Cinematic Discoveries Following the Footsteps of The Island of Regeneration: Cult Guide

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

Herbert DuBois, a young medical student in Paris, falls in love with and marries Annette, a grisette. They do not get along well, however, and he later secures a separation from her. He returns to America to find his father greatly worried over impending financial ruin. The blow falls and DuBois Senior kills himself, leaving Herbert to care for his mother and sister Lydia. Some time later he falls in love with Florence, the daughter of the family lawyer, and his friend Milton is fascinated by Lydia. M. Picard, a French milliner, pays Herbert a visit and informs him of Annette's death; he and Florence are then married. A year later, Herbert has been promoted to the head of the medical college and he learns that he is soon to become a father. Annette has moved to America. While DuBois is preparing to perform an autopsy on a young woman who died suddenly, he discovers, to his horror, that it is Annette and she is not dead, but in a cataleptic trance, a disease to which her family was subject. Then the supreme temptation comes to him to kill her with a slight movement of his scalpel and thus remove forever the dark past, but his better nature conquers, and after calling the others' attention to the body, he goes out. Restoratives are quickly applied and Annette comes back to life. Then follows an agony of suspense for Herbert. Will she live and spoil his present happiness, or will she die? After what seems eternity, one of the doctors informs him that Annette has died, and rushing up to his wife's room, he is stopped by the nurse who tells him that a son has been born to them.

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Ruth, a young orphan living with her foster father, Jim Vance, a rough mountaineer, who had no idea of life and how it should be lived. Jules La Clerc, also a mountaineer, of whom nature might be generous enough to say, "he was a man." Through a mysterious cry in the night Jules makes the acquaintance of Ruth. After caring for her through her great sorrow, Jules promises to take her to his friend Mackenzie, at the Du Bois Settlement, where her life will be a continuous ray of sunshine. She refuses, saying there is a shadow. At the Du Bois Settlement, the union of Jules and Ruth takes place. Six years elapse, and God has given them his greatest gift, a baby girl. Jim Vance, through his usual bad habits, is ordered out of La Croix Settlement. Now Jules and Mackenzie become partners, in order to enlarge the interests of the trading post. At midnight a sound is heard by Ruth at the cash drawer. As she goes to investigate, she finds it is Jim Vance, who tells her that if she squeals, he will betray her secret. The next morning Mackenzie makes the discovery and blames Jules for stealing the money. A struggle takes place, in which Ruth intercedes, saying that she saw a man leaving the scene of the theft. Jules disbelieves Ruth and goes in search of the man. At the village tavern, Jules finds his man, Jim Vance, and starts a chase. The darkness of the night causes Jules to lose his trail. The following morning Vance, lighting a cigarette, causes a fire in the woods, which puts Jules on his trail again. After a strenuous chase the men meet face to face. Jules, victorious, faces sunshine with his wife and child forever.

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

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Due to the abuse Sandy Morley suffers at the hands of his stepmother, he leaves his home in the mountains of North Carolina. After wandering for a number of days, he falls exhausted in front of the home of Markham, a rich factory owner from the North. Sandy appeals to Markham, who offers to send the boy through college. After Sandy's graduation, he is sent to his old home to start building a new factory. Lansing, Markham's scapegrace nephew, becomes jealous of the position Sandy holds and in revenge steals Sandy's sweetheart Cynthia Starr away from him. After their marriage, however, a girl with whom Lansing had an affair while at college confronts Cynthia. A divorce is then granted and Cynthia returns to marry Sandy.

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

Nellie Waldron, a light-hearted young girl, living on a prosperous farm with a kindly uncle and aunt, becomes engaged to Tom Blaine, a telegraph operator. Blaine is transferred to a little wayside station, far removed from all other habitation, and before going persuades Nellie to marry him. At first, love for her husband absorbs Nellie's whole thought, but gradually the intense loneliness at the deserted post begins to pall on her and she longs for companionship and her old home. She meets Stephen Carter, Jr., a wealthy idler, traveling about with his father. During his enforced stop at the little station, Carter amuses himself by flirting with Nellie and finds her an eager listener to his stories of life in the big city. However, when he tries to persuade her to go with him she refuses. After his departure, Nellie is more lonely and dissatisfied than ever. Tom, who is perfectly contented, cannot understand her attitude, and resents her longing for other companionship. He upbraids her for complaining and hot words are spoken. Tom arrogantly tells her if she does not like the life, she may return home and remain there. Heartbroken, Nellie goes back to her uncle's house, Stephen again meets her and tries to induce her to go to the city with him. While he is pleading with her, John, who has somewhat repented his hasty action, enters, his suspicions, previously aroused by a note Stephen had written to Nellie, are confirmed when he sees the two together. Denouncing Nellie, he tells her he is through with her and she may go with Stephen. Cast out by her aunt, Nellie leaves for the city to strive to forget her unhappiness. She struggles, but without success. One day she is knocked over by an auto driven by Flynn, who she had known at the Wayside station. Through Flynn, Stephen is informed of her whereabouts and, unknown to her, he secures a position for her and gradually gets her into his debt. Unhappy among her uncongenial associates, Nellie realizes that life surrounded by gayety and people can be equally as lonely as life at a deserted wayside station. Longing for John, she writes, begging forgiveness, and hinting at a great secret. Stephen, feeling that he has waited long enough, reveals the truth of her position to Nellie and demands payment for his favors. While she struggles against his advances, the door is opened and John rushes in. Stephen is thrown out, and husband and wife realize that love is the only thing in the world.

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On the third floor of the apartment house at 003 Findlet Avenue lived Mr. and Mrs. Henry Tinkelpaw. The neighbors said it was a shame the way he neglected his poor wife, but Tillie's avoirdupois seemed to belie the rumor. Directly above lived the Pipkins. In this case, however, it was the young wife whose numerous clubs called her frequently from her fireside, affording gossip for the neighbors. However, unmindful of the discussion of their affairs, Tillie continued to cook dainty dishes for her unappreciative husband, while Luella Pipkin found fault with everything her meek husband did to please her. For several weeks it happened that Tinkelpaw and Luella would accidentally meet at the door, and naturally would walk down the street together. However, on one occasion where Mr. Tinkelpaw had been less appreciative than usual, and departed leaving Tillie in tears, she went to the window, hoping he might relent and throw her a kiss. At the same time Luella was out of sorts on account of having lost at bridge, and when she left, Pipkin also went to the window to see if she had really gone. What they saw affected them like a cold plunge. Both of them wrote to their faithless mates informing them that all was over; and on starting out into the world met in the hallway. Each recognized in the other a kindred soul; so linking arms, they set forth. On Luella's return she found the note, and frantically started in search of her husband. Tinkelpaw had also found a similar communication; so together they left in search of the truants. After following a devious trail they came upon them as they were attempting to use a photographer's automobile as an ocean liner. As the bedraggled Tillie is enfolded in her repentant husband's arms she winks slyly at Pipkin who is being fondled by a much chastened Luella.

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

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Upon finding out his faithless wife has died, millionaire Bide Bennington decides that it is time to return to New York from abroad. He arrives on Christmas Eve, and confronted by his desolate, empty home, decides to continue traveling across the continent. After he leaves, a robber breaks into Bennington's house and steals his fur coat and wallet. The burglar is then ambushed by thugs, who kill him and throw his body into the river. When the coat is found by the pier and Bennington is presumed dead, the thug's leader, Richard Glendon conceives a plan. Glendon approaches Constance Brent and threatens to expose her father, an escapee from a English prison, unless she impersonates Bennington's widow and claims the estate. To save her father, Constance reluctantly agrees, and when Bennington reads of his own suicide, he decides to return incognito and investigate. Impressed with Bennington's resemblance to the supposed dead man, Glendon enlists him in his scheme to collect the estate. Bennington gladly complies, outwits the crook and falls in love with Constance. When Constance receives word of her father's death, she confesses all to Bennington, and after Glendon's arrest, becomes Mrs. Bide Bennington in reality.

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When Vivien and her husband, Pierce, come Into their new home, she comes face to face with her husband's secretary, Bolles, and a shadow is cast over her happiness. Bolles is a dope fiend, supported by the charity of his half-brother, McGregor, a man of splendid character, and holds over Vivien and McGregor the fear of scandal because of a trap he had laid for Pierce and Vivien, by which he succeeded in compromising them. McGregor meanwhile meets and falls in love with Alicia, Pierce's young sister, and Bolles, also being in love with her, threatens to reveal everything, in revenge. Through a peculiar combination of circumstances, Bolles, one night half crazed by the drug, shoots Alicia by mistake, and McGregor, to protect Vivien, who was at his home at the time of the shooting, confesses he is guilty. Pierce does not believe his friend is guilty and quietly investigates, confident that McGregor is shielding someone. He learns that it is Vivien, and heartbroken, he refuses to listen to her explanations and determines on a separation. Rolles, whose mind is giving way, sees the trouble he has wrought, and worried over Alicia's condition, which is serious, kills himself. Then the whole story comes out and, receiving proof of his wife's innocence in both instances. Pierce begs for forgiveness, and the two are reunited in complete understanding and love. Alicia recovers slowly, and McGregor is her constant attendant. Eventually the two find happiness when he declares his love, and they are married.

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The venal De Witt Clinton forces Byron, a desperately poor young student in his power, to break into the apartment of the dancer Marietta in order to steal letters in her possession that compromise him. In the struggle for the letters, Byron kills Marietta and then escapes. Clinton had wanted to hide his affair with Marietta from Virginia Farrell, the Judge's daughter with whom he is in love. When Clinton learns that his old college chum, attorney William Ramsdell, is also pursuing Virginia, he drugs the attorney, ruins his reputation and then marries the heartbroken Virginia. Broken in spirits, Ramsdell leads a life of desolation until he finally pulls himself together and becomes the foreman of a lumber camp. One day, Virginia and Clinton arrive to vacation at a nearby lodge, and Ramsdell confronts his tormentor. The ensuing fight between the two men is abruptly terminated by a shot from Byron who, stricken with remorse, revolts against Clinton. Clinton's death then frees Virginia to resume her love for Ramsdell.