Editor's Top Picks Following the Footsteps of The Law of Compensation: Cult Guide

Dir: Joseph A. Golden

Senator Rivers of the State of Missouri comes to the United States Senate, and meets Silas Denman, who has been unsuccessful in the prosecution of the Denman Claim, a relic of the Revolutionary War. Denman's daughter, Mabel, who teaches music, meets Mrs. Hillary, a widow, who aids her in many ways. At Mrs. Hillary's home she meets Count von Strahl, and Armstrong, the Secretary of State, at whose home she is introduced to Senator Rivers. Mabel develops a liking for von Strahl. Her father is excited over the prospect of such valuable aid in getting his claim through, and Rivers makes a powerful speech in its favor, incited by regard for Mabel as well as by the justice of the claim. The Senator is stunned by the remark of Mrs. Hillary that Mabel is engaged to von Strahl, but in order to give her a dowry, redoubles his efforts on the Denman bill. The Senator and Mrs. Hillary are on good terms, and learn that Mrs. Armstrong and von Strahl are planning an elopement. The Senator sends Ling Ching, the Chinese Ambassador, to the Armstrong home to intercept Mrs. Armstrong, and before she can get rid of him, her husband arrives, he having been told that von Strahl's carriage had gone to his house. Senator Rivers turns the tables on von Strahl in a neat way, and hurries back to the Senate. By a neat trick he puts the Denman bill through, but is afraid of Mabel's marriage with the Count, as he knows his character. Developments satisfy Mabel as to the rascality of the Count. She realizes that she is in love with Senator Rivers, who in spite of his age, appeals to every particle of her nature. She appreciates the force of his actions regarding Mrs. Armstrong and Count von Strahl, and at the end the Senator has won the claimant as well as the claim.

Dir: Joseph A. Golden

Temptation to cheat comes in the way of a young couple in reward for which the wife can escape from the bitterness of life on $25 per week in a New York suburb, i.e., Staten Island. There are no "classy," well-dressed people in New York south of Thirty-Fourth Street. Jane Reynolds, the aspirant after Fifth Avenue fine feathers thought this way, when the tempter came along and persuaded her to induce her husband to pass on an inferior quality of cement for a great dam then in course of construction. "Bob" Reynolds fell for the bribe and Jane got her fine feathers. The gambling mania got "Bob" and he was financially ruined in double quick time. The bursting of the dam, due to the bad cement, completed the tragedy of "Fine Feathers." The chief culprit, the tempter, committed suicide, and the young couple resolved to commence life all over again and go straight.

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

Dir: Joseph A. Golden

Alice Grayson's uncle develops a wireless torpedo that can be controlled by radio. After he announces his invention to several of his colleagues, two of them murder the scientist, steal the blueprints and prototype, and make plans to sell both to the highest bidder. When Alice discovers the identity of the thieves, the intrepid heroine, with the help of Bob Moore, her two-fisted boyfriend, desperately tries to recover the plans and torpedo before enemy countries can unleash the torpedoes against American ships.

Dir: Joseph A. Golden

An actress with a wild reputation finally settles down to a sedate, pleasant marriage. One of her former lovers, an architect, arrives to disrupt her happiness by renewing their affair. She humiliates this suitor in public with her rejection, and he seeks revenge--revenge that catapults her into tragedy.

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

Dir: Joseph A. Golden

A modern man not only woos one woman but masterfully woos many women.

Dir: Joseph A. Golden

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: Joseph A. Golden

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Joseph A. Golden

Kate Tripler, the motherless uneducated daughter of the proprietor of a small hotel in a western town, is full of sentiment and has a craving for love. Frank Barclay, a young civil engineer, loved by Aline Webster, comes to the town to build a railroad bridge. Kate meets him at her father's hotel and tries to attract his attention, but he disregards her. Frank saves the life of Jim Travers, an engineer on the bridge, and they become friends. Kate, trying to make Frank jealous, flirts with Jim, but only amuses Frank. Frank tells Jim of his love and shows him pictures of Aline and her sister, Alicia, saying nothing of his preference. Jim goes east, meets the girls, falls in love with Alicia, marries her and plans a surprise for Frank. A newspaper makes a mistake and says he has married Aline. She writes to Frank telling him of the error. Kate gets the mail at the hotel, reads the letter and destroys it, giving the paper to Frank, who takes the story as truth, gets drunk, makes love to Kate, out of spite, asks Kate to marry him and after a rush for a license, they are married. Recovering from his drunken fit, he is horrified to find what he has done, and has a quarrel with Kate. Jim and his wife, with Aline and her father, arrive at the town and the mistake is cleared up. Frank leaves the cabin. Kate sees him meet Aline, and is about to shoot her when she hears Aline tell Frank to go back to his wife. Frank's father dies and he takes his wife back to New York with him, where she learns to be more like the people he associates with. Aline flirts with Frank, but Kate keeps on with her efforts to improve. Later, at a new big job in the west, where all are gathered, there is a labor riot. Aline shows cowardice and Kate surprises Frank by her bravery. Kate determines to be fair, tells Frank about the letter, and they quarrel, Frank leaving. Kate sends a note saying she will go out of his life, and Aline leaves one saying that a divorce will make everything all right. Going to the station, Kate sees strikers planning to blow up the works. Aline has an appointment with Frank, keeps it on the bridge, and is ordered away by Kate, who threatens her. Aline flees. Frank sees Kate's danger and calls her to come back. The explosion injures Kate, and as Aline is comforted by her sister, Frank finds Kate in the ruins, sees that she is the better woman, and tells her that it is she he wants, not Aline. Kate knows that her punishment is ended.

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

Dir: Joseph A. Golden

A young girl, reared in luxury, is thrown penniless upon her own resources. She becomes secretary to a great artist, who, in younger and poorer days, married the landlady's daughter. In need of inspiration, the artist turns to his charming secretary. Believing that she loves him, the girl submits, but finds her mistake, when, meeting a flourishing physician, she learns true love. Both the physician and the artist want to marry the girl, the latter promising to get rid of his present encumbrance. Fearing that the physician will learn of her past, the girl refuses his offer of marriage. The artist, having a weak heart, drops dead at her feet upon learning that she does not love him; whereupon the girl becomes the physician's bride. The artist's widow, seeking vengeance, after a protracted discussion between the physician and his wife, secures the position of housekeeper in their home. She plants seeds of jealousy within the wife by telling her the physician loves his adopted child, whom he has brought up from infancy. The wife flies in a rage, charging her husband with infidelity; whereupon the widow, making her revenge complete, reads a diary to husband and wife foolishly kept by the artist, telling of his relations with the former secretary. In her frenzied protestations, the wife also reveals the fact that it was her rejection of his love that caused the death of her lover. Attempting suicide, the wife is prevented by her maid, who shows her the folly of such an act. The wife, impressed by the recital, decides to live down the past, and try to win back her husband's love.

Dir: Joseph A. Golden

Tom, the son of John and Mary Landers, an old-fashioned country couple is in love with a pretty country girl, who is also being courted by Walter Terry. Tom surprises the latter making violent love to her and, crazed with jealousy, strikes Walter and in the fight that ensues Tom accidentally pushes Walter over the edge of a cliff. Fearing that he had killed his rival, Tom leaves the farm for the city. Unable to secure a position there, he appeals to his mother, who sends him money. He finally secures a position with Grant and Co., stockbrokers. The Wall Street fever soon gets the better of him and he tries his luck in the stock market. Being successful in his first venture, he plans to make a fortune. He writes his mother informing her that he has an opportunity to go into a good business for himself and begs of her a loan of $1,000. The devoted mother having faith in Tom's promise of a speedy return of the money, takes the money which they had saved to pay off the mortgage on the farm. Tom loses it in speculations and is ashamed to reply to his mother's appeals for the promised return of the money. Meanwhile, Pa Landers is killed by an accidental discharge of his gun while out hunting. The poor widow is now unable to meet the payment of the mortgage and is forced to leave the old home. Miss Elsa Norman, a society girl in the city, is attacked by a thief, but is rescued by Tom and a close friendship is the result of this incident, which later develops into mutual love. Tom's mother arriving in the city visits him in his office. He is ashamed of her appearance and takes her to a boarding house in the suburbs and asks her not to call on him. Terribly hurt at the indifference of her son, she resolves never to annoy him again. Alone in her grief she is forced to move to a poor tenement house. She visits daily the lobby of Tom's office building, where she is seen one day by Elsa Norman, who in deep sympathy for the poor old woman gives her a bunch of violets, not knowing she is the mother of the man she loves. Ma Landers' money gone, she is in actual want and is overcome one day by weakness and faints in front of the building, where she is picked up by Elsa and her chauffeur and carried to her miserable lodging. There she tells her story to Elsa, who is horrified to learn that the old lady is Tom's mother; Elsa 'phones Tom to come at once and he is brought face to face with the terrible result of the neglect of his mother. Elsa touched by the heroic acceptance of the old lady's sad fate, purchases the old farm and presents it to her. Tom returns to the old homestead and in a touching love scene which follows Ma Landers forgives Tom, who wins back Elsa's love.