Hand-Picked Alternatives Movies That Echo the Spirit of The Mark of...

Dir: Fred Niblo

Journalist Betsy Thorne travels from New York to Virginia to cover a story about the disappearance of Daniel Arnold at a supposedly haunted estate. In order to get into the house, she pretends to be a maid. In the household she meets Daniel's sister Dolores, the neighbor Dr. James Dunwoody who loves Dolores, and his son Roland, who is under suspicion. Betsy pretends to be tough, but when she sees a ghost emerge from the chapel, she screams. The result is that Dolores locks her in at night. The following night, Betsy climbs out of her window and sees the ghost again, this time in the graveyard. After some intrepid investigating, she finds that playing certain chords on the chapel organ cause a door to open, leading into a passage to a tomb. Betsy bravely pursues the ghost who turns out to be Daniel, though he has become deranged. Further, she discovers that he is actually desired by the law as an international forger.

Dir: Fred Niblo

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

Judith Westover files for a divorce from her wealthy young husband Billy because of his inability to remain faithful. As Billy bids goodbye to Judith, a call comes from his attorney notifying him that all his investments have been wiped out. Shocked, he leaves Judith and while crossing the street is run over and killed by a truck. Judith, grief-stricken, accepts the invitation of her doctor, Henrietta Carter, to recuperate at the Ogilvy estate, where she meets neighbor Princeton Hadley, an old friend of Billy's who, feeling duty-bound, has been paying Judith alimony. Hadley, unaware that she is his friend's wife, is attracted to Judith, but upon learning that Hadley has secretly been paying her alimony, Judith becomes furious at the deception and speeds away in her car. Hadley clings to the side of the automobile and the two are hurled into a ditch by a passing train. Awakening in the hospital beside each other, Hadley pleads with Judith to become his wife and she finally consents.

Dir: Fred Niblo

A young attorney hopes to better his position in the business world by making a favorable impression socially. But his wife, a careless and slovenly woman, presents an obstacle to his hopes. He begins to squire about his secretary, and an affair ensues. His wife, however, decides she can go him one better and embarks on a change in lifestyle.

Dir: Fred Niblo

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

A sculptress is taken under the wing of an art patron, who is murdered.

Dir: Fred Niblo

Idealistic young American falls under the influence of Communist agitators.

Dir: Fred Niblo

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

A young wife slaves for her cad of a husband. When she learns that he has been "stepping out" with his secretary, she gets revenge by going after the attentions of her husband's employer.

Dir: Fred Niblo

Cardinal Richelieu, engaged in intrigue at the court of Louis XIII, attempts to rule by threatening the queen, who is secretly in love with the Duke of Buckingham. From Gascony comes D'Artagnan to join the King's Musketeers in his quest for adventure. He wins the right to membership by proving his prowess with the sword and forms an eternal alliance with Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, the Three Musketeers. After many adventures, he embarks on a dangerous mission to England to recover a diamond brooch, a gift of the king, which the queen has given to Buckingham as a token of affection. He recovers it and returns in time to save the queen from the wrath of Louis, defeat the cardinal's intrigue, and win Constance, the queen's seamstress.

Dir: Fred Niblo

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

Impersonating Little Eva in a third-rate travelling production of Uncle Tom's Cabin fails to earn Nora enough for a square daily meal, and to make thing worse, her stage career comes to a sudden end when the sheriff arrives with a writ of seizure. Nora hops a passing freight but is frightened by a tramp, jumps off, and literally rolls into the town of Wattelville. After being arrested as a suspicious character, Nora is adopted by the kindly Ma Forbes, whose son James works in the local bank. "Pug" Hennessy and "Soup" McCool, two crooks, inveigle the scrupulously honest James into a poker game and, as a result, he is forced to steal $300 from the bank to cover his losses. Impersonating expert safe-cracker Velvet Mary, Nora helps the crooks to break into the bank, but upon opening the safe, she sounds the alarm, and the crooks are arrested. Having learned his lesson, James proposes to Nora, who never again is forced to go hungry.

Dir: Fred Niblo

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Fred Niblo

A girl tries to save her brother from prosecution after he steals some money from his employer. She goes to work for the employer, who tries to take advantage of her. He is murdered, and the girl is suspected of the crime.