Editor's Top Picks Following the Footsteps of The Mysterious Lady: Cult Guide

Dir: August Blom

After Dr. Friedrich's wife becomes mentally unstable and his research papers are rejected, he leaves the country to respite.

Dir: August Blom

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

When Eva Vange regains her sight after a successful operation, she falls in love with her savior - the young ophthalmologist Juel. Her fiancé Ernst, who is both her cousin and a teacher at the school for the blind, sets her free so she can marry the man she loves. However, it doesn't take long before the marital bliss crumbles and darkness descends on Eva's life again.

Dir: August Blom

The ballet pupil Camilla Favier tells the author Jean Mayol that she had learned all lines of the main character in his new play. When the stage manager announces that the leading lady is sick, Jean suggests that Camilla could replace her this evening. Camilla makes a huge success, and she and Jean fall in love. Jean introduces her to his friend, the painter Paul Rich, who wants to make a painting of her. While she is in his atelier, Jean gets a love letter from Yvette Simon, the wife of a rich rentier, asking for a rendezvous in the wood. In Jean's empty apartment Camilla finds the letter and is devastated. In revenge she reveals the secret love story for Mr. Simon and his guests at a big party. Later she finds a new love message from Yvette Simon. She brings it to Mr. Simon, who gets furious, grabs a pistol and goes to Jean's apartment. Camilla repents and rushes away to warn Jean and Yvette. To deceive her husband Yvette dresses herself in Camilla's clothes, but he recognizes her nonetheless and kills her. Camilla is shocked and brought to a hospital by Paul, who takes care of her afterwards. When Jean turns up and approaches her, she rejects him and stays with Paul.

Dir: August Blom

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

Chancellor von Rallenstein forces Princess Irene to marry Prince Deima instead of her true love, Pawlow. The secret lovers seek to get married anyway, sending the Chancellor into a rage.

Dir: August Blom

Ernest Des Tressailles, a young Bourbon officer, arrives with some companions at the castle of Trionville to marry Alaine de l'Etoile. While they are at the wedding feast, Republican troops arrive, but Ernest escapes only to be captured later. He is sentenced to be shot the following morning. He is paralyzed with fear and Alaine, though surprised and disappointed by his cowardice, determines to save her husband at any cost. She entreats Marc Arron, the stern Republican, to save Ernest. At last Marc Arron. influenced by her beauty and his love for her, accedes to her entreaties, and exchanges clothing with the condemned man. In the garments of the latter he sits down to await the hour when he must atone with his own life. Alaine is captivated by his courage. Marc Arron informs Montaloup, a member of the committee of public welfare, that he has permitted Ernest to escape. Montaloup pities him for his blunder, but Marc Arron rejects all sympathy. When Ernest later on returns voluntarily, Marc Arron refuses to accept the pardon offered, as he wishes to set an example for all true patriots. In the white and gold uniform of the White Hussars he strides to the window and commands the soldiers to fire, while he shouts, "Long live Alaine. Long live the Republic."

Dir: August Blom

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

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: August Blom

Hamlet suspects his uncle has murdered his father to claim the throne of Denmark and the hand of Hamlet's mother, but the prince cannot decide whether or not he should take vengeance.

Dir: August Blom

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

Doctor Willy Prager's long, selfless office hours come at the expense of his attention-seeking fiancée. During a garden party, Willy is summoned to an ill child's bedside and leaves his fiancée Erna in the hands of his faithful friend Alfred. Out of sheer boredom, Erna tries to kiss Alfred, but the loyal friend rejects her. Erna feels devastated and lies to Willy that it was Alfred who tried to seduce her. However, Alfred refuses to tarnish Erna's honor and tacitly accepts when Willy challenges him to a duel. The culminating sensation is a duel between the doctor and the lieutenant, and the officer intentionally misses his mark. The enemies become friends once more, and the woman begs for forgiveness.

Dir: August Blom

Muriel Yorke has a fond husband, but he is so absorbed in his duties as head of the detective bureau that he has little time to devote to his wife. He is inattentive, not intentionally, but the fact remains that all of Muriel's pretty arts designed to distract him from his work are in vain. Time hangs heavily on her hands; she takes her meals alone, and gradually sinks into a state of melancholy. One evening while in search of recreation, Muriel visits a fashionable café unattended, and there meets Eric Le Blanc, a gentleman in manners, but in reality the chief of a band of international conspirators. He introduces himself as the Baron de Corril and Muriel keeps her identity a secret. Their friendship soon ripens into love, but Yorke is so deeply absorbed in his duties that he fails to notice the change that has come over his wife. In the interim, Le Blanc receives secret information from one of his spies that inspector Yorke has in his possession a description of every member of the gang and Le Blanc is urged to obtain possession of these at once. This he undertakes to accomplish and breaks into Yorke' s house on the same evening. During his search for the incriminating evidence, he comes face to face with Muriel, and for the first time learns her identity. He hides the real purpose of his visit to the house and explains that love had prompted him to follow her from the museum, at which they earlier had held a rendezvous. She aids him to escape, but in the meantime inspector Yorke has been attracted by strange noises in the house and makes an investigation. He enters his wife's bedroom and finding her apparently asleep, continues his search. He finds finger prints on the door and later identifies them as those of Le Blanc, the conspirator. When Muriel learns that her husband is preparing to raid on the apartment of the conspirator, she hesitates between love and duty and finally decides to warn her lover of his danger. She hastens to his apartments and implores him to escape while there is yet time. She points out that they may both leave the place without being seen, but Le Blanc refuses, and prates that her love has made him a better man, and that he proposes to accept punishment for his crimes and then lead a better life. In the meantime Yorke has obtained proof of his wife's perfidy, and with two detectives breaks into Le Blanc's apartments. Standing in the center of the drawing-room is the guilty pair awaiting the blow that is about to fall. Inspector Yorke glares scornfully at his wife for a few seconds; then challenges Le Blanc and orders his arrest. As the detectives are taking him from the room Muriel makes a move as if to rescue him, but Yorke grasps her by the wrists, and. after burning her soul with his reproaches, casts her aside as an object unworthy. She is left to her own conscience.

Dir: August Blom

Young white girls who were kidnapped and held captive and in imminent danger of being sexually molested. And the moor slaveholder will incorporate the poor girls in his harem.