Visionary Picks In Alignment with the style of The Pest: Cult Guide

Dir: Christy Cabanne

A wealthy young athlete comes to the aid of a beautiful heiress, whose fortune is being threatened by two arch villains, The Great Master and Doctor Zulph.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

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

Reginald Morton is a wealthy idler of athletic tendencies. He has become bored with the shallow social set in which he moves, although he is engaged to marry Dorothy Fleming, a member of it. Dorothy is engaged to Reggie mainly because of his money, and is flirting desperately with all comers. While out in his automobile one day Reggie chances upon a lost little girl sitting on the curb. He takes her back to her home in the slums and there he sees and falls in love with Agnes Shannon, a sweet young girl of good family now compelled to earn her living in a cheap cabaret. He then discovers that Dorothy is faithless to him and breaks his engagement, leaving him free to pay court to Agnes. His rival for the affections of Agnes is Tony Bernard, the leader of the gangsters of the neighborhood, and Bernard has instructed one of his henchmen to bring Agnes to him. Reggie frustrates the scheme, beats up the henchman, and the owner of the dive in which Agnes works hires him as his bouncer. But Bernard has not given up the idea of possessing the girl, and as Reggie is the only obstacle in the way of getting her, he orders him shot. They way-lay Reggie, but he beats them up one by one. Cornered at last, Reggie challenges Bernard to enter a room alone with him and have it out, the man who survives the battle to get the girl. Bernard agrees. A fight takes place. The light is smashed, but it continues until the two men, their shirts stripped from their back, are too exhausted to go on. By a supreme effort Reggie deals the final blow and staggers out, where he is attacked by the band. But the police have been tipped off. How Reggie finally wins Agnes is the culmination of a romance.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

The home of Mrs. Bryson and her two daughters is happy except for the poverty that prevents the girls from sending their sick mother away to the mountains. Both help to support the household, but it is Shirley who feels the responsibility of her mother's approaching death and her worry is evident to all about her. She is employed in a manicure shop frequented by wealthy men and meets Wilfred Templeton, who invites her to dine with him. He questions her about her dejected air and she tells him of her mother's illness. This is Templeton's opportunity, and he asks her to make a bargain with him. He will give her all the money she needs and in return she is to live with him in an apartment which he will establish for her. Shirley refuses, but when her mother grows worse she yields and leads her mother and her sister to believe that she has married Templeton and Mrs. Bryson is happy. When James Lowery, the butler in Shirley's new home, finds that she is not married to Templeton, he forces his way into her boudoir when she is dressing. With the greatest difficulty Shirley repulses him. She informs Templeton and Lowery is discharged. Everything runs smoothly until Shirley invites her sister to visit her. Emma wants to see this wonderfully generous husband. Shirley is unable to conceal her secret, and Emma wrings a confession from her. The news so preys upon Emma's mind that she is unable to keep it a secret from her mother. Stricken at her child's dishonor, Mrs. Bryson gives up her battle for life. Shirley leaves Templeton and goes to work as a cabaret entertainer. Lowery again forces his attentions upon her. He openly insults her and a young man at a nearby table comes to her rescue. The man is Harold Templeton, "Wilfred's son, who is the "black sheep" of the family, and is living away from home. The acquaintance finally ripens into real affection. The young people are married, but their happiness is clouded by the girl's fear that her husband will discover the truth about her past life. The expected happens when Wilfred Templeton forgives his son and comes to call on him and his bride. Shirley and her husband's father are brought face to face, and their manner accuses them before either makes a confession. Harold turns against his wife. Later, however, his better nature asserts itself, and he drives his father away. Realizing Shirley's mistake was made, not for her own sake, but for her mother's, he forgives her and takes her into his arms.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

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

In Mexico, a humble peon has great difficulty retaining his small farm because of the greediness of those controlling the government. While he is in another town, two federal officials search for loot in his cottage and attack his two sisters. The elder, lame from birth, shoots herself rather than succumb to their lust. Her 14-year-old sister loses her mind and dies after telling her brother what occurred. The peon vows vengeance and is branded an outlaw by the frightened officials. After he escapes from jail with help from an old family servant, he is aided in eluding his pursuers by Americans traveling in a covered wagon. Years later, the outlaw, now the commander-in-chief of the Constitutionalist Army, wins many victories and kills one of the officials who attacked his sisters. When he learns that the Americans who helped him are in trouble, he leads a cavalry charge to rescue their wagon train from being attacked by revolutionists. He recognizes one of the attackers as the other official and is about to exact vengeance as the film ends.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

Rich, spoiled social butterfly Pamela Sayre lives the good life with her two maiden aunts. Bertie Holden, the somewhat slacker son of a wealthy couple, is in love with Pamela, who seems to prefer muscular, daredevil-type men, which Bertie definitely isn't. Pamela flirts with the wealthy but much older Charles Van Gordon in order to make Bertie jealous, but her plan seems to backfire.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

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

In the midst of an emotional depression, a man hires a murderer to kill him. But the despair soon passes, and the man must now escape the killer he's hired to end his life.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

While with the French Foreign Legion in Algeria, Lt. Dubois seduces the lovely Zora, leaving her with a child and his medal for bravery. Sheik Achmed generously befriends Zora, and when she is killed in an accident he raises her son, El Rabb, as his own, and soon El Rabb and Achmed's biological son Bel Khan become best friends. Years later Lt. Dubois, now a general, is dispatched to Algeria to crush a revolt led by El Rabb and Bel Khan--and he doesn't know that El Rabb is his son--who wears his father's medal around his neck.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

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

The life and career of Pancho Villa from young man to revolutionary leader is chronicled.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

The story of the defense of the mission-turned-fortress by 185 Texans against an overwhelming Mexican army in 1836.

Dir: Christy Cabanne

Shy, timid banker Florian Amidon is assaulted, robbed, and knocked out while on vacation. When he wakes up he discovers that he's in the booming oil town of Bakerstown, has no memory of how he got there--and that there's a five-year gap in his life from the time he was robbed until that moment. He and his friend Judge Blodgett enlist the services of clairvoyant Madame Leclaire to help Florian find out what happened to him. What she discovers changes his life forever.