Underground Favorites Parallel to the Artistry of The Leopard Woman...

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

Charlie Everard elopes with chorus girl Mary Smith against the will of his father, and Everard, Sr., has his son shanghaied aboard a sailing vessel. Believing herself deserted, Mary joins her chorus friend, Gwen, and refuses an offer from Everard's lawyer to have the marriage annulled. Charlie returns to her but reproaches her for associating with the theater set. After the birth of their child, alone and facing poverty, she surrenders the baby to the grandparents. Three years later, however, Everard, Sr., experiences a change of heart, and mother, father, and child are united.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

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

When newlywed Robert Ellis suspects that his missing wife is having a clandestine affair, he appeals to his friend, Pat Murphy, to find her. Pat's search leads him to the Waldorf-Astoria where he finds a woman named Edna Ellis and, assuming that she is Ellis' errant wife, kidnaps her and returns her to Ellis. Complications arise when the real Mrs. Ellis arrives home and discovers another woman. After several comic incidents, Pat falls in love with Edna and Ellis learns that his wife's secret rendezvous was with her sister.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

Geoffrey West is smitten by Marion Larned, whom he sees in a London restaurant reading the personal or "agony" column, and places an ad asking her for an introduction. Her response that he must write her a letter each day for a week to prove that his acquaintance would be interesting prompts him to write her a fascinating tale about the murder of an English army captain. When Geoffrey finally confesses to the murder, Marion tries to protect him from the law, but with the sudden outbreak of World War I, her father puts her on the next boat back to the United States. Geoffrey catches the boat and there confesses to Marion that the whole story was a fiction invented to win her love.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

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

American newspaper reporter Jim Crocker's madcap escapades in London earn him notoriety and the nickname "Piccadilly Jim." When he overhears his American cousin-by-marriage, Ann Chester, giving her candid opinion of him, he decides to return to America to try to reform. He meets Ann on the boat, using another name. Unable to find work in New York, he goes to his step-aunt Mrs. Peter Pett's home to be near Ann, then helps her kidnap pampered cousin Ogden Pett, whose overindulgence has created disruption in the household. The plans fail, despite Ogden's consent to the kidnapping in return for half the ransom money, but Jim succeeds in winning Ann's affections.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

Newland Archer is engaged to May Mingott of a prominent New York family. Shortly after the engagement is announce, Newland finds himself attracted to May's older married cousin Countess Ellen Olenska.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

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

Muriel Gray causes her father so much trouble that he takes out an insurance policy that will cover him for any damages she causes. The insurance company, irritated at Muriel's reckless driving habits, sends one of its agents to marry her, but she sets out to win a confirmed bachelor. The insurance agent is the best man at their wedding.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

Anne Winchester is acquitted in court of murdering her husband, and leaves her Nashville hometown for a small community on Long Island, NY. She moves into a boarding house and changes her name to Wharton. She soon falls for David Brinton, a widower who owns the place, and her affections are reciprocated. Alan Woodward, who is after David's daughter Julia, recognizes Anne and threatens to expose her if she tries to interfere with his pursuit of Julia, as Anne knows he is only after her money. Anne nevertheless warns Julia about Alan, but Julia refuses to listen. Anne decides that stronger measures must be taken to save the daughter of the man she loves.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

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

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Wesley Ruggles

Severely injured in an attempted getaway, safe cracker Slippy McGee is taken in by Father De Rance and nursed back to health by Mary Virginia after his leg is amputated. Under the influence of the kindness shown him, Slippy reforms and falls in love with Mary Virginia, although she intends to marry Lawrence Mayne. When George Inglesby attempts to blackmail Mary Virginia into marrying him, Slippy uses his skill one last time to obtain some incriminating letters from a safe.