The Essential Watchlist that Capture the Essence of The Phantom of ...

Dir: Rupert Julian

A heartwarming retelling of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' where Ebeneezer Scrooge is visited by three spirits in an attempt to save his soul.

Dir: Rupert Julian

A propagandistic view of the First World War, showing the political greed of the German Kaiser Wilhelm, the resistance of some of his own soldiers, and fanciful prediction of the nature of the war's end.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Rupert Julian

Miner Dan Stuyvesant finally strikes it rich, but on his way to report his claim, he is shot. When Jack Dedlow, the head of a gang of outlaws, hears this news, he rides to Stuyvesant's cabin intending to secure the claim for himself. There the outlaws find Stuyvesant's daughter Hilda, the sweetheart of Tom Flynn, and are about to draw cards for her when Dago Sam pulls out his guns and spirits her out the door. Because Tom is his only friend, Sam determines to protect Hilda from the gang, but when Tom suspiciously questions his intentions toward Hilda, Sam decides to live up to the town's poor opinion of him. Hilda saves herself by declaring her faith in Sam and, his spirits restored, he returns her to Tom. Dedlow is killed in a fight at Sam's cabin, and Tom and Sam renew their friendship.

Dir: Rupert Julian

Ernestine Bergot is a child of the Paris streets. One day she begs a few sous from a student of the Latin quarter. He becomes interested in her, takes her to his studio, and declares he will adopt her. Later she meets Justin Chevassat, another artist, and a mutual infatuation springs up. Gradually Ernestine becomes a beautiful "vampire," hardened to any crime. One day she shoves her benefactor out of the studio window after robbing him of a large sum of money. When he dies as a result of the fall, Ernestine and Justin leave the Latin quarter. To further their schemes they take into partnership Sir Thomas Elgin, who poses as Ernestine's uncle. The woman changes her name to Sarah Brandon her reckless adventures soon make her known as the most evil woman in the city. Malgat, a banker's clerk who has access to the funds, is her first victim. Sir Thomas Elgin, acting as Sarah Brandon's decoy, feigns illness one day while walking in Boise de Bologne and attracts the attention of Count Ville Handry, who assists the supposed sick man to Sarah Brandon's home, where the woman proceeds to practice her wiles upon the old nobleman. In the end Count Handry asks her to marry him, and their engagement is announced. The Count's daughter Henriette objects, especially when Daniel Champcey, her betrothed, a French naval officer, informs her of Sarah Brandon's reputation. The Count persists, Daniel is ordered to China, and Henriette is left alone in her father's home with the mistress of the house and all the servants (by Sarah's conniving) turned against the daughter. Before leaving Daniel has mistakenly entrusted Henriette to the "tender" mercies of Chavessat, tool of Sarah. When Henriette is no longer able to endure the humiliation she suffers in her father's home, she begs Chavessat to take her away to some quiet spot where she can live respectably until she can get word to Daniel in China. Chavessat's treachery imprisoned Henriette in a house of ill repute, where he threatens, by starvation, to compel the girl to submit to his will. In the same building where Henriette is confined lives Malgat, the banker's clerk Sarah ruined, and it is through his discovery of Henriette's identity and his further activities in association with the Parisian police that Sarah is finally exposed at the moment when Count Handry, ruined by her iniquity, is about to commit suicide. Daniel has hurriedly returned to Paris in response to Henriette's appeal, and with Malgat and the girl, faces Sarah Brandon in Count Handry's home. Rather than submit to arrest Sarah Brandon drinks from a vial of poison and falls dead, as the police lead away to prison Chavessat and her other accomplice, Sir Thomas Elgin.

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

Dir: Rupert Julian

Police headquarters has been plagued by a series of robberies, culminating in the theft of a priceless necklace smuggled from Europe. The detectives are on the track of a gang led by master thief Ramon Mordant and his accomplice known as "the Face" because of his twisted and hideous countenance. Among the detectives on the case is undercover agent Clara Hawthorne, masquerading as a mysterious, glamorous woman. The Face and Clara play a cat and mouse game until, while they are both in pursuit of Mordant, the Face secures the necklace and turns it over to Clara, at the same time revealing himself to be Prentice Tiller, chief of the Secret Service.

Dir: Rupert Julian

When Marie Louise, the daughter of the town factor, returns home from school, Julio Sandoval, a reckless young half-breed ruled by his animal instincts, develops a passion for the girl, even though she is engaged to Captain McKeever of the mounted police. Meeting Marie when she is alone in the woods one day, the half-breed carries her to his cabin on the mountain top where he collapses from an attack of mountain fever brought on by overexertion. Taking pity on Julio, Marie nurses him back to health, and when the rescue party arrives, she does not betray him. Upon her return to town, Marie learns that McKeever has been taken prisoner by the outlaw Joe Bedotte. Marie pleads with Julio to rescue the captain, and in gratitude, he goes to the mountains, frees the captain and surrenders his own life as a consequence.

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

Dir: Rupert Julian

Ex-convict Dale Revenal arrives at Dudley Appleton's ranch bearing a letter of introduction from John Silver, Appleton's old friend. Appleton hires Dale, who, through his winning manner, soon wins the respect of the ranch hands and the love of the ranch owner's daughter Mary Jane. Believing himself unworthy of her, Dale tells Mary Jane that he has a wife and child in Arizona, and she reluctantly agrees to marry Jack Nelda, a local rancher. Nelda realizes that Mary Jane is still in love with Dale and plots with Bessie Dupont and her brother Pinto to kill him. Bessie, however, warns Dale, but when he confronts Nelda at the saloon, Pinto shoots him, wounding him in the shoulder. John Silver comes to Dale's aid and Nelda is killed. Silver reveals that Dale's "wife" in Arizona is really his sister, and Dale finally accepts Mary Jane's love.

Dir: Rupert Julian

Lucille, a beautiful and romantic young woman, marries John Linforth, a wealthy businessman, who is twice her age, and too distracted by his business affairs to give her the attention she craves. John is pleased when she takes a liking to his young friend, Ronald Standish. After the friendship has grown to romance, however, John tries to keep the two apart. As he is about to depart on a short trip, John orders Ronald from the house. Later that night, Ronald asks Lucille to elope with him, but before they leave, they realize that an illegal union would only lead to unhappiness, and Ronald returns home. A burglar, who, in stealing certain securities from John's desk, witnesses the couple in an embrace, blackmails Ronald into purchasing the bonds. To save her lover, Lucille confesses everything to John, who promises to give his young wife her freedom. A year later Lucille and Ronald marry.

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

Dir: Rupert Julian

Anthony Eckhart, a student of Oriental music, meets Crocker in a Geisha house where he extricates the intoxicated man from the results of an attack upon a waiter. Crocker explains that his wife has left him and there is only drink left. Anthony discovers a woman with marvelous voice at the hotel and falls in love with her before he finds that she is Crocker's wife. He confesses to Crocker and offers to leave if Crocker will leave her alone. Crocker promises an answer, but comes to kill his wife. Anthony prevents him and at last Crocker proves a man.

Dir: Rupert Julian

In modern times Paul Winthrop visits an island and paints a picture of Joe, a picturesque pearl diver. He dresses him in pirate garb and when the picture is done Joe cannot take his eyes from it. The two men instinctively recognize each other. Joe is another Jean Lafitte, Paul is his antagonist of the years before. Later Joe stumbles across a case of pirate treasure buried along the shore. By a plate on the box he reads the name of the one-time owner, Jean Lafitte. With this treasure he is enabled to visit the United States, where in New York he again finds Paul Winthrop. Paul is in love with Lily Demorest, but her parents have signified their desire that she marry Robert Spurr, a millionaire. Joe is immediately attracted to her and decides to kidnap her. First his motive is charitable. He intends turning her over to Paul, who is timid about such action himself. Then he decides to keep her for himself, but Lily cries out for Paul and then to the pirate descendant dawns the true meaning of the curse fastened on his ancestor by the woman he coveted. So he returns her to Paul, and though it is difficult he finds some happiness in the thought of their reunion.