The Auteur's Selection In the Shadow of The Iron Trail: Cult Guide

Dir: Roy William Neill

On an ocean liner returning to America, Alison Landis, an actress, avoids paying duty on a valuable pearl necklace by hiding it in the lining of a hat which she sends to Benjamin Staff, a playwright. The necklace is being trailed by a crook who is related to another passenger, Eleanor Searle, who also has a striped hatbox similar to the one recovered by the unsuspecting playwright. The crook bears an uncanny resemblance to Eleanor's father. The two bandboxes are inadvertently switched at the dock. The crook discovers the switch, and pursues Eleanor to a cabin on a deserted island where she fights for her life, but is saved by her father and Benjamin. The crook is killed, the jewels are destroyed, and plans for marriage between Eleanor and Benjamin ensue.

Dir: Victor Heerman

In the gold fields of the Canadian Northwest, a man is falsely accused of a crime and determines that a lookalike is responsible.

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

Dir: Roy William Neill

Rita Hackett's father has unscrupulously gained possession of an old southern mansion. The owner, Randolph Manners, is evicted and takes up residence in the training quarters on the estate. It is there when Rita meets Randolph and learns of her father's deeds. Rita disguises herself as a jockey and enters a a race, determined to help Randolph reclaim what is his.

Dir: Roy William Neill

Catherine Bush, a lowly office worker, uses her attractive personality and her perseverance to lift herself to a high place in society, eventually becoming Lady Catherine.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of They're Off perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Roy William Neill

After being dishonored by noted artist Fielding Powell, struggling model Paula Lee resigns herself to living as his mistress until a misunderstanding causes their separation. Paula meets and falls in love with Powell's old friend Dr. Melfi, and they marry and are happy until Powell pays a visit to Dr. Melfi and is astonished when Paula is introduced to him as Melfi's wife. His old desires aroused, he forces a promise from her to visit him that night. In his home, he demands that their old relationship be continued as the price of his silence. Paula tries to escape and is struggling with him when Melfi's servant, desiring to avenge his sister's honor, which had been destroyed by Powell, plunges a knife into the artist's heart. Dr. Melfi is summoned and arrives in time to hear Powell confess that he was responsible for Paula's predicament.

Dir: Perry N. Vekroff

While in New York seeking work, Cynthia, a young English girl, meets Bruce Crittenden and George Rhode who introduce her to Madame Savarin, a wealthy woman seeking a companion for a sea voyage. She hires Cynthia, and while at sea, Cynthia discovers that Bruce is the ship's purser. Cynthia's father was a famous wireless expert who taught her how to read code, which enables her to overhear a plot to sink the ship and steal Mrs. Savarin's jewels. Soon after, the crew mutinies, and while Rhode and Bruce fight the crew, Cynthia sounds the alarm. As he is attempting to foil the jewel thieves, Bruce falls overboard, and Cynthia swims to his rescue with the jewels strapped to her back. They are rescued by a government patrol boat and taken back to New York where Cynthia and Bruce are married.

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

Dir: Roy William Neill

French scientists are developing a secret weapon, a gun that uses the mysterious powers of X-ray and ultra violet rays, called a "Ray Rifle." Miss Dalton played the girl that would protect it from German spies.

Dir: Roy William Neill

New bride Winnie Davis wants to buy her husband Elmer a birthday present, but she can't because he insists that all household expenses be charged to him, and she doesn't want him finding out what she's buying him. She decides to make money by using the family car as a taxi, puts on a "chauferette" uniform and soon is attracting many new customers--mostly male. Matters become more complicated when a jealous former suitor of Winnie tries to ruin her husband by putting financial pressure on Elmer so Winnie will come back to him..

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

Dir: Roy William Neill

A poor girl determines to right the wrong done to her father, and will let no one stand in her way.

Dir: Roy William Neill

Young Gloria O'Connell falls in love with her neighbor, James Oliver. She is sent to a small town to stay with her three spinster aunts, while James becomes a newspaper reporter and arranges to write a story on the town and its large old-maid population. James pursues overweight "Hippo" Harger, a rival for Gloria's affections, and challenges him to a duel. When James' newspaper story appears, the disgruntled old maids hunt down the author. In a fit of anger, Gloria decides to marry "Hippo," but James rescues her at the office of the justice of the peace. The youthful lovers continue their relationship with their parents' understanding.