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

Dir: Edwin Carewe

Shortly after arriving in the West, James Van Dyke Moore, an Easterner fleeing from a soured love affair, has his courage tested when "Ace High" Horton, the town bully, threatens to take over the family mine. Forced into battle, the tenderfoot stands his ground against Horton, an act that impresses pretty Mollie Anderson. One day, Robert Forrest arrives from the East with Verda, his bride, who is Moore's former lover. While Forrest is off inspecting his mines, Verda and Horton become lovers and plan an elopement, but upon Forrest's return, Verda informs him that she is leaving town to escape Moore's advances. Because he has vowed not to reveal anything about their past affair, Moore is unable to defend himself. That night, Forrest sees Verda riding away with Horton and shoots him, but Moore is accused and arrested. Through the intervention of Mollie, Moore is released in time to intercept the couple in the desert. After disposing of Horton, Moore returns Verda to the town, whose angry citizens drive her back into the desert, and then proposes to Mollie.

Dir: Edwin Carewe

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

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.

Dir: Edwin Carewe

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.

Dir: Edwin Carewe

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

Big-hearted Prue, living in the slums, and Danny O'Maddigan, a reformed crook, want to buy a birthday cake for Prue's 75-year-old grandmother. They live across the hall from Ellen Rutherford, the destitute widow of Steven Rutherford, Jr., who was disinherited by his father, a wealthy candy manufacturer. Prue, who works at the candy factory, gives Ellen the money that was meant for her grandmother's cake so Ellen will be able to care for her son Bobby. Frustrated over the loss of the money, Danny steals the price of a cake from the factory's safe, leaving the safe's door open in his haste to depart. Danny's former gang arrives and cleans out the safe, and Danny is convicted of the crime and sent to prison for four years. While Danny is in prison, Bobby is struck by his grandfather's car and slightly injured. Stricken with remorse, Mr. Rutherford effects a reconciliation with his daughter-in-law and promises to use his influence to bring about Danny's release from prison.

Dir: Edwin Carewe

Unnerved by the superiority of John Cook, the new president of the Securities Company, Wall Street business leader Amos Merrill begins to speculate with the trust funds in his control, ultimately losing all the funds. Amos, faced with discovery and disgrace, lies to his daughter Hope that Cook has ruined him; soon after, Hope meets Cook and conceives a plot for revenge. In the meantime, Cook has protected the frail Merrill from prosecution and paid back his debt after sending him away on a vacation to recover his health. Hope, knowing nothing of this, marries Cook and makes his life unbearable, finally conspiring with his business rival Gerald Hastings to ruin her husband and gain control of his funds. When Amos returns from his vacation, he is stunned at what Hope has done and reveals that his lie has resulted in a terrible mistake. Hope begs forgiveness from Cook and they go West together to begin a new life.

Dir: Edwin Carewe

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

Leaving his wife Rose for a few weeks and eager to do research for his new novel about the elderly, Henry Norman goes to live in a home for the aged, where Blossom, the home's young maid, falls in love with him. When she lets him know how she feels, however, Henry tells her that he has a wife. When his research is over, he returns to her--and discovers that she has eloped with his friend Perry Westley, and that they were both killed by a lightning bolt that struck Perry's car. While Henry recovers from this double shock, Blossom quits her job and finds work at God's Half Acre, an orphanage. While on a picnic with the children, she once again meets Henry, who realizes that he loves Blossom. They marry.

Dir: Edwin Carewe

When her mother, the operatic idol of Paris, takes her to the United States and dies, Cora goes to live with Marie, a model for artist George Garnier. Although George is engaged to wealthy Helen Van Brooks, who is in love with Carl Wilson, a club-man, George and Cora fall in love. When Cora discovers the engagement, however, she leaves and becomes an opera star. Years later, after breaking his engagement, George visits Cora again, causing Mrs. Van Brooks to entreat Cora to give up George. At a wild party, Cora allows Jose, her long-time admirer, to make love to her, which provokes George's disgust until Marie explains Cora's behavior. When Jose, alone with Cora, attacks her, George and Marie burst in to see Jose, hit by a wine cooler hurled by Cora, fall backward through a window, fall to the street and die. After they learn that Helen and Wilson have eloped, Cora and George are able to marry.

Dir: Edwin Carewe

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

Proud Confederate Captain Covington Halliday refuses to allow his daughter Martha to marry Northern lawyer Walter Lewis. As a boy, Covington was given an African American servant named Dan, who has always called him "Marse Covington." After the Civil War, Dan refused his freedom and stood by Covington, sharing his misfortunes. Jim Daly, who holds the mortgage on Halliday House, also wants to marry Martha, so he schemes with gambler Edward Bantree to fix a race in which Covington has wagered all his property on his beloved horse, Bess. Although Bess loses, Martha refuses to marry Jim to reclaim her family home. She moves to New York City with her father and Dan, but their savings are soon exhausted and Covington is forced to stand in bread lines. After Dan goes to work for Edward, he learns about the plot to fix the race. He tells Walter, who is later hired to defend Edward for Jim's murder. In lieu of cash, Walter demands the Halliday House deed as payment. Covington returns to his home with Dan, and gives Walter his blessing to marry Martha.

Dir: Edwin Carewe

Corporal Blake is sent to apprehend the murderer of François Breault. All evidence points to Jan Thoreau as the guilty man. Blake arrives at Thoreau's cabin while he is away and is greeted by his wife Marie. Posing as a friend of her husband, Blake learns that Thoreau and Breault had quarreled shortly before the murder. This, together with Breault's dying accusation that Thoreau was his murderer, seems undeniable evidence. Blake, fascinated by Marie, agrees to let Thoreau escape, providing that she become his mistress. After much anguish, she consents. When Thoreau arrives, Blake arrests him, but during the night Marie helps him escape. Blake goes in pursuit. Meanwhile, officers at the post have received the dying confession of Pastamoo that he committed the murder. They hurry to Thoreau's cabin where the chase has led pursuer and pursued around in a circle and back to the cabin. Blake mistakes another officer for Thoreau and fires at him. The officer returns the shot, killing Blake. Thoreau and Marie then learn that they are free from suspicion.

Dir: Edwin Carewe

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.