The Global Archive For Devotees of The Ruling Passion: Cult Guide

Dir: James C. McKay

A forger's arrest shocks his pregnant wife, causing their daughter to suffer strange trances.

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

Dir: James C. McKay

Mary Young, a young wife who longs for beautiful clothes, is invited by her friend Enid to shop at Madame Francine's, where she meets the Countess de Fragni, an artist, and Mr. Norris, an elderly roué. Mary, persuaded by Enid, buys an expensive fur coat with money she wins in a poker game and tells her husband that she won it with a pawn ticket; she agrees to earn back the money by posing for the countess, and her husband, Matthew, unexpectedly finds her there in a compromising situation with Norris. Joe, Enid's husband, also suspects his wife of infidelity and follows her to the countess' house, where Enid falls to her death from the balcony. Mary goes to Norris' apartment to prevent Matthew from killing Norris, and having been convinced that he has been ungenerous with his wife, he repents.

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

Dir: James C. McKay

SYNOPSIS In the Sevier River mountain area of Utah, horse wranglers Lee and Cuth Stewart, famous for their skill, are unable after several encounters to capture the wild stallion Lightning. Later, in Chicago, where they are seeing the sights, the boys meet and flirt with Dot and Mary, two entertainers who are doing a Topsy and Eva act; by their third meeting the brothers are ready to propose, but the girls leave town unexpectedly with their money and no intentions of marriage. Back in Utah, Lightning, attracted to Lee's pet mare, Bess, invades their camp and takes her away. The boys' pursuit leads them into the desert, which the girls are crossing by airplane; after a forced landing, the boys take the girls "prisoner," putting them to work. The girls escape and almost die in a sandstorm, but Lee and Cuth rescue them and also subdue Lightning; all are happily reunited.

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

Dir: James C. McKay

In the small farming community of Spring Valley, young Aurora Lane causes a scandal by bearing the son of townsman Lucius Henderson, who refuses to marry her or even admit that he's the father. Shunned as a "sinful" woman by most of the town, she turns over her son Don to be raised by Miss Julia, the town librarian, who tells the boy that she's his "aunt". Don grows up and goes to college, and when he comes back home the town gossips begin a rumor-mongering campaign. When the town policeman tries to drive Aurora out of town he is found murdered, and Don is arrested for the crime.

Dir: James C. McKay

A lonely wife becomes obsessed with furs and keeps bad company in an effort to obtain more.