hand, suddenly arrives. Molitor's men capture Prentice, who narrowly escapes death in the ruins of an old church and then continues to track Molitor. Gertrude accompanies Molitor and her uncle, Simon Temple, to Paris, where they are met by master crook Chevat and the woman who loves him, Lola Montez. Lola becomes jealous of Gertrude and tries to kill her, but Prentice rescues her. Through a ruse, Prentice, who finally is revealed as a detective, captures Chevat and his gang, returns the jewels to their rightful owner and then proposes to Gertrude.

Dir: Rupert Julian

A propagandistic view of the First World War, showing the political greed of the German Kaiser Wilhelm, the resistance of some of his own soldiers, and fanciful prediction of the nature of the war's end.

Dir: Rupert Julian

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

While Major Abercrombie and wife were hurrying through a Persian forest, in order that Mrs. Abercrombie might reach an English settlement to bear her child, a tent was hurriedly pitched, and there a little girl was born. The mother surrendered her life and Major Abercrombie went mad with grief. He ran into the forest and was killed by lions. Usun Hassan, while passing with his huntsmen, discovered the tent and sent Malec, his secretary, to investigate. Malec found the dead body of Mrs. Abercrombie and heard the faint cry of her baby. The body of the woman was buried and the babe was carried to Hassan's harem. There she grew to become a beautiful girl, with Malec acting as her tutor. They called her Rokaia. Hassan having decided she should marry a merchant whom she loathed, Rokaia readily listened to Malec's proposal that she go with him to France. Having provided her with clothes, money and tickets, Malec was detected while helping the girl escape. Malec hid himself away to save his head, while Rokaia proceeded to France. Arriving at Marseilles the girl was robbed of her purse, thus becoming easy prey for a young gallant who made her acquaintance and started to take her to his apartments. Rokaia was struck by an automobile and her admirer found safety in flight. The motor was owned by Marquis De Tonquin, who helped Rokaia into the tonneau and drove her to his home. There she was found to be little hurt. The Marquis about this time received a letter from the Parisian college where his son, Marcel, was being educated, stating that the boy was incorrigible. Believing that there must be a "woman in the case," the Marquis prevailed upon Rokaia to go to Paris as his son's companion. Marcel did not look upon the girl as his father would have him, but secured separate lodgings for her, where he lived, and treated her with utmost respect. The day Rokaia arrived in Paris she halted before a Persian bird-vendor and asked the directions to Marcel's lodgings. It so happened that Malec had just arrived from Persia and lived at the Asiatic lodgings where the bird-vendor stopped. He heard the man's gossip about the girl who spoke in his own tongue and bought his birds. Malec believed he was on the trail of the girl be sought, and went to the address the bird-vendor gave him, and there found Rokaia. Through hypnotic influence he controlled the girl so far as to cause her to go away with him. Marcel was informed by his fellow students, when he returned, after a brief absence from his lodgings, that Rokaia had just departed, and the note she left for him confirmed the story. When a drayman called for Rokaia's trunk, Marcel learned her address, and leading a party of students, went to her rescue. The happy ending was attained when Marcel and Rokaia were married.

Dir: Rupert Julian

Miner Dan Stuyvesant finally strikes it rich, but on his way to report his claim, he is shot. When Jack Dedlow, the head of a gang of outlaws, hears this news, he rides to Stuyvesant's cabin intending to secure the claim for himself. There the outlaws find Stuyvesant's daughter Hilda, the sweetheart of Tom Flynn, and are about to draw cards for her when Dago Sam pulls out his guns and spirits her out the door. Because Tom is his only friend, Sam determines to protect Hilda from the gang, but when Tom suspiciously questions his intentions toward Hilda, Sam decides to live up to the town's poor opinion of him. Hilda saves herself by declaring her faith in Sam and, his spirits restored, he returns her to Tom. Dedlow is killed in a fight at Sam's cabin, and Tom and Sam renew their friendship.

Dir: Rupert Julian

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

In modern times Paul Winthrop visits an island and paints a picture of Joe, a picturesque pearl diver. He dresses him in pirate garb and when the picture is done Joe cannot take his eyes from it. The two men instinctively recognize each other. Joe is another Jean Lafitte, Paul is his antagonist of the years before. Later Joe stumbles across a case of pirate treasure buried along the shore. By a plate on the box he reads the name of the one-time owner, Jean Lafitte. With this treasure he is enabled to visit the United States, where in New York he again finds Paul Winthrop. Paul is in love with Lily Demorest, but her parents have signified their desire that she marry Robert Spurr, a millionaire. Joe is immediately attracted to her and decides to kidnap her. First his motive is charitable. He intends turning her over to Paul, who is timid about such action himself. Then he decides to keep her for himself, but Lily cries out for Paul and then to the pirate descendant dawns the true meaning of the curse fastened on his ancestor by the woman he coveted. So he returns her to Paul, and though it is difficult he finds some happiness in the thought of their reunion.

Dir: Rupert Julian

Italian potter Tony Varralo adopts a waif named Little Tony, and they leave New York City for a ranch out West, with the promises that Tony will send for his fiancée, Carlotta, after he has established himself. Once settled in the Western town, Tony manages to make an enemy of Durant, the town's chief gambler, by refusing to drink whiskey and by freely admiring dance-hall queen Kate Billings, who Durant has claimed for himself. A year later, Tony is well-adapted to life as a cowboy. While he is away from home one day, Durant shoots at a shadow in the window that he believes to be Tony. However, the bullet strikes Little Tony, who is stunned with a mild injury. Tony gets his revenge on Durant and inadvertently wins the love of Kate. After Tony learns that Carlotta has married one of his rivals, he and Kate are free to marry.

Dir: Rupert Julian

A heartwarming retelling of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' where Ebeneezer Scrooge is visited by three spirits in an attempt to save his soul.