The Definitive Guide Deeply Connected to The Men She Married: Cult ...

Dir: Travers Vale

On the promise of marriage, Sylvia Smith, a simple girl from Lone Meadows, follows her lover to the city only to discover that he already has a wife. While wandering along the docks, Sylvia stumbles onto a suicide note written by Fitzhugh Castleton, a wealthy gentleman who has planted the note to avoid a loveless marriage. Rather than go back to Lone Meadows humiliated, Sylvia pays Crosby, a convicted forger, to impersonate Castleton, forge his name in a marriage ceremony, then disappear. Once Sylvia installs herself in the Castleton mansion, Castleton returns from a sea voyage and, disguised by a long beard, hires on as the gardener. Castleton soon becomes enamored of the impostor widow and she falls in love with him, but neither one will admit his deception to the other. When Crosby shows up and demands blackmail money, Sylvia slips away to the country. Through the jealous interference of Crosby's wife, Castleton discovers the truth about Sylvia and goes to Lone Meadows to marry her.

Dir: Travers Vale

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

Vesta Wheatley and Dick Mortimer have been friends from childhood, but when he declared his love and asks her to marry him, she tells him their friendship is too pleasant to spoil it by love-making. John Randolph, a wealthy city man, is attracted to Vesta and a romance develops which culminates in a quiet wedding. Although Vesta is happy she enjoys tasting of worldly pleasures unknown to her. However, after a short fling she returns to her husband with increased love and respect. Unable to stand village life, after Vesta's marriage, Dick comes to the city. He and Vesta meet by chance and he avails himself of her invitation to call. John, returning home unexpectedly, is surprised to find Dick talking to his wife; he recalls a scene in the country before his marriage, when he saw Dick making love to Vesta. However, he hides his suspicions and he and his wife go to their country lodge. Beset by thoughts of Vesta, Dick follows and during her husband's absence, enters the lodge. Vesta resents his declaration of love, and hearing a noise on the outside, begs him to leave before her husband returns. The door is burst open and Skinny, a gangster, enters. In the struggle that ensues Dick is killed by Skinny. Vesta grabs the pistol and holding Skinny at bay, prepares to call the police, but Skinny tells her that she bad better think before phoning, as the news will create a scandal. Cowed by his threats, Vesta is compelled to watch in silence as he drags Dick's lifeless body away. Although her husband suspects nothing, Vesta is haunted with memories of Dick's murder, and Skinny, by frequent blackmail, helps keep alive the memory. At last she feels that she can bear it no longer and when Skinny comes with a demand for an enormous sum, she seizes a pistol and kills him. She then phones to the police, telling them she is alone in the house and hears a burglar entering; there is a pistol in her husband's room. The burglar is approaching, what shall she do? The officer tells her to hold the burglar off until help comes. With the receiver down, she fires a shot into the air. When the officers arrive they pronounce the killing is self-defense, and Vesta is happy with her husband, knowing that her tormentor is out of the way.

Dir: Travers Vale

Christine Brent, living with her father in a small Texas town, is wooed by Maurice Maxwell, an unscrupulous New York businessman. Christine rejects Maxwell's advances, befriending instead Carl Randolph, a young man who seeks refuge in her cabin after shooting a Mexican for insulting the American flag. Christine gives Carl money and advises him to go East, which he does. Left helpless after her father is injured in a crippling accident, Christine agrees to marry Maxwell so that her father can live in comfort. Brent, however, demoralized, kills himself and soon after, Maxwell and Christine move to New York. Stung by her husband's constant abuse, Christine learns to hate Maxwell, and when Maxwell hires Carl, now a successful attorney, as his counsel, Christine feels her old love rekindled. Unscrupulous as ever, Maxwell robs the inventor Brinkeroff of a valuable patent, and then murders him. Brinkeroff's wife Metta, suspecting Maxwell of her husband's murder, secures a job in the Maxwell home to obtain evidence against him. Her prudence is rewarded when she overhears Maxwell admit to the crime, and outraged, she kills him but is acquitted by a sympathetic jury. All obstacles now cleared from their path, Christine and Carl begin a new life together.

Dir: Travers Vale

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

Richard Chanslor is about to be disinherited by his rich grandfather who objects to his association with chorus girl Lily Lorraine. In order to please his grandfather while still maintaining his present standard of living, Chanslor decides to marry Lois Page, a struggling young sculptress from a good family. Lois accepts his proposal on the condition that they continue their separate ways. The marriage in name only is a success until Richard begins to fall in love with his wife and breaks with Lily. Lois, unconvinced of her husband's sincerity, however, continues her close relationship with her instructor, Bob Hildreth. One day, Hildreth takes Lily for a ride to a country inn where he attacks her. Richard follows them and arrives just in time to rescue his wife who drives away with him. Both husband and wife then realize that their trial marriage has developed into a real marriage.

Dir: Travers Vale

During a raid on a gambling establishment run by her father, Cosmo Lester, Diana Lester rescues Hugh Carton, a member of the English Parliament and a candidate for the Cabinet. Hugh gratefully offers Diana a position as his sister's companion, and soon, the two fall desperately in love. Diana's happiness is threatened, however, when she learns that Hugh is married to a woman who will neither live with him nor divorce him. Diana becomes Hugh's mistress for a time, but his afternoon visits with her cause him to neglect his work. To save Hugh's career, his sister urges Diana to leave him, whereupon the unhappy girl returns to her father. She eventually accepts the marriage proposal of her old friend, Phil Duran, but before the wedding, she suffers a breakdown. When Hugh visits her with the news that his wife has granted him a divorce, however, she regains her health and good spirits, and is joined to the man she loves.

Dir: Travers Vale

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

Dane Ashley, a successful young author, is informed that he has inherited an old estate in a small village, and being tired of his work and life in the city, he decides to go down and stay on the place for a brief rest. One day Dane is amazed to find a crowd of boys and girls pelting a young girl. He rescues the girl and would punish her tormentors, but she begs him to let the matter drop and hurriedly disappears through the door in the stone wall which separates his house from the one next to it. Much impressed with his young neighbor, Dane makes inquiries about her and learns that she is a Miss Virginia Carlton and that nothing is known concerning her except that she is crazy. Disbelieving the rumors as to Virginia's insanity, Dane uses clever little ruses to further his acquaintance, and the friendship so strangely begun, soon develops into love. Although Virginia cannot conceal her love for him, she tells him their friendship must cease, that there is a wall of shame and misery between them which prevents their ever being anything to each other. Dane thinks he has guessed her secret when he hears a baby at play on her side of the wall; he believes she has been the victim of an unwise and too-great love, but when he is with Virginia her purity and innocence totally contradict this theory. One night he is startled to see a face, which he is sure is Virginia, which is lit is lit up by a wild and impish gleam, peering in at his window. When he reaches the window he sees the girl fleeing over the high stone wall. A few nights later he meets her on the road. She gives no sign of recognition, but leads him on. Dane cannot understand; his heart sick at the thought that the pure-souled Virginia, whom he loves could act thus wantonly, but the next day, when he meets Virginia, she is again the sweet simple girl and he becomes convinced that it must be during moments of temporary insanity that she makes her nocturnal excursions. Nightly the girl is seen in the village, a beautiful evil spirit luring men from their firesides, to render them mad with strange passions and unfulfilled desires, for she always escapes from her victims. At last Virginia can restrain her feelings no longer and she tells Dane that she wants him to hear her story and to help her. Two years before, her twin sister, Helen, had fallen in love with a young naval surgeon. When their father had sternly forbidden her ever to see him again, the impulsive girl left home and went to the surgeon's hotel. There she lived with him as his wife for two weeks, until he was suddenly called away to foreign waters. Returning to her father's home, Helen was injured in an automobile wreck and her mind shattered. The father died of the shock, and Virginia, realizing her sister's condition, had rented the house in the country. Here Helen's child was born. Dane is overwhelmed with happiness to know that the girl he loves is neither insane nor the mother of the child he had supposed hers. He tells Virginia he will locate her sister and bring her back. He sends his friend, Dr. Robert Haskell, to Virginia to aid her. Virginia denounces Dr. Haskell for his treachery to her sister, and before he can reply, Dane brings in the unconscious Helen, whom he found wandering about the streets. Doctor Haskell works over the wounded girl, and while they await anxiously the result of his operation, he explains to Virginia that she is doing both her sister and herself grave injustice. He tells the astonished girl that he and Helen were married on the day she left her father's home, and that ever since his return from the foreign parts he had been searching vainly for his wife. Gradually life and memory return to Helen and she throws her arms about her husband's neck as Virginia and Dane look on.

Dir: Travers Vale

The Grand Duke Alexis has been happy with his wife, Lola, formerly the queen of the St. Petersburg ballet, and their baby daughter, Vasta. But the lowering cloud that has always hung over them through the refusal of the Russian Court to recognize their marriage breaks when the Duke learns there is an intrigue against his wife's life. She makes her escape at midnight and, powerless to do anything, Alexis is forced to see his wife pass out of his life. The baby is given to Marta Antonovitch, in charge of the girls at the Imperial Ballet School. Years later Vasta is the most apt pupil at the school. Her father comes to see her often and is deeply affected by her resemblance to her mother. The relationship is kept secret, but when he is ordered to the south for his health he gives last instructions that she be well cared for. Michael Pavloff, the impresario for the Russian Ballet, who has discovered the duke's secret, goes to the school to choose the dancers to be sent by the government to Paris. He takes a liking to Vasta, but Marta refuses to allow the girl to go when he chooses her for deportation. The girl frets over the refusal, disguises herself as a boy and changes places with a youth who had not wanted to go. In Paris Lola, despite the sorrow of the changing years, holds sway over men's hearts. Pavloff is an ardent admirer of hers, but lately he has been thinking more of Vasta. Richard Moraino, a young artist commissioned to paint the portraits of the Russian Ballet, is attracted by Vasta. Their courtship progresses and one afternoon while they are having tea together, Lola and Pavloff are seated at the next table. Both women feel an interest in the other and Lola is startled when Pavloff tells her he has discovered she is the daughter of the Grand Duke Alexis and that he intends to get her for his own. One night during the performance the electrician is killed and the stage darkened. When the lights are turned on again they discover Vasta has disappeared. Pavloff has taken the girl and locks her in his apartment. To divert suspicion he gives a dinner party. During the revelry Lola, who is a member of the party hears a half-smothered cry and, guided by it cornea to the locked door behind which Vasta is concealed. She stays until the last guest has departed and then appeals to the liquor-dazed Pavloff, She secures the key to the room and hurries back, cautioning Vasta to make haste, but Pavloff comes upon them and seizes Vasta in his arms. Lola then shoots him. Then Lola reveals her identity. Alexis, who is passing through Paris, stops to see Pavloff. He discovers Lola and the dead man and accuses her of having been his mistress, but when Vasta comes forward and tells all, Alexis begs her forgiveness. He says he will take the responsibility of the killing knowing he will be vindicated when he says it was to save the honor of his wife. Richard and Vasta are once more brought together and Alexis asks his wife if she is willing to brave the Russian Court with him after all these years. Her happy smile is sufficient answer.

Dir: Travers Vale

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

Twin sisters Fanny and Evelyn Craig are unaware that their stepfather, Micah Parrish, is a fake spiritualist until his lack of money forces them to return home from boarding school. Evelyn eagerly assists Parrish and his even more unscrupulous partner, Esau Brand, while Fanny, disgusted, leaves home to become lawyer Bruce Taunton's secretary. Following the death of his mother at a séance, Bruce vows to place the city's fake clairvoyants behind bars, but when Fanny is killed on the day she was to marry Bruce, he becomes unbalanced. Seeing an opportunity to stop the lawyer's crusade, Brand forces the reluctant Evelyn to appear to Bruce each evening as Fanny's spirit, but his threat of shooting himself so that he might join her causes her to reveal the deception. Brand finally is released, while Bruce finds consolation in Evelyn's love.

Dir: Travers Vale

When Aline Marsden learns that her husband Phil has been flirting with musical-comedy actress Bernice De Armond, she and her uncle, Pop Moore, compel him to sign a contract that gives each of them complete marital freedom for three months. Aline then travels to Palm Beach, Florida, accompanied by Pop and her sister, Jess Alden, while Phil remains in the North with Bernice. In Florida, Aline engages in a flirtation with Phil's old college friend, Wayne Annis, and when her husband, now weary of Bernice, comes to Florida, she gives him a chilly reception. Wayne, who has fallen in love with Jess, agrees to help Pop effect the married couple's reconciliation by arousing Phil's jealousy. The plan works so well, however, that the enraged husband nearly shoots his old friend. In the end, the friendship is preserved, Aline and Phil are reunited, and Wayne professes his love for Jess.

Dir: Travers Vale

Betty Fairchild decides to follow the advice of her mother and marry for money. Thus, when Tom Connolly arrives from the West with his fortune, she accepts his proposal even though she does not love him. The idealistic Tom is completely disillusioned when he learns why his wife married him and promptly leaves her. Rupert Brantley, a wealthy cad, seizes this opportunity to win Betty, but she gradually realizes that she has been wrong and repulses him. One day a letter from Tom's mother arrives and Betty innocently opens it. It contains letters and a photograph of a man who betrayed Tom's sister, with a plea to Tom to avenge the family. Recognizing the man as Brantley, Betty rushes to his apartment to warn him and thus prevent her husband from becoming a murderer, but Tom follows her and accuses her of infidelity. To prevent a fight, Betty remains silent. When she returns home, however, she shows Tom his mother's letter, which leads to a reconciliation between them.