Must-Watch List in the Vein of The House of Tears: Cult Guide

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A daughter is grief-stricken by the loss of her father. His male friend becomes her guardian, and she is taken to live with the friend's mother. Time passes and romance blossoms in the girl's heart for her guardian. However, a love rival arrives from the city and catches his eye, and the drama unfolds.

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

Before the guests arrive for a party in her apartment, Agnes Lambert, a writer of unsalable fiction, starts revising one of her stories because she realizes that it lacks drama and emotion. Later, she begins a romance with Tom Leighton, but although Tom loves her, he is already engaged to Ruth Beresford, who was recently blinded in an explosion. Aware of the impossibility of their affair, Agnes decides to commit suicide, but when Ruth, whose vision has been restored by an operation, discovers that Tom no longer loves her, she frees him to marry his new sweetheart. Tom goes to Agnes, but arrives too late, and finds her dead. Then, guests knock at Agnes' door, ready for a party, and, having just finished revising a story in which she stars as a woman who commits suicide because she wrongly believes that a love affair has failed, Agnes rises from her typewriter to greet them.

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John Wheeler, a traction magnate, becomes heavily involved and is obliged to sell a large timber tract he owns in the Hudson Bay district. He owns the property jointly with Henri Corteau, and the deed is filed in the office of Magistrate Le Blanc, at Chalet. Bruce Mitchell, a wealthy young man about town, who is infatuated with Lois Wheeler, the madcap daughter of Wheeler, readily agrees to take over the property. In the northland the elder Corteau has died suddenly, and the Magistrate's office, together with the Wheeler-Corteau deed, is destroyed by fire. The Magistrate receives word of the transfer between Wheeler and Mitchell and he sends for Jean Corteau, the son and heir of the late Henri Corteau, and asks him for the deed his father held, telling him he wishes to make a copy of it. When he adds that it is the only copy in existence, Jean walks out, saying he intends to keep the land himself. Meantime Mitchell has pressed his suit for the hand of Lois, and she takes a violent dislike to him. She resents it because he tries to make plain that her father is under obligations to him. Soon afterward Mitchell goes to Wheeler and wants to know why the deed has not arrived. Wheeler hopelessly shows him a letter from the Magistrate, telling of Jean's action. Mitchell threatens to jail Wheeler, accusing him of obtaining money under false pretenses. Lois overhears the threat and also Mitchell's offer to let the matter drop if Lois will marry him. Lois agrees to this proposal providing her father's innocence cannot be proved. Lois goes to the northland and seeks out Jean. He will not see her, saying he will not have any dealings with women. The next day she sets out, dressed in boy's clothes, on a dog sled for Jean's home in the forest. Pierre, a guide, accompanies her. They arrive in sight of Jean's cabin at nightfall, when Pierre attempts to force his attentions upon Lois. She flees and seeks refuge in Jean's cabin, stumbling in his door in a faint. Later, she tells Jean she has become lest from a lumber camp, and asks if she may remain a while with him. He tells her he has always wanted a boy companion and helper, and that since she came like a "wounded snowbird" to his cabin, she may stay. Although Jean is brutal and primitive in many ways Lois soon finds he has a gentle nature. The next day Jean discovers Lois is a girl, when her fair falls out from under her cap. She confesses her identity and he is angry. But he consents to her remaining, and he fetches some of his mother's clothes for her. Her one desire to get the deed is realized when she is dressing and finds the document hidden away behind a small mirror on the wall. That night she urges Jean to drink heavily, hoping to get away. He becomes fascinated with her and tells her he is going to save her father. He reaches for the deed and finds it gone. Her manner betrays Lois, and she confesses having the paper. Meanwhile Mitchell and Wheeler have come north in search of Lois. Pierre tells Mitchell she is living with Jean. In a jealous rage he goes to seek out Lois. He has Wheeler arrested and then sets out for Jean's cabin. Arrived there he sarcastically accuses Lois of a common liaison with Jean. Jean demands that Mitchell apologize. He refuses and they fight. Both are seriously wounded. Mitchell staggers out of the cabin in the snow. Lois, left with the unconscious Jean, decides to steal the deed and leave. On the edge of a cliff Lois sees Mitchell fall to his death. Then a vision of Jean left alone in his helpless condition comes to her. She turns back and joins Jean. She nurses him back to strength and they go to the aid of Wheeler, intending to marry and live in New York. But after they are wed they hearken to the call of the north, and go back to the life where their love was born.

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

Actress Jane Carleson has three admirers: Henry Strong (a millionaire), Hamilton Ross (a chemist), and Murray Campbell (a district attorney). When Jane weds Campbell, Ross writes an anonymous letter to Campbell, warning him that Strong is after his wife. Ross smears the flap of the envelope with poison. However, Strong is the one who opens the envelope, and dies from the poison. Since Campbell and Strong had quarreled just before the arrival of the letter, Campbell is convicted of the murder. Jane must expose the true murderer and save her husband.

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Unknown to his daughter Jacqueline, Miles Allen, in the guise of a fisherman, smuggles silk and fur into the country. Customs officer John Lang comes to investigate, and he and Jacqueline quickly fall in love. Ward Jennings, the owner of Miles' boat, also loves her, but Miles refuses to let him marry her, so Ward gets revenge by revealing Miles' smuggling operation to Coast Guard officers, who kill Miles in a struggle at his home. Jacqueline mistakenly blames John for her father's death and goes to Ward for help. She then learns the truth about Ward; they fight on a cliff-top and he falls to his death. John comes to comfort Jacqueline, and they begin making plans for their life together.

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

As Danny Rowland, a tramp, and his partner Dominie, an ex-minister, trudge wearily past the Winnicrest mansion in Tennessee, an old servant called Uncle Alex rushes up to Danny and welcomes him home as his long-lost employer, Richard Castleman. Amused, Danny assumes the role, and he and Dominie are clothed, fed, and generally treated like royalty. The beautiful Jean Logan, who had believed with the rest of the neighborhood that Richard was lost at sea, greets her returning sweetheart with a passionate embrace, and Danny soon falls in love with her. Dr. Harry Chilton, Richard's cousin and rival in love, maintains that Danny is an impostor, but Danny defeats him in a fight and banishes him from the estate. When Danny announces his intention to marry Jean, Dominie is shocked and tells her everything. Forced to confess to the sheriff, "Danny" reveals that he is indeed Richard, earlier robbed of his clothing and money by a crook named Danny Rowland, who died on a voyage to Australia. Relieved, all of the parties--with the exception of the jealous doctor--are reunited.

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One day Coventry Petmore leaves his wife and child to go out in the world and fight the social evils of divorce and loveless marriage. Circumstances lead him to the home of Judge Mitchell, where the judge's son, a minister, and his wife Beatrice reside. The minister does not believe in expressing affection to his wife, and Beatrice becomes enamored of her chauffeur Larry Price. Petmore encourages Beatrice to tell the minister that she is running away with Price, then surreptitiously coaches the minister to give a response that Petmore believes will win Beatrice back. The plan backfires, however, and only a rainstorm and car trouble prevent Beatrice and Price from running off. Getting wind of Petmore's role in the affair, the judge has him ejected from the household, and Petmore returns home to discover that his wife has run away with her chauffeur. Petmore's conviction in his theories remains unshaken, however.

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

The Escott family, on their way to Montana, is attacked by Indians. Army Lt. Joe Lanier afterwards finds little Elsie Escott, the only survivor, and brings her to his mother, who takes in the girl and raises her. Joe later leaves the army and becomes a successful miner, and over the years as he sees Elsie grow into a woman, he falls in love with her. Soon, however, a handsome stranger named Bob Stanton becomes his rival for Elsie's affections, and when Joe becomes jealous Elsie gets angry and makes plans to elope with Stanton. However, a war with Spain complicates everything.

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David Langford, a member of the firm of Keegles and Langford, hardware merchants, has a violent quarrel with his partner, and kills him. Ned, Mr. Keegles' son, who has been expelled from college, returns on the night of the murder, and is suspected of the crime. He leaves for the west, where he becomes known as "Dakota." "Texas" Blanca, a Mexican, and John Duncan blacken the name of "Dakota" by unjustly accusing him of cattle stealing. Later, "Dakota" aids a young girl named Sheila during a thunderstorm, and he subsequently learns that she is the daughter of Langford, the murderer of his father. In revenge he forces her to marry him, and then she leaves for the Double R ranch, which her father has purchased. "Dakota" becomes implicated in a number of other diabolical plots, but emerges triumphant, and the climax of the drama shows him and Sheila living happily as man and wife.

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Margaret Primrose is not permitted to see Ted North, who loves her, by her father, whom Ted's father ruined. To spite Ted, Primrose forces Margaret to marry Weston, a dissolute young millionaire, and Ted, heartbroken, goes West. Weston neglects Margaret and continues drinking. Seven years later, the Westons move West on the advice of his doctor to improve his health. Ted, meanwhile, has adopted the small daughter of a cattle rustler who was lynched by Ted's cowboys. When he spots a runaway horse and lassoes its rider, Margaret, they embrace, but realizing the impropriety, they bid each other goodbye. Weston resumes drinking and takes an interest in Molly, the proprietress of a dance hall. When Molly's sweetheart, "Quick Foot Jim" learns that Molly and Weston are planning to elope, he kills Weston. After Ted is convicted of the murder, based on circumstantial evidence, Jim abducts Molly. When Margaret learns the truth, a posse is organized to find Jim. No information has been located concerning the film's ending.