Rare Cinematic Gems Exploring the Legacy of The Secret of the Swamp...

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

When Allan Corey, a writer who is out of ideas, encounters Mike beating up a man who abused his horse, he asks Mike to accompany him West for inspiration. Mike, who was recently released from prison, goes along with the idea, but looks for a chance to return to crime as soon as possible. The two stop at the ranch of Esther Hollister where Mike is able to plan a series of robberies. Because he cleverly drags four horses along with him, Mike's crimes are wrongfully attributed to the gang of "Texas" Jack, who are hiding in the vicinity. Esther is disgusted with Allan when he does nothing to stop a bank robbery that they witness, so to prove his mettle, he finds and captures Texas Jack's gang single-handedly, and even finds the loot that Mike hid nearby. The adventure gives Allen great ideas for a new novel and gives Esther ideas to marry her daring hero. Mike, not wanting to see the wrong bandits convicted, releases them from prison one night, but instead of returning to his life of crime, he returns to his partner at the ranch instead.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

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

When McAndrews was a boy his father took him to Lost Lake for a vacation, and a childish friendship was established between Vaughan and Jude Clark. He now goes to Lost Lake for recreation. Because the hotel accommodations are insufficient, Abner Clark takes Vaughan to his home, where in daily association with Jude the childhood friendship is renewed, and it gradually intensifies. Judge West, sensing the trend of events, charges Vaughan with "trifling" and reminds him that Jude is engaged to marry Dave Bean, a man of her own style. Harrison has induced Jude to pose for him, promising payment of $50 for the service, but the completed picture shows Jude in a pose she had never assumed. When Vaughan sees the picture, the opinion he has formed of the mountain girl suddenly changes. Several of the gossips get a view of the canvas and Harrison says he understood that Jude posed exactly as she was painted. Jude spurned the artist's $50 when she discovered the trick he played upon her, but when her father falls ill and needed hospital attention,, she pockets her pride and calls to get the cash. While she's at Harrison's camp Dave Bean, guided by the village gossips, enters and accuses her of lax morality, punishes the artists, and declares that the mountain girl shall never become Mrs. Bean. When Abner Clark dies, Jude is left without a protector or means of support, but Judge West intercepts her as she is about to leave Lost Lake and installs her at his own camp as full partner with him in his gold prospecting. Vaughan had left Lost Lake heartbroken because he believed ill of Jude. Months later, he writes to Jude that he has reconsidered and asks her to invite him to return. Jude's eager answer is unhappily stowed in Judge West's pocket for an indefinite time, and it is not until they strike gold that the missive is accidentally revealed. Discovery of the letter leads to a speedy understanding.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

Failing to hear from her brother Jimmy after his departure for the Klondike, Barbara Henderson goes in search of him. Arriving in the frozen North, Barbara learns that her brother has been murdered and vows vengeance. Because the town's small hotel is filled to capacity, Barbara accepts an offer of lodging from old Tully Winkle in return for her keeping house for him and his prospecting partner, Cort Dorian. Barbara and Cort fall in love, but Barbara refuses to marry Cort until she solves the mystery of her brother's death. From various sources she learns that Jimmy's disappearance was preceded by a shoot-out between him and prospector Laberge over Seattle Lou. Barbara then makes the acquaintance of Laberge, who tells her that Cort shot Jimmy. Barbara insists upon fighting a duel with Cort, who fires into the air and is wounded by Barbara's bullet. Just as the shots are fired, Tully appears with the news that Seattle Lou has just arrived in town with her new husband, Jimmy Henderson.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

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

Ruth, a shorthand, quits to avoid the advances of her employer, the police chief. The young woman finds a new job with Anthony Curtis, the district attorney who, with his battles for the law, is disliked by many police officers.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

Daws Anthony, a boy of 16, is cared for by three old men: Judge Morgan, Roger Appleby, and Caleb Talbot. One day, Northerner Ray Preston comes to their Southern town and proceeds to buy some of the judge's property. He also succeeds in breaking up the romance of village belle Carolyn Dillon and Wallace Turner. When traces of oil are discovered on the purchased property, Preston, at the suggestion of Major Dillon, consents to sell a half-interest in the land to the townsfolk for a large sum of money. Daws is suspicious, however, and undertakes an investigation, only to discover that Preston has oiled the land to swindle the town. Threatened with tarring and feathering, Preston returns the money and leaves town, thus removing all obstacles in the path of Carolyn and Turner's romance.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

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

Lawrence Percival Van Huyler, a society fop, protests against the necessity of living up to his snobbish family's blue-blooded traditions. His fiancée, Alicia Vanderveldt, abandons him for Richard Barnaby, who ridicules the pampered Lawrence and brags of his own daring exploits in foreign countries. While the Van Huyler estate is undergoing renovation, Lawrence uncovers a box containing a confession written by the family's founder, Peter Van Huyler. In it, the patriarch admits that he was actually an Irishman of humble birth who made his fortune engaging in piracy on the high seas. Delighted, Lawrence takes a construction job and adopts a fighting attitude, challenging those who had previously made fun of him. After learning that Richard's tales of derring-do were borrowed from a book, Lawrence exposes him and regains Alicia's love.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

In New Mexico, one of the large tungsten mines is owned and operated by William Morton, affectionately known by his associates and employees as Uncle Billy Morton. At the outbreak of the war, he increases his activities as this metal is of great value to the Government for war purposes. Uncle Billy lives near the shaft of the mine with his niece Suzanne. When things at the mine are humming, a man giving his name as Gage arrives in the town. He is in reality an agent of the German government, come with the purpose of instigating a strike among the miners. His accomplice turns out to be the superintendent of the mine. About the same time, Jim Logan comes to town. He shortly wins Suzanne's gratitude and admiration by shooting a Gila monster as it is about to strike at her and then rescuing her from a perilous position on the side of a cliff, where in her nervous fright she fell. Gage is successful in persuading the miners to call a strike, but Logan succeeds in frustrating his plot for the present by breaking up the meeting. To discredit him with Suzanne, Gage circulates stories about his relations in a public place with chorus girl Dolly Dugan. Uncle Billy is beset by four of the plotters and is rescued by Logan. But Gage again plays against him. On a trumped up charge Logan is arrested by the sheriff. Dolly aids in his escape. Gage kidnaps Suzanne and lays plans to blow up the mine. But Logan at last gains the upper hand. He routs the strikers with the assistance of some mule skinners and their animals and captures Gage and Suzanne after a long pursuit. Only then does he disclose the fact that he and Dolly are Secret Service operatives and so, of course, all ends happily. Motion Picture News, September 28, 1918

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

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

Aaron Whitaker is a seafaring man, owner of the sailing ship Alden Besse. He has promised Jacob Babcock, his first mate, that his daughter Esther shall become Babcock's wife. But Esther is in love with Caleb Tilden, her childhood sweetheart, and her grandfather, in sympathetic interest, advises her to marry Caleb and run the chance of gaining her father's forgiveness. The Alden Besse is at sea when Esther's marriage to Tilden takes place. At about the same time Grandfather Whitaker dies. Jacob Babcock has remained ashore for the purpose of marrying Esther, and when the Alden Besse returns and her skipper finds that his daughter has not married Babcock, his anger is intense. Accidentally he discovers, in Esther's sewing basket, a baby's stocking, and divines the truth. He compels Esther to board the Alden Besse and locks her in a cabin. Then he seeks out Caleb Tilden, and in a fight believes he has killed him. Tilden, however, has simply been stunned and when Whitaker throws him from the wharf his sudden immersion in the cold water revives him and he manages to crawl into a string-piece under the dock, At that moment the Alden Besse is sailing, and Tilden watches her with frenzied interest. He sees Esther as she runs to the stern and attempts to jump overboard. Esther's father drags her back to her cabin and securely imprisons her there. The cook of the craft, Eben Wiggs, is the only man on board who has any sympathy for her. The cook cares for her, even when her child is born. Babcock is sailing on the Alden Besse, and when Whitaker tries to compel his daughter to marry the mate, Esther declares that she will throw herself into the sea before allowing her father to conclude the marriage ceremony. Whitaker, in disgust, abandons his purpose. Later the seamen join in mutiny and kill Whitaker, their leader being Jacob Babcock. In the meantime, Tilden has tried to come upon the Alden Besse by shipping as a sailor in a craft that sailed the same sea the Besse usually did, and has found her lying in Panama Bay. When he attempts to board the Besse, Captain Whitaker thinks he sees the ghost of the man he believes he has killed, and drives Tilden from the ship. Tilden returns home and waits for the return of the Alden Besse. The mutiny has broken out as the ship is approaching her home port. There is a fierce storm approaching at the time, and when it breaks the Besse is wrecked. Tilden heads the villagers who go to the rescue, and is the one who wades into the water and secures a raft upon which Esther and her baby have been lashed by the cook. The reunion follows and the final cruise of the Alden Besse becomes tradition.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

Lorenzo Todd, in his childhood had been strictly dealt with; in his youth the girl he loved deserted him; and, growing into manhood, he became morose and grouchy. The only ones he cared for were Dudley Phillips, his youthful rival for the love of the girl Phillips married; her daughter Virginia; and his own son Warren. Virginia and Warren were betrothed and Warren was sowing his last "wild oats" before settling down and becoming a partner in his father's business. Dudley objected to Warren's pranks, while Todd liked the idea of his boy displaying a little "ginger." Finally, Warren was sued by a chorus girl for breach of promise and Dudley declared that he should never marry Virginia, while Todd declared he would not allow Warren to marry her. When Warren told his father that he still intended to make Virginia his wife or leave home forever, Todd told him to go and when he left Todd's soul shriveled even smaller, and he became more of a grouch than ever, until his heart was actually affected and the doctor ordered him to go to Arizona. While he is snowbound in a trapper's cabin at Christmas, a little boy makes him rejoice in the realization of God's great works, and touches the spring that opens his shriveled soul. Fate restores Warren to his father, and Dudley, having heard of Todd's predicament, takes Dorothy with him; there is a general reunion. Warren thoroughly cured of his wildness, completes the pact that he and Virginia had made: and the boy, who had been the cause of Todd's rejuvenation, starts life as a millionaire.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

At a French Canadian logging camp, stranger Louis Graintaire canoes through impassable rapids to the delight of Little Jean, a crippled boy who hopes that Louis will thrash his tormentor, camp bully Baptiste Navet. That evening Louis arouses Navet's enmity by dancing with Annette Bosseut, the daughter of the camp superintendent. Navet challenges Louis to a fight, but when the day comes, Louis and the boy cannot be found. When Louis returns, Annette and her father accuse him of kidnapping. After three bullies of neighboring camps die while trying to kill Louis, and Navet, repulsed by Annette, sets fire to the forest, Louis knocks Navet unconscious and saves Annette by canoeing through the dangerous rapids. He explains that he is the owner of all the camps and is making the rounds breaking bullies who terrorize the weak. Jean, sent to be cured, returns prancing about with a priest who marries Louis and Annette.