Hidden Genre Gems for Fans of The Silent Call: Cult Guide

Dir: Laurence Trimble

A Marquise objects to her son marrying a cockney, but they reunite on his return from the war.

Dir: Laurence Trimble

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

Georgina asks permission from her old aunt, Patricia Mercer Vanderpyl, to marry Capt. Nugent before his departure for France. Patricia refuses and, in reply to Georgina's questioning, gives her a diary from her own girlhood to read. The diary unfolds the story of Patricia's marriage to soldier Anthony Vanderpyl. Returning on furlough after the outbreak of the Civil War, Anthony suddenly leaves Patricia to visit Mrs. Le Roy, an old flame, and is killed by her jealous husband. Positive that Anthony had been unfaithful to her, Patricia refuses to open the letter that her husband sent her on the day of his death. Georgina now opens it and discovers that Anthony had gone to Mrs. Le Roy to end the affair that his brother Bentley was having with her. With this revelation, Patricia sanctions her niece's marriage, then dies, joining Anthony in "the spreading dawn".

Dir: Laurence Trimble

A doctor cures his wife of brain fever after she stabs her film star lover.

Dir: Laurence Trimble

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

Marshall Strong and John Moore, partners in a western gold mine, both fall in love with schoolteacher Constance Harvey, but she marries Moore, even though she is attracted to the shy Strong, because Moore convinces her that Strong loves someone else. After they strike ore, Moore is killed in a barroom brawl and Strong is accused of murder. He hides out and sends for Constance, but when Lilas Niles, a squatter's daughter who wants Strong's money, deceitfully tells him that Constance is sending the police, Strong leaves, embittered, and marries Lilas. Years later, Strong, now known as Mark Smith, is a wealthy mine owner. Constance lives with her son David who loves Strong's daughter Nancy and works in Strong's mine. After Strong refuses demands for safety precautions, an explosion traps David underground. When Strong discovers that David is Constance's son, he rushes into the burning mine to save him. Strong then promises safer conditions, and David marries Nancy.

Dir: Maurice Elvey

A Royalist and his unknown son seek vengeance on his murdered wife's brothers.

Dir: Bud Fisher

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

Mutt and Jeff go on strike and make their own film.

Dir: Aubrey M. Kennedy

Wealthy oil magnate Harry Mangin is in love with his competitor James Murdock's daughter Blanche. Mangin schemes to ruin Blanche's father so that the girl will be forced to accept his attention. However, Blanche loves "Sky Eye" Blake, an aviator at the adjoining U. S. aviation field. When Mangin is driven in desperation to muster his own private air force in order to destroy his rival's oil plants, "Sky Eye" takes to the skies to quell the riot. After several daring escapades, "Sky Eye" captures Mangin and wins Blanche for his bride.

Dir: Laurence Trimble

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

Dr. Laurel Carlisle marries wealthy Clinton Durand so she will have the money to finance her important experiments in bacteriology in order to find a cure for anthrax--even though she doesn't love Durand and is actually in love with her colleague Dr. Leslie. Durand turns out to be a violent brute who mistreats Laurel and her son Donald. Matters come to a head when Donald dies of pneumonia while on a trip with Durand, and Laurel blames him for it. Complications ensue.

Dir: Laurence Trimble

A girl farmer weds a faithless sergeant who is killed by her suitor, and realises she loves the bailiff.

Dir: Victor Heerman

In the gold fields of the Canadian Northwest, a man is falsely accused of a crime and determines that a lookalike is responsible.