Hidden Genre Gems for Fans of The Mother Instinct: Cult Guide

Dir: Lambert Hillyer

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Lambert Hillyer

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

Ben Trego dies defending his twin sons from Indian attack. Separated, the two boys grow up very differently, one as Paul Marsden, the other as a cowboy named Three Word Brand. Paul becomes governor of Utah while Brand partners with George Barton in a ranch. The owner of the adjacent ranch plots to get Barton and Brand out of the way in order to control water rights. When Governor Marsden comes to the area to investigate, Brand sees the resemblance between them, though neither knows about his twin. Brand waylays Paul and takes his place as governor in an attempt to thwart the crooked rancher in the water-rights scheme.

Dir: Lambert Hillyer

Three men, Lucky Bill (Tom Mix), Landry (J. Gordon Russell), and Morgan (Jim Mason) are in love with the same girl, pretty Molly (Betty Jewel). Lucky Bill finally wins her with his skillful horsemanship and dogged determination.

Dir: Lambert Hillyer

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Mile-a-Minute Romeo perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Mrs. Hugh Manners tires of her husband, a stodgy lawyer, and arranges to divorce him. She gives a party to celebrate her freedom and becomes involved with Preston Ducayne, a gambler, and Olga Kazanoff, an adventuress. Ducayne is killed and suspicion points to Mrs. Manners until her husband establishes her innocence.

Dir: Lambert Hillyer

Tough outlaw 'Sierra' Bill falls in love with traveling violinist Nelly Gray and forces her to marry him. They have a child, but their cozy family life is interrupted by gambler Ringo, who not only persuades Nelly to leave her husband but also ruins Sierra at the gaming table. With thoughts of vengeance, the angry Sierra breaks out of jail and goes after Ringo.

Dir: Lambert Hillyer

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

Bruce Thornton, a forest ranger, arrests Ruth Melier, who is accused of murdering her stepfather. However, Ruth reveals that her brutal husband, Horgan, is the murderer. Bruce and a fellow ranger capture Horgan and his gang of timber thieves, establishing Ruth's innocence.

Dir: Lambert Hillyer

In this lost adaptation of the 1903 novel, Roy Glennister and Cherry Malotte fight against crooked politicians to keep a gold mine.

Dir: Lambert Hillyer

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

An outlaw named Duane (Tom Mix), captured by the Texas Rangers, is promised a pardon if he rounds up a gang of cattle thieves. The man he suspects as the leader is revealed to be the father of Duane's sweetheart, Helen (Billie Dove). Duane captures the gang, gets a pardon for Helen's father, and marries Helen.

Dir: Lambert Hillyer

John Oxford owns a gambling hall in an Alaskan mining town, but it known far and wide as an honest man. However, one day he finds that in order to save the life of Doris Henry, who has come to Alaska to marry Wallace Towers, he has to cheat. It turns out that Wallace has incurred huge gambling losses and is being threatened by those to whom he owes the money, and they in turn are threatening Doris--who mistakenly blames John for the predicament that she and Wallace are in.

Dir: Lambert Hillyer

A gang of blackmailers sends a cripple to San Francisco to expose a banker they have been blackmailing. However, the cripple meets and falls in love with the banker's daughter.