Editor's Top Picks Sharing the Atmosphere of The Silent Code: Cult ...

Dir: Stuart Paton

Tommy Buckman, the ne'er-do-well son of dime store magnate John Buckman, is given one last chance to succeed by surveying a possible location in New England for the opening of another store in his father's chain. Arriving in the town of Winton, Tommy lands in jail and, disowned by his father, is bailed out by Nina Potter, whose father owns the only dime store in town. Tommy accepts a job as a delivery boy in the Potter store and soon rises to the post of general manager. When Buckman opens the store across the street, Tommy, now an adroit manager, corners the market. Old Buckman is sent for, and when he arrives to discover that his own son has beaten him in business, he consents to Tommy's marriage to Nina and withdraws his store from the town of Winton.

Dir: Edward LeSaint

When famous opera singer Elinore Duane undergoes an operation on her throat, she has a series of ether-induced visions. In one, she is transported to ancient Rome where she appears as a much-admired woman in love with Paul, a young heretic, and at odds with Lutor, the high priest. To save her love, she poisons Lutor with her ring. After several other visions which involve variations on this love triangle, Elinore awakens to discover that Lutor is actually her doctor, Sascha Jaccard, and that Paul is the son of a friend who has come to visit the recovering prima donna.

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

Dir: Stuart Paton

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Stuart Paton

Jim Brockton had three interests in life: His nephew, Donald: the Trinity, three friends of different nationalities, but united by their love for Jim; and a faithful dog named Lady. His affection for Donald, his nephew, was entirely misplaced, and that unworthy young man laughed at his uncle every time he got a check from him, and proceeded to spend it upon riotous living. Christmas came, and with it Donald, who immediately proceeded to call his club friends around him and have a good time. Jim naturally was hurt, but excused Donald on the ground that youth seeks youth. But when he discovered his nephew and a group of his friends bear-baiting a poor beggar even his faith got a shock, but he took the derelict home and into his household and his heart. The next day the three friends introduced Jim to Mary, an admirable woman, and a year from that date saw them married. When Donald came home for Christmas a situation arose which was fraught with great danger, for Donald had previously been engaged to Mary, and had been low enough to permit an action of his toward her to be sadly misconstrued, destroying her reputation. In an endeavor to compromise her again the ingrate brought about two events which came near to wrecking Donald's life, but the old derelict saved the situation and exposed Donald for what he was.

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

Dir: Stuart Paton

Antiques collector Bradley West agrees to adopt Little Marie, a French war orphan, to please his wife. Marie and a servant's son, George Washington Jones, Jr., irritate Bradley with their mischief until he hires Hulda, a governess who objects to Marie's friendship with a Black child. Marie attempts to placate Hulda by whitewashing George, then presents him at a tea party and shocks the guests. Bradley's nephew and secretary, Trent Gordon, befriends Marie and she assists him in overcoming difficulties with his girlfriend, Phyllis Dare. Unbeknown to the West family, Hulda, alias "Chicago Hattie," is in league with a gang of thieves led by Raymond Brownleigh, intent on robbing Bradley's safe. On the night of the burglary, the noise awakens Marie and she locks Brownleigh in the safe. Before the thief can make his escape, Trent captures the entire gang. Marie's courage and resourcefulness win her the love of her foster father.

Dir: Stuart Paton

Andrea Minghetti runs a California vineyard with the help of his pretty niece Bona, who cooks for the employees. A worker named Chico Piave, who belongs to a secret crime society, tries unsuccessfully to force himself on Bona, and later, he demands that Andrea give him both the young woman and a large sum in cash. Meanwhile, the wealthy Frank Harris accepts a job at the vineyard on a dare and is so impressed with Bona's cooking that he offers her a position in his mother's kitchen. Mrs. Harris treats Bona cruelly until word comes that Bona has inherited a fortune from Andrea, who has disappeared in her absence. Mrs. Harris' sudden kindness dismays Bona, who returns home and informs the police of Chico's earlier threats. Chico is arrested, but Andrea, who merely hid to escape the criminal, returns to the vineyard, as does Frank, who declares his love for Bona.

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

Dir: Stuart Paton

John Hardy, a ranch owner, marries Cleo Dade, not realizing she belongs to a gang planning to use the ranch as headquarters for Mock Sing's opium smuggling operations. When Hardy suddenly disappears, Cleo takes charge of the ranch, usurping the place of Hardy's daughter, Rose. Suspecting her father is still alive, Rose visits Mock Sing's cabin. John Smith, a card dealer for Mock Sing who is attracted to Rose, saves her from Mock Sing's assault and frees Hardy, who has been held prisoner. Soon after, Hardy's ranch hands attack and kill Mock Sing, Cleo is revealed as the wife of gang member "Square Deal" Dixon, and the ranch is restored to Hardy. John Smith, actually a government agent sent to curb opium trafficking on the border, marries Rose.

Dir: Stuart Paton

George Grant has invented a device which is being financed by his partner, John Benson, who receives an offer of $200,000 for the patent rights of the valuable invention. The offer is accepted with Grant's approval. Grant enters a barroom where an old man reprimands Dave Wilson, a young man out of employment, for wasting his time in barrooms. Dave strikes the old man, and Grant interferes, giving the young man a black eye. Benson sees the encounter and Grant returns to his home office with Benson. As Benson is leaving he meets Dave, who tells him he has been persuaded by his mother to apologize to Grant. The apology is accepted. Then Grant suddenly drops dead. Dave hears a police whistle blown outside, and runs into the next room where he crawls under the bed. Policemen and members of Grant's household arrive and discover Grant's body. One of the policemen telephones to the police station, and Detective Doyle is assigned to take charge of the case. Dave is present when Doyle arrives on the scene of the murder, and explains to Doyle how Grant dropped dead. Meanwhile a policeman finds a pistol in the yard, and hands it to Doyle. Benson telephones from his home that he wishes to speak to Grant. Doyle answers that there has been an accident and he had better come over at once. When Benson arrives Dave urges him to tell the detective that Benson knew of Dave's mission to the house, but Benson answers, "I know about the fight, and I know nothing about the apology." Dave collapses and is dragged off to the police station. The scene then shifts to the courtroom where Dave has been tried for murder and the jury have found him guilty. Shortly after Dave is electrocuted. One year later James Sprague, the criminologist, is visiting his old friend, the warden, and is shown the reforms the warden has made in prison life. The warden believes in the golden rule, and between working hours the men are allowed their freedom and are treated as human beings. The prisoners are shown playing baseball, and are given manual exercises. During the game the warden tells Sprague that he is glad capital punishment has been abolished as many an innocent man had been electrocuted. The warden then shows Sprague a photograph of Grant's home, declaring that he doesn't believe that the man who was electrocuted for killing Grant was actually guilty. Sprague is interested in the case, and departs with the photograph in his pocket. We next see Sprague at Grant's home making a close examination of the room in which Grant was killed. He looks out of the window into the yard where he sees a boy in a swing. He chases the boy out of the yard, gets on the swing, and concludes that Grant was shot by the murderer swinging himself to a height on a level with Grant's window which would account for the revolver picked up in the yard subsequent to the murder. Meanwhile Benson's guilty conscience has made him a nervous wreck. He goes to his home, where he has another vision of Grant, and shoots at the specter with his revolver. The servants rush in, and the butler revives him with a stimulating drink. Sprague consults Detective Doyle, who asserts that Grant's murder was a case of murder for revenge, and in his subsequent investigation learns of Benson's strange attack of nervousness. Under the pretense of wanting to make a business contract, Sprague makes the acquaintance of Benson. He bribes the butler and maid servant to get themselves discharged and the next day he installs servants of his own choice in Benson's household. Sprague's wife is engaged as the maid servant. The butler and Sprague's wife, abetted by a detective, act so strangely and get Benson into such an extremely nervous condition that when Sprague calls on him to close the proposed contract he begins to suspect that he is being spied on, especially on being asked whether he is interested in the abolition of capital punishment. Sprague then relates to him the peculiar case of Dave Wilson in connection with the murder of George Grant, which increases Benson's apparent nervousness. Meanwhile, Detective Doyle, who is in the yard, fires off a revolver, at a given signal from Sprague. Benson becomes hysterical and confesses that he committed the murder. At the close of the picture, Benson is seen in prison stripes in order to emphasize that while Dave Wilson had no chance of redemption. Benson, through the abolition of capital punishment, would at least be given a chance.

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

Dir: Stuart Paton

A conspiracy to take over the world is uncovered when several Latin diplomats visit the United States.

Dir: Stuart Paton

Being an unmarried man, Douglas Seward, a young engineer, is unable to secure a position with Terence Craver, a contractor. In search for a wife Seward meets Eileen Orton, who has been left destitute by the death of her father. He makes an agreement to support her if she present herself as his wife at Craver's office. She agrees and Seward secures a position and leaves for South America. The contractor, who has a mania for beautiful women, falls in love with Eileen, but she does not care for him, having become much attracted to Seward, who is sending her half his salary each week for her maintenance. Months later Seward comes to New York to see Eileen and arrives in time to protect her from Craver. The marriage lie no longer necessary, Seward proposes to Eileen, and they are forthwith made man and wife.