Essential Cult Cinema Mirroring the Impact of The River of Romance:...

Dir: Henry Otto

After her mother dies, a young girl is sent with her little sister to live with their aunt and uncle, who treat her terribly. The aunt and uncle run a show at the Panama exposition and turn her into a human butterfly.

Dir: Henry Otto

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

Dick Warrington, a successful New York dramatist, receives a visit in his apartments from Katherine Challoner, an actress whom he has "made." She shows him her engagement ring and tells him that she is soon to be married, as the stage never really fascinated her, but she refuses to tell the name of the man she is to marry. As Kate is about to leave the butler announces another caller and Dick requests her to remain in order to meet John Bennington, as he and John are great chums. Kate protests that her presence in his room so late at night might cause embarrassment and leaves to enter the butler's pantry. John finds a pair of white gloves which Kate has left behind her. He put them in his pocket surreptitiously. The two men sit down to smoke and chat, and John tells Dick that he is going to be married, and wishes him to act as his best man, but must withhold the name of his fiancée for the present. After John's departure Kate comes out of the pantry and Dick helps her to look for her gloves. Kate tells him that John Bennington is the man she is to marry, and that he bought the gloves for her that very morning. Failing to find her gloves, and realizing that Bennington had probably taken them away with him, Kate falls in a faint. The next morning Dick escorts Kate out of the apartment. The janitor sees them enter a cab and drive off, fully aware that the actress has spent the night in Warrington's flat. Some days after Dick returns to his native town, Herculaneum. John Bennington's marriage to the actress, Kat Challoner, has caused considerable gossip in Herculaneum. One of the scandal mongers says, "That actress and Richard Warrington have been very intimate, and you know Warrington's reputation." The honeymooners return a day sooner than expected. Shortly after their arrival Dick meets Senator Henderson, the boss of the Republican party, who tells him that he wants him to run for mayor of the town at the fall election. McQuade, the boss of the local Democrats, is determined that Mayor Donnelly must have another term. At the Republican convention Warrington is nominated for mayor. After Dick's nomination McQuade sends Bolles, one of his henchmen, to New York to dig up some "dope" on Warrington's metropolitan career. A month later Bolles returns from New York and informs McQuade that he got what he went after, as the janitor he interviewed there had told him about Kate passing the night with Richard Warrington in his apartment. McQuade keeps this information as a trump card until the night before election. Then he goes to the editor of the local Democratic paper, which he controls, and forces him to publish this bit of scandal in the election day issue. Pattie Bennington's sister reads the scandal and rushes to the conservatory to find her mother and Kate. When Kate reads the article she becomes excited. Dick, who has meanwhile read the attack on him, comes over and meets Kate in the parlor. Dick tells her that John must be made acquainted with the truth. Kate protests, fearing that it will cause her to lose her husband's love, but Dick throws open the parlor doors and, as John enters, shows him the article. After reading the scandalous attack carefully, John, who is a large-minded man, emphatically declares that he does not believe it. Then, pulling out Kate's white gloves from his pocket, he turns to her and adds: "Even with this evidence I never doubted you." Dick rushes to McQuade's office and insists on knowing who is responsible for the scandal. Bolles comes forward and says that he unearthed it in New York. Dick promptly knocks him down and says defiantly: "Miss Challoner did remain in my apartment one night, but there was a nurse and doctor in attendance until I escorted her home next morning." After Dick has returned to his library he learns that Donnelly, his opponent, has the plurality vote in nine districts. Later Pattie phones to the editor of the Republican paper and is told that Warrington has the plurality of over 700 in fifteen districts heard from so far, which assures his election. Pattie then calls up Dick and informs him that he is elected. Dick embraces Pattie and they walk, hand in hand, down the path as the scene fades out.

Dir: Henry Otto

In the sordid shirt factory in which she works, Sadie Hicks dreams of the great outdoors. Surrounded by men of puny minds and flabby bodies, her fancy goes out to great manhood that is strong of mind and muscle. Translated in the language of the shirt factory life she knows best, she finds that she admires a man with a 44 chest. She sees a shipment of 44s all ready to be sent to Arizona, and she writes a little note and tucks it into one of the shirts. On account of a rush order, the box is sent to Canada and the shirt with Sadie's note reaches John Stoddard, a wealthy civil engineer, who prefers the life of the woods to the polite society enjoyed by his family and friends. Good-naturedly, he answers Sadie's note, telling her to let him know if he can help her at any time. Sadie receives the letter on the same day she is discharged from the factory for repulsing the advances of Ferguson, the foreman. She at once telegraphs Stoddard that she is on the way, and takes the next train for his Canadian Camp. He receives the message too late to wire her not to come. Stoddard goes to the station to meet her, intending to put her on a southbound train immediately, but he misses her, as she has left the train at a station nearer his camp than the post-office station. Stoddard finds her, and they start in a canoe for an island hotel where he expects to place her until he can send her away again. But a storm comes up, the canoe is swamped and Stoddard and Sadie are obliged to swim to the nearest stretch of shore. It is a small deserted island, and the two have to spend a day and a night there. The noblest qualities of both are shown, and they fall in love with each other. They construct a raft on which they embark, but it has been flimsily put together on account of lack of materials, and Sadie and Stoddard are capsized again. This time they are rescued by Stoddard's Indian guide, Eagle Eye, who takes them to the camp. They find Larry Livingston at the camp. He is the brother of Estelle Livingston, the society girl whom Mrs. Stoddard wishes her son to marry. He tells them that Mrs. Stoddard and Estelle, who are stopping at the hotel, will be at the camp presently. Sadie feels diffident about meeting these fashionable women, and hides in the woods. Here Larry Livingston finds her. He tells her that if she really loves John Stoddard, it is her duty to give him up to a woman of his own station in life, that it would be only degradation for him to marry beneath him. Sadie persuades Eagle Eye to show her the way to the railroad station. Leaving a note of farewell for Stoddard, she goes to the city and finds work in a restaurant, studying hard in her leisure hours to make herself worthy of the man she loves, and capable of meeting his mother. Stoddard is tireless in his search for her, and at last discovers her. He convinces her that Larry was mistaken, and the two clasp hands in mutual understanding.

Dir: Henry Otto

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Mister 44 perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Young bride Patricia Morley's flirtatious ways at a summer resort keep her husband Henry in a state of continual anxiety. At an old-fashioned barn dance, Patricia enacts the role of a chicken breaking out of an egg, and Henry's wrath explodes. After accusing her of being in love with another man, Henry returns to New York and files for divorce. Heartbroken, Patricia sends her friend Victoria French to tell Henry that she is dying. Meanwhile, Patricia goes to a hospital and alarms the staff with her hysterical conduct. Later the nurse discovers that Patricia is bluffing. Henry arrives at the hospital just in time to see Patricia pretending to be nurse to his divorce lawyer, Geoffrey Patten, whose leg is broken. Henry's anger explodes again, but he makes up with Patricia and they go home together. Henry hires the hospital nurse as a detective, causing more complications, but Henry finally is cured of his jealousy.

Dir: Henry Otto

Bess Belwyn, daughter of a criminal who reforms in prison, becomes engaged to District Attorney John Mobley. To save her father from being denounced by his erstwhile accomplice, Bess, unaware of the consequences, becomes involved in a jewelry theft. She then tries in vain to confess and break the engagement. After she marries Mobley, the crook attempts to blackmail Bess, but she confesses everything to Mobley and in the subsequent fracas the crook is killed.

Dir: Henry Otto

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

John spies his girlfriend embracing his brother. Stunned, John deposits the family's money and leaves the country. Years later he returns to find his brother dead, the plantation in ruins, and that he is suspected of stealing the money.

Dir: Henry Otto

Lilly Meany, a member of a London underworld gang, poses as a faith healer to fleece wealthy hypochondriacs. On the recommendation of socialite Mrs. Prall, Lord Asgarby beseeches Lilly to cure his young crippled sister Eve. When Lilly mends a broken doll, she inspires Eve's confidence, and soon Eve is cured. Then Lord Asgarby falls in love with Lilly, and she confesses her scheme. He forgives her and they marry.

Dir: Henry Otto

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

Venus sends Cupid to earth to find if romance still exists there. He finds Moira and Peggy, a fisherman's daughters, who become entangled in the amorous pursuits of an artist and a fisherman. Cupid returns to Venus with his report.

Dir: Henry Otto

The tactics of a vicious slumlord and greedy businessman finally drive a distraught man to commit suicide. The businessman is tried for murder, executed, and afterward swiftly taken by demons to the Hell where he will spend the rest of eternity.

Dir: Henry Otto

William Claxtonbury, the elderly, lecherous head of the Working Girls' Welfare Association, flirts with his pretty clients and gives plainer applicants an inspirational pamphlet. Claxtonbury's stenographer, Norma Wood, is engaged to George Goodie, a sanctimonious, miserly clerk, who looks forward to her continued employment after their marriage. Determined to have a fling at life, Norma walks out on Goodie and charges a number of gowns to Claxtonbury. In her finery she visits a restaurant, where she meets Oliver Morley. Oliver's sister, Mrs. Sentel, a wealthy widow whose two passions in life are her son Gregory and "the movies," hires Norma for $5,000 to lure Gregory from his portly sweetheart, a delicatessen owner's daughter. Using tips found in How to Win a Man in 48 Hours , written by a "picture vamp," Norma succeeds and Gregory proposes to her. Norma, however, realizes that she has fallen in love with Oliver and confesses all to him. Her love is reciprocated and Norma and Oliver plan to marry.