Essential Cult Cinema Drawn from the Same DNA as The Mark of Cain: ...

Dir: George Fitzmaurice

Mrs. O'Brien, newly rich, vainly aspires to social prominence, an ambition in which her common, chess-loving husband does not sympathize. Pretty Mary Ellen, the daughter, and a Japanese butler constitute the household. One day Mrs. O'Brien sends out invitations to a party which the Van Dusens and Van Astorbilts refuse to attend. While she is mourning this loss, an automobile breaks down in front of the house, and a slender young man who introduces himself as Lord Algernon Ste. Clair seeks refuge, while his car awaits the repairman. Mrs. O'Brien, scenting a noble match, promptly invites him to stay for the party. Meanwhile a rough-looking character alights from an automobile, and after a careful inspection of the house, rejoins his friends and disappears. An hour later, immaculately groomed, he enters the club of which O'Brien is a member, and finding the solitary old Irishman playing a lonesome game of chess, offers himself for partner. In this way he obtains an invitation to attend Mary Ellen's party, in due time the guests arrive, consisting of the good-hearted but illiterate Flanagans, their two children and the stranger. There immediately commences a vigorous suit for the hand of pretty Mary Ellen on the part of Lord Algy and the stranger. Mary Ellen shows her preference for the stranger. That night weird things happen. The stranger who has been invited to spend the night, slips into the library in time to see O'Brien much excited over the appearance of a white hand that has deftly poked through the portieres in search of the electric switch. In another instant the stranger throws O'Brien to the floor, and Lord Algy in hand, stands over them. There is a scuffle and the stranger disappears, gun in hand, through the French window. An hour later Lord Algy, in his room, cautiously draws a string of pearls from his pocket, only to turn and face the gun of the stranger, who raises his head from back of Lord Algy's bed. There follows explanations and the stranger shows his badge as a government secret service agent, long in search of the crook known as Lord Algy. O'Brien rejoices and Mary Ellen slips her hand into that of the "stranger's," while Mrs. O'Brien, thoroughly disgusted, hurls a volume of "Who's Who in Society" into the waste basket.

Dir: George Fitzmaurice

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

In one of the Roman colonies in North Africa lives with her father a beautiful young Christian girl, Nydia. A high priest of Jupiter, one of the principal Roman gods, sees her and desires to have her for one of the vestal virgins. He sends his attendants to seize her but is prevented by the passing of Caius, the son of the Roman governor. Caius is very much impressed by the beauty of Nydia and after leaving her safely at her home rides on to the court. The high priest, angry at being so easily thwarted, takes some of his attendants and goes to the home of Nydia to seize her. They are not successful although in the struggle Nydia's father is killed and their home is burned. Nydia escapes to the desert and hides in a cave. A shepherd passes and one of his sheep is carried off and eaten by a lion. The cave where Nydia hides is the lair of the lion and she is terrified as he comes in and stands by a rock near her and roars at her. The shepherd goes to the city to get help to kill the wild beast and lands at the palace of Caius just as a large company are celebrating the arrival of the young woman whom Caius is to marry. He leaves the feast and goes to help the shepherd. They find the cave, capture the lion and at the same time discover Nydia. Caius takes Nydia to his father's house and declares his intention of keeping her under his care. His father objects, she being a Christian. In spite of protests Caius places Nydia in a home, where he goes to visit her. On one of his visits he is followed by the high priest and his father. The high priest enters the room and accuses Nydia of seducing Caius. In a struggle that follows Caius kills the high priest. His father has Caius carried off by two attendants. He accuses Nydia of the crime. In spite of her protests she is condemned to be thrown to the lions. Caius' betrothed tells him of the event and he rushes to the lions' den to help Nydia. His betrothed, who has been instrumental in stirring up trouble, opens the door of the den to watch with satisfaction the end of her rival. Caius sees the door open and seizing Nydia, makes his escape. They manage to escape to the desert, where Caius adopts Christianity.

Dir: George Fitzmaurice

A young Japanese woman named Yuki runs away and becomes a geisha girl in order to escape marriage to the lecherous Baron Nekko. Her brother's American friend, John Bigelow, falls in love with Yuki and marries her, but Ido, the marriage broker, who will lose a large commission if the wedding of Yuki and the baron is canceled, breaks into the American consulate, murders the consul, and steals the marriage certificate. When Yuki's brother arrives home from America, he is informed that she and John are living together unlawfully. To save her husband from her brother's vengeance, Yuki resolves to marry Baron Nekko, but Ido, having been mistreated by the baron, finally admits his guilt and returns the marriage certificate.

Dir: George Fitzmaurice

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

Steaming across the Atlantic, loaded with passengers of every description, came one of those mammoth ocean liners headed for New York. On board was supposed to be the Hawk, a notorious international thief. Diana Curran, secretary for a wealthy society woman, received a proposal of marriage from Desselway, an unknown on board. She loved him, but the memory of the past interfered. Diana's father labored unsuccessfully to sell his engravings. His work was not in demand, until one day to him came a stranger who, posing as a member of the Treasury Department, gave him a commission to make duplicate plates of government notes. While her father was working on the plates, Wrenshaw, the supposed treasury man, made love to Diana, and they were married, but on the morning of the marriage the secret service raided the rooms of Pinna's father, and in the ensuing fight her father was killed and she believed that she had killed a man herself. Arriving at the country estate, she found that Wrenshaw, whom she had left the day after her marriage, was employed as secretary to her mistress' husband. Also Desselway was invited for the house party. Then things began to happen around a necklace. Wrenshaw's gang were among the servants. Desselway secured the necklace by force. An escaped counterfeiter, one whom Wrenshaw double crossed years back, in the neighborhood. In the chase Wrenshaw was killed by a shot through the window, Desselway's real character was revealed, and Diana saw the man whom she thought she had killed.

Dir: George Fitzmaurice

Marsh, a draughtsman in the gun factory of John Durant, is swindled by Edward Pinkney, Durant's general manager, out of the huge royalty to be paid should a gun of Marsh's invention prove a success. Pinkney loves Maisie, but is far outrivaled by Lieut. Somers, U.S.N. Somers also has invented a gun which he gives to be cast by the Durant Iron Works, and which, if successful, will do Pinkney out of his expected graft on the Marsh invention. Pinkney takes good care that the Somers gun is "killed" in the making. He then misrepresents Somers to Maisie and her father, and though Maisie loves the Lieutenant, she feels she must give him up. Accompanied by her mother and Pinkney, she goes in the Durant yacht for a cruise in Turkish waters, formally engaging herself to Pinkney. The Durant yacht hits a mine, and in the rush to leave her, Maisie is trapped in the wireless room. With the water surging up about her shoulders, and every means of escape barred she sends out the S.O.S. signal taught her by Lieut. Somers. The lieutenant, aboard a U.S. cruiser, protecting American interests in Turkey, gets the signal, and arrives at the side of the doomed ship just in time to make a sensational rescue. Here follow a mass of complications as the plot gradually resolves itself to its end.

Dir: George Fitzmaurice

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

During World War I, a group of German saboteurs plot to blow up an ammunition dump in New York City. A secret agent sets out to stop them.

Dir: George Fitzmaurice

Suspected of smuggling, Eileen Caverly boards the Connecticut Limited, followed by a detective who is trailing her. Also on the train is Bob Guerton, banished from his father's household for stealing to pay his wine bills. Bob is accompanied by Helen Raymond, whom he married while in a drunken stupor. Helen, becoming disgusted at his actions, confides in Eileen and when the train is wrecked and Helen killed, Eileen poses as Bob's wife to avoid the detective. Bob, injured, is brought to the hospital accompanied by Eileen. His mother visits him and, learning that they were married by a Justice of the Peace, forces them to be married by a minister. With Eileen's support, Bob becomes successful and they are blessed with a son. A reconciliation with Bob's father is effected and all goes well until Cromwel Crow, Eileen's former guardian and a smuggler, is released from jail. Crow visits Eileen and demands $5000 for his silence. Bob hears his wife struggling, enters her room and in the ensuing fight, Crow is killed. Eileen's secret dies with her adversary, freeing her to continue her life.

Dir: George Fitzmaurice

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

Kept in seclusion by her alcoholic father, Peter McCormack, Innocent knows nothing of life beyond her own house in Mukden, China. Following McCormack's death, Innocent is placed in the care of his close friend, John Wyndham. John promises to protect the girl, but when the two visit France, he resumes his gambling habit, while she, awestruck by the glitter and excitement of the Parisian social scene, soon becomes infatuated with Louis Doucet, the handsome but unscrupulous owner of a gambling establishment. Louis convinces Innocent to run away with him to the Riviera, but John finally locates them in Nice and shoots her lover. Having fallen in love with his ward, John returns to China, alone and heartbroken. He attempts suicide but recovers from his wound, whereupon Innocent, who now realizes her love for John, follows him to Mukden and agrees to marry him.

Dir: George Fitzmaurice

District Attorney Graham starts a crusade against the city's gambling houses. Judson Flagg, a lawyer, owns a notorious joint and knows that nothing can stop Graham once he gets his hand in. He then enters the fight armed with every weapon an unscrupulous man can employ. Through Mrs. Cuyler Hastings, a society woman who owes him a gambling debt, Flagg introduces Joe Hunter, his aide, to Aline Graham, daughter of the District Attorney. Hunter, polished, dashing and handsome, is seemingly devoted to Aline, and manages to marry her secretly. Later, in a raid on Flagg's place, Hunter shoots Graham and runs to Aline with the plea that unless she gives him money he will divulge the whole affair, saying that the marriage was a fake to aid some political enemies of her father. He leaves with her necklace, but she writes to him at Flagg's office begging him not to desert her. The gambler gets the letter and arranges an interview before a cunningly concealed camera, with the hope of getting her in a compromising position. How she is finally rescued and her fair name saved makes a charming ending to this drama.

Dir: George Fitzmaurice

Rozika is a Hungarian girl who can sing quite nice. She goes to the place known as the United States with her brother whose name happens to be Young Carl. Rozika marries a chap named Trevor and a predicament ensued after the Great War comes knocking at the door.