Top-Tier Alternatives In the Shadow of The House with the Golden Windows: Cult Guide

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Gambler Harvey Arnold is forced to leave San Francisco and winds up in a small country town that is in the midst of a reform movement. He marries local girl May Fielding, who has no idea of his profession. When she finds out, he promises to quit, but it turns out that his profession wasn't the only secret he was keeping from May.

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The story relates the attempt of a group of machine politicians at Washington to ruin Matthew Standish, an insurgent who has made himself so strong with the people that he is in a position to defeat the Mullins bill, fostered by a corrupt ring in Washington, in favor of certain railroads. The leaders of this ring are Jim Blake, the boss of the party machine, and his son-in-law Mark Robertson. Standish is being hailed throughout the country as the exponent of morals and virtue, and Blake realizes that the only way to defeat him is to find some blot on his record in the past. He puts a detective to work, who, by bribing Standish's former secretary, finds out that some years ago Standish became involved with a young woman of good family, but for some reason he did not marry her. Blake realizes that skillfully handled, this story could be made to ruin Standish's career, but without the woman's name it will look like a campaign lie. So the entire machine bends its energy to discovering the woman's identity to prove the story. To accomplish this, they lay a trap that they think will make Standish try to warn the woman by telephone. He is deceived and does telephone the woman to be on her guard, calling the number Plaza 1001. Wanda Kelly, telephone girl at the Keswick, has been told of the plan by Blake, who believes that she can be bribed to give him the telephone number. After Standish telephones, Blake's son-in-law Robertson comes in to 'phone his home in New York, calling the same number that Standish has just called. Wanda, the operator, sees that the woman in the case is really Blake's daughter and Robertson's wife, and besides refusing to give the number, destroys her record sheet. Mrs. Robertson arrives from New York and is driven to desperation when Standish informs her that, though he has tried to protect her, he needs to give her name to Blake and Robertson if they continue striving to ruin him by this story. The subsequent events leading to the conclusion of the drama and the defeat of the offensive Mullins bill in Congress are stirring in the extreme. Once again the telephone girl interferes in the plot by disconnecting the wires when the "ring'' politicians, driven to their last ditch, are trying to telephone a newspaper to release the story even without the woman's name. She keeps her courage after this, even when threatened with arrest and criminal prosecution. It is the woman herself who finally comes to the rescue and refuses to see the little telephone girl made to suffer further on her behalf. This terrible revelation makes Blake and Robertson see what a veritable heroine she has been and even leads to the happy consummation of a romance between the telephone operator and Jim Blake's son.

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

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A young New York society man makes a bet that he can rob a house and get away without being caught by the police. Shortly after making this wager, he overpowers a professional burglar in his own house, and instead of giving the man up, decides to use him in winning the bet. However, the house that he attempts to rob is the home of the Deputy Police Commissioner, with whose daughter he is in love. The succeeding complications, which arise out of this altogether original situation, are due to the Commissioner's willingness to accept graft and the professional burglar's inability to restrain himself when tempted to steal a valuable necklace. The final result is a happy conclusion to the very troubled love-story.

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Ram, High Priest of the Temple of Delhi, urges his people to throw off the British yoke. Word of the uprising reaches General Kimber who is in command of the troops at Calcutta. Summoning Captain Arlington and Lieutenant Shannon of the famous Sixth, he orders them to proceed to Delhi with their troops. Arlington and Shannon are rivals for the hand of Dora, the commandant's daughter. Although secretly betrothed to Surrada, the beautiful native girl employed as Dora's maid, Arlington is filled with jealous rage upon discovering that Dora loves his rival. The captain has tired of Surrada but fears to cast her off because of the scandal she may create. Shortly afterwards, Arlington and Shannon reach Delhi where they succeed in restoring order. The High Priest Ram, however, lays his plans for a general uprising and on Sunday, May 10, 1857, the famous massacre at Meerut, which started the nationwide mutiny, commences. Thousands of English men, women and children are slain. Ram and his followers make their way to Delhi. At the sight of the priest, the Sepoy troops turn upon their white officers and slay them. At the first sign of danger, Arlington flees. Shannon, however, rallies the white troops. The soldiers are finally compelled to make a stand about the arsenal. The women and children beg Shannon to slay them, should the natives prove victorious. Knowing the terrible fate which must befall them should they fall into the hands of the Sepoys. Shannon consents. The women and children are placed in the magazine of the arsenal, while Shannon makes preparations to destroy the building in event of defeat. The soldiers are beaten back. The victorious natives rush into the arsenal to capture the women inside. Shannon lights a fuse leading to the powder stored in the building. The awful explosion which follows rends the walls asunder, bringing death to the hundreds in the building. Arlington makes his way back to Calcutta where he informs General Kimber that Shannon and his men have been slain by the natives. Believing her sweetheart dead, Dora is grief-stricken. Arlington attempts to console her but is spurned. By a miracle, Shannon has escaped death in the explosion which destroyed the arsenal. Slaying a native, the lieutenant disguises himself in the man's clothes. After many days he reaches Calcutta. Dora is overjoyed to see her lover alive and uninjured. Fearing lest his cowardice be revealed, Arlington implores Shannon to keep silent. The latter consents. General Kimber marches upon Delhi with his entire army. A few days after her father's departure, Dora decides to follow. Accompanied by a bodyguard of natives, she sets out for Delhi despite Surrada's pleas. The treacherous natives, however, deliver the girl into the hands of Shah, king of Delhi. Inflamed by her beauty, the king decides to make her the queen of his harem. Overwhelmed by the fate which menaces her mistress, Surrada slays the man guarding their room and escapes from the palace. The native girl makes her way out of the city to the British encampment. While she informs General Kimber of his daughter's plight, the murder of the guard is discovered. Dora is thrown into a dungeon to await torture and death. Kimber, Arlington and Shannon are horrified upon hearing Surrada's awful news. Shannon and Arlington beg to be allowed to go to the girl's rescue. Because of his seniority in rank, the honor falls to Arlington. Accompanied by Surrada, the man hastens towards the city gates. The two arrive a moment too late and are locked out of the city tor the night. Unwilling to return to camp, Arlington and Surrada enter the Temple nearby where they determine to hide for the night. There the captain sees the great diamond which forms the eye of the idol Brahma. Filled with greed, Arlington forgets his mission and unknown to Surrada, pries the jewel from its resting place. Umballa, a servant in the Temple, sees the thief at work, and is knocked unconscious after a struggle with the Englishman. To hide the jewel, Arlington returns to camp where he announces his failure. Unable to sleep, Shannon strolls beyond the lines. Learning of Arlington's failure upon his return, the man denounces him as a coward. Later, the thief wraps the diamond in a cloth and gives it to Surrada. He tells the native girl that it contains his mother's jewels. The following morning. Ram, Umballa and a number of natives arrive at the camp and inform General Kimber of the theft of Brahma's eye. Having promised that the sacred edifice should not be molested, the British commander vows to find and punish the offender. Umballa sees Shannon. Mistaking him for his assailant the native accuses the lieutenant of the theft. Circumstances point to Shannon as the vandal. Kimber orders him to his tent. Shortly afterwards, the British troops make an assault upon Delhi. While the attack is going on, Surrada suspecting the truth, comes to Shannon and gives him the package. Heart-broken because of her lover's deception, and fearing the curse of Brahma, the girl suicides before Shannon can interfere. The lieutenant sees that the British are being repulsed. He rejoins his men. Calling for volunteers Shannon announces his intention of blowing up the city gates. Accompanied by three men, the lieutenant crawls to the gates where he plants several sacks of powder A few moments later, the huge doors are torn from their hinges by a terrific explosion. Led by Shannon, the British enter the city and sweep all before them. King Shah hears this news with dismay. Furious, he determines to wreak vengeance upon the daughter of the British commander. Dora is tied to the muzzle of a loaded cannon. After lighting the fuse the natives flee. The maddened rebels make a last stand in the city streets. A number of them surround Arlington. Facing death, the man's courage comes to the surface. Six of the natives fall by his sword. A spear thrust through his breast brings Arlington low. Attracted by a woman's screams for help, Shannon and his men dash into the palace courtyard. The gallant soldier sees his sweetheart's awful danger. Slashing her bonds, Shannon pulls Dora aside. An instant later, a terrific roar appraises the fainting girl of the awful danger from which she had been rescued in the nick of time.

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

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Masha, a young Russian emigrant traveling to the U.S., is saved from an officer's advances by civil engineer David Harding. Upon landing in America, J. J. Walton, a self-made political boss and contractor, pursues Masha and hires her as his maid. She leaves after the first night, but becomes his mistress after Walton promises her an education and marriage. Sometime later, David defeats Walton in a bidding war for a contract to build a dam in Arizona. Intent on ruining David, Walton dynamites the dam while Masha distracts the engineer. Although Walton takes refuge, he is drowned in the floodwaters. David and Masha survive, and confess their mutual love.

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Foster sister of the Duchess d'Aubeterre, Madeline, marries Jean Renaud, a French soldier, and has a daughter named Adrienne. Five years later, on a battlefield, Renaud is entrusted by the Count de Moray with jewels and papers proving that Adrienne is his heir. After Moray's death, Renaud gives everything to Madeline and then returns to the battle. Lazarre, who had followed Renaud, then goes to Madeline and demands the jewels. Madeline's refusal awakens Adrienne, but Madeline quiets her by saying that her father is home. When Madeline still refuses Lazarre's request, he stabs her. Later, Adrienne tells the neighbors that her father had just been with her mother. Renaud is sentenced to prison for life, after which the Duchess adopts Adrienne. Many years later, Adrienne re-encounters her father and eventually the true murderer is revealed and Renaud is pardoned.

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

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A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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Ailing King Leopold sends his daughter Princess Alexia of Osia to a exclusive American girls' boarding school as a commoner, so that she can know the meaning of true freedom. When she meets young millionaire Bob Carewe, they fall in love, but Alexia is summoned home because of a conspiracy of the king's advisers threatening to replace him with the Duchess Sylvia. When Bob reads of Osia's financial difficulties, he goes to help with a loan, though he realizes she cannot marry him if she is ever to rule. When the king dies suddenly, it causes a rebellion among the people. Although Bob bravely fights against the conspirators and nobly helps a bleeding rival for Alexia's affections, the duchess is proclaimed queen. She orders Alexia's arrest, but Bob, using one of the conspirators as a shield, escapes with Alexia to the border, now they are happily free to marry.

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

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At the opening of the story Daniel Slade is working in a mine and, though not positively in need, he and his wife live in comparative poverty. Slade is a man filled with ambition, but his wife is contented and absorbed in her love for her husband. By a fortunate accident he discovers a gold mine, and with his newly acquired wealth, immediately sets out to make a position of influence for himself in the world. His aggressive personality and ability at once attract attention, these qualities being combined with wealth, and the possibilities of a political career are pointed out to him by Senator Strickland. Slade has no sooner established himself in his new surroundings than he comes to feel that his wife does not know how to take advantage of their altered circumstances. She is still the same simple, home-loving person. In the course of time he becomes attracted to the Senator's daughter, who, like himself, is of ambitious temperament. In fact, though she does not love him, she agrees to marry him if he obtains a divorce from his wife. The concluding episodes of the story show how the wife rescues her husband from his unpardonable folly, and how, much chastened, he finally persuades her to come back to him. He has now become the chief executive of the State and Mary at last takes her place as the Governor's Lady.

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Despite her love for penniless Dirck Mead, Lorraine marries wealthy Aaron Roth to save her family from financial ruin. Roth is a swindler and when trying to escape the wrath of the law, he jumps from a ship and is declared dead. Mead, now a diamond magnate, finds Lorraine in New York, marries her and takes her to live in South Africa, where, as it happens, Roth, who survived his leap from the ship, is currently conducting his shady business. Roth discovers Lorraine's situation and threatens her with exposure, and Lorraine is about to leave Mead when she learns of Roth's plan to steal a valuable diamond that Mead is escorting to the city. Summoning help, Lorraine reaches Mead in time to thwart the robbery. Roth is killed in the fight, and Lorraine is spared the task of resolving her marital status.