Cinematic Discoveries Resonating with the Themes of The Little Adventuress: Cult Guide

Dir: William C. de Mille

The old Atwell home is said to be haunted, and Jeremy Foster, the gardener--who is actually the head of a band of thieves that use the house for a hideout--does his best to keep the superstition alive. Despite the rumors, impoverished sisters Lois and Alice Atwell decide to move into the empty family home. They take possession the same night that Ted Rawson is ordered to explore the place as an initiation rite by his fraternity. That same night, Spud Foster, a member of his uncle's gang, hides there with his stolen loot. In the middle of the night, Lois apprehends Ted and takes him captive, believing that he's a burglar. The noise awakens Spud who, mistaking Lois for a ghost, flees the house. After much confusion, Lois' fears about Ted's character are allayed when he helps fight off the thieves; relieved, she confesses her love to the fraternity man.

Dir: William C. de Mille

We start with the birth of two children "the whole wide world apart," one in a swell house in Washington Square, the other in the slums of New York. We see them on their third birthday; Bob, the rich little boy, surrounded by the presence of love and care ; Jenny, the poor little girl, stealing an apple from a fruit stand. We see them getting their education^ Bob, under the care of a private tutor and Jenny learning to read through stolen glances at the Police Gazette. When they are grown up, Bob Van Dyke and his sister, Beth, now orphaned, are caught in the whirl of a gay social life and are spending the fortune left them by their parents. Jenny, left alone in the world, has been adopted by Dugan, an old crook, who stands in the place of a father to her, and who makes use of her in his illegal calling. The young cracks-man, Kelly, suggests to Dugan that they burglarize a house in Washington Square by putting Jenny through the basement window and have her open the front door for them. Jenny is captured by Bob and is about to turn her over to the police but in questioning her, sees through her girlish beauty, a soul struggling for expression and he determines to try to save her. Jenny, never having heard of right and wrong, is fascinated by the rich young man and when he leaves his money on the table and says that he will go upstairs "until he hears the front door close behind her", she realizes that she has found someone in the world who will trust her. She is about to go when she sees Bob's photograph on the table. She is tempted to steal it but hesitates and leaves fifty cents, her whole fortune, in place of the picture. She then goes out and shuts the door and facing her crook companions, announces that she is going to live straight. Back in the tenement home, she packs her small bundle of clothes and leaves. Two years pass, during which time Jenny has succeeded in making herself an expert dressmaker. She lives alone in a little room and, inspired by Bob's photograph and the memories it recalls, has grown to worship the young man who trusted her, although she has not seen him since. A strike is called in the dress factory and Jenny is let out of work. She saves a little newsboy who has stolen money and who is being pursued by the police and is able to reform him. Penniless, Jenny is finally thrown into the street with her goods and chattels. In the meantime, Bob and Beth have speculated with what is left of their fortune and while down town to pawn some of his sister's jewels, Bob finds Jenny and takes her to his home to have her make clothes for his sister. While there the love of the two young people grows and the difference in their stations is apparently insurmountable. Bob's speculations go wrong and he is tempted to use money belonging to their old nurse. Jenny overhears their plan to use the money and pleads with Bob^not to do this thing for if the speculation goes wrong, he will be a thief. Bob is deaf to her entreaties and puts the money in the safe. Jenny sees her ideal tottering and induces Kelly to enter the house and open the safe for her. She then takes the money and hides it. The next morning the loss is discovered. Detectives find Jenny's finger-prints on the safe and she is arrested but will not tell where the money is, preferring to go to jail rather than let Bob do anything dishonest. Bob realizes this and promises to go straight. Jenny steals away as Bob awaits the impending smash. Bob and Beth are forced to live in a small Harlem flat and Beth marries her wealthy young lover from the smart set . Bob realizes that he had happiness in his hand and let it go and hunts up Jenny. He sees that class does not count and, in spite of Jenny's protests, takes her in his arms.

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

Dir: Charley Chase

A young married couple volunteer to take charge of several orphans after the asylum has burned down. Of course they find their hands full with their troublesome charges.

Dir: William C. de Mille

Luigi Riccardo, the proprietor of a marionette theater in New York's Little Italy, eagerly anticipates the arrival of his wife Maria and daughter Tessa, whom he has not seen in five years. Luigi dreams of becoming an American citizen, but because he refuses to make graft payments to Regan, the ward boss, he is informed that he will not receive his naturalization papers. When Regan orders Dr. Ross, an Ellis Island physician, to classify Maria and Tessa as unfit to enter the country, Luigi becomes wild with grief. Newspaper reporter Sam Potts learns of the Italian's misfortune and, through local prizefighter Bump Rundle, offers Regan a phony bribe in exchange for Luigi's papers. Regan accepts and Sam exposes him publicly, enabling Luigi to welcome his wife and daughter as American citizens.

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

Dir: Unknown Director

The Judge needs a present for his wife's birthday, so Harry suggests a new corset. They go to the shop, but he's so embarrassed to ask the saleslady he hides in a phone booth.Harry goes in, but finds a GUY wearing one, and runs out.They both dress as women to get back in, but Mrs. Rummy gets there and chases him out.

Dir: William C. de Mille

During the Great War, German and Japanese spies face off in the United States.

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

Dir: William C. de Mille

Mirandy, the daughter of a laundress, scrubs floors in an opera house. Before she can marry the handsome organist for the opera, she decides she must improve her social standing.

Dir: William C. de Mille

An island ordeal: A woman chooses a count over an alcoholic doctor. The envious count poisons her but performs a life-saving blood transfusion, costing his life. She has the count's baby and ultimately remarries the rehabilitated doctor.

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

Dir: William C. de Mille

Based on the 1915 Colorado miners strike. Warren Harcourt, the coal company manager, comes to the scene. This causes a chain of events that will change the current status quo.

Dir: William C. de Mille

Deciding that there is money in cows, young New Yorker Dick Tavis buys a Western ranch; when the novelty has worn off he decides that there is also monotony. Then he falls in love with a girl on a calendar and takes a new interest in life, particularly after he discovers who the girl is. The fact that her uncle swindled him on the ranch does not matter. He figures he can take care of the uncle, and he does, but not until he has been forced to masquerade as a woman and have half the men at a fashionable resort fall in love with him.