Hidden Genre Gems for Fans of The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Cult Guide

Dir: F. Martin Thornton

In Paris an orphan cartoonist loves a man with a mad wife, who dies in time to prevent her marriage to a jilted Comte.

Dir: Alexander Butler

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

In Alberta, Canada, a Cornish emigrant unmasks a rustler posing as the girl's "blind" father.

Dir: Wallace Worsley

Jane Cabot, a working girl whose mother Marion sings in a cabaret and whose father Jim simply loafs, dreams of leaving the slums for a new life. After Jane's mother is discharged, however, Jane is forced to take her place in McGann's saloon, where she attracts the attention of political boss Thomas Dolan and his young assistant, Lee Stevens, who has recently come to New York from the mountains of the West. When Dolan insults Jane, she throws wine in his face, which infuriates Dolan but deeply impresses the idealistic Westerner. Dolan's systematic harassment causes Jane to lose every position she secures, but Lee, believing her unfaithful, returns to the mountains. Meanwhile, Jane's father is convicted of killing a policeman, and on the day he is imprisoned, her mother commits suicide. Lee learns that Jane still loves him and returns to New York just as Dolan is taking the dazed girl to his apartment. The two men engage in a fierce struggle until the police, who have discovered the politician's corruption, enter and arrest Dolan.

Dir: Harley Knoles

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Honor's Cross perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Jim McDonald, the foreman of a shipbuilding plant and head of the labor union, strives to combat the anarchistic propaganda being put forth by Klimoff, the leader of a Bolshevik gang whose goal is to disrupt the country with strikes and anarchy. Despite McDonald's efforts, a strike is called, resulting in chaos. McDonald's child is knocked down by runaway horses abandoned by their striking driver, and dies. Mob scenes take place in America, as well as in Russia. Eventually, the unrest is quelled with an armistice called between Capital and Labor for a year, during which time wages are to be increased to reflect the cost of living, and leaders are to work out a common plan for their mutual advantage. The strikers now realize that they have been pawns of the Bolsheviks and call off the strike, agreeing to the plan.

Dir: Wallace Worsley

New York playwright Vincent Manton invests his entire fortune in stock, to keep his socially ambitious wife Lucille happy, but quickly loses it. Devastated when Lucille angrily elects to divorce him, Vincent moves to Alaska and begins to drink heavily. His sad rendition of "Home Sweet Home" on the piano in Big Dan Johnson's dance hall moves Johnson's foster daughter Rose to pity, and she gently reproaches him for his drinking. Unaware of her relation to Big Dan, Vincent treats Rose like one of the dance hall girls, and as a result, he is beaten senseless. Rose faces rejection for nursing the stranger's wounds, but Vincent falls in love with her, and they are married. Shortly afterward, Vincent strikes gold, and while he is visiting New York to incorporate his mine, he encounters his first wife. Lucille musters all of her charms to regain Vincent, but he soon realizes that she is only desirous of his money and decides to return to the woman who really loves him. Upon his arrival, Rose presents him with a baby son.

Dir: Edgar Jones

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

A mail-order bride arrives at a Maine lumber camp but doesn't like her prospective husband.

Dir: Robert N. Bradbury

A simple country girl, brutally mistreated by her stepfather, awakens first the sympathy, then the love, of The Boy. The Spider, who lusts after The Girl, makes a bargain with the stepfather and takes her to the city where, kept prisoner, she is soon broken in health and spirit. Cast out and near death, she is taken in by The Boy. Following the demise of The Spider, The Boy takes her to church, where he prays, and after many hours she is restored to health.

Dir: Bruno Ziener

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

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Wallace Worsley

Neysa von Igel, who is living with her supposed grandfather Adolph Schmidt, loves America, although she believes herself to be German-born. Unknown to Neysa, when she was three years old, her American-born parents were killed in Germany by Emil Koenig, whose punishment was to be sent to the United States to work in the interest of the government of the Fatherland, and who is now associated with Schmidt in his manufacturing enterprise. Koenig demands that Neysa work in behalf of Germany. She revolts and escapes to the home of David Hale, who had been her grandfather's attorney but who is now in the service of the United States Government. Hale and Neysa are married and depart for France, where the girl again encounters Koenig, and, after many thrilling adventures, she kills him in self-defense.

Dir: Wallace Worsley

Wealthy heiress Diane Westfall, bored with her life, hops into a green van and sets out to seek adventure. She doesn't know that four men are pursuing her--her cousin Carl, who wants her inheritance; Baron Tregar of the small Balkan country of Houdania, who believes that Diane may be the rightful heir to the Houdanian throne; Prince Ronador, who also believes she may be the heir to the throne but wants to kill her so he can get control of it; and Philip Poynter, a young American friend of Baron Tregar's who has met and fallen in love with Diane, and sets out to protect her.