Editor's Top Picks Sharing the Atmosphere of The Sky Raider: Cult G...

Dir: Wilfred Lucas

Brian O'Farrell (Snowy Baker), is an English 'new chum' who takes a job at an Australian cattle station. He is teased by station hands because of his appearance (including spats and a monocle) but he soon impresses them with his skills at riding and boxing. The station manager, John MacDonald (Wilfred Lucas), takes O'Farrell to Sydney to meet his daughter Edith (Kathleen Key) who is working in the slums. Edith is kidnapped by criminals after witnessing a crime but O'Farrell rescues her. It is later revealed he is the owner of the station.

Dir: Harley Knoles

Jim McDonald, the foreman of a shipbuilding plant and head of the labor union, strives to combat the anarchistic propaganda being put forth by Klimoff, the leader of a Bolshevik gang whose goal is to disrupt the country with strikes and anarchy. Despite McDonald's efforts, a strike is called, resulting in chaos. McDonald's child is knocked down by runaway horses abandoned by their striking driver, and dies. Mob scenes take place in America, as well as in Russia. Eventually, the unrest is quelled with an armistice called between Capital and Labor for a year, during which time wages are to be increased to reflect the cost of living, and leaders are to work out a common plan for their mutual advantage. The strikers now realize that they have been pawns of the Bolsheviks and call off the strike, agreeing to the plan.

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

Dir: Robert N. Bradbury

A simple country girl, brutally mistreated by her stepfather, awakens first the sympathy, then the love, of The Boy. The Spider, who lusts after The Girl, makes a bargain with the stepfather and takes her to the city where, kept prisoner, she is soon broken in health and spirit. Cast out and near death, she is taken in by The Boy. Following the demise of The Spider, The Boy takes her to church, where he prays, and after many hours she is restored to health.

Dir: T. Hayes Hunter

Because both his father and grandfather died of alcoholism, the inhabitants of Denny Bolton's small home town in upstate New York consider him, too, a hopeless drunkard. Swayed by the suggestion that he has inherited a craving for liquor, Denny fights to abstain from it, aided only by the woman who loves him, Dryad Anderson. One night, however, Denny is kicked by a horse, and when Dryad sees him unconscious on the floor, she believes the worst and abandons him. Angered, Denny moves to New York City and applies for a job as a fighter in Flash Hogarty's gymnasium. In the ring, Denny stands up to a good fighter named Sutton, which so impresses Flash that he trains Denny to face the lightweight champion, Jed the Red. An encouraging note from Dryad delivered to Denny during the big fight so inspires him that he defeats Jed and returns home triumphant.

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

Dir: T. Hayes Hunter

The tale is hung upon the rivalry of Mrs. Winkle and Slocum, each the owner of a pickle factory. Some of the most unusual and humorous situations arise. Andrew Slocum sends Andy, his son, to Winkle's factory to spy on the latter's secrets. Many who have been buying the Winkle pickles are taken ill. Mrs. Winkle suggests a partnership. Winkle answers her scornfully. She enters Slocum's office and finds out his secrets. One night she blows up his safe and escapes with the formulas. Meantime Andy has confessed his real name to Matilda. They elope. Mrs. Winkle finds Matilda's note. She decides to take back the secret papers. But John Heaps has already stolen them. She learns that Slocum has gone to Shreveport. While Slocum is being engaged with his bath a thief steals his clothes. Wrapped in the curtains he rushes downstairs. The constable is called. He protests that he is Andrew Slocum, "the pickle king." Andy denies knowing him. Andy and Matilda then hurry to the station. Mrs. Winkle arrives and identifies Slocum. Andy and Matilda meet Heaps. Mrs. Winkle and Slocum follow. They turn Heaps over to the constable and recover the formulas. Now they are making pickles under the name of "The Slocum Company, Inc."

Dir: T. Hayes Hunter

A woman who has been in a train wreck and lost her memory is mistaken for a vaudeville star, complete with a husband and several children.

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

Dir: Alexander Butler

In Alberta, Canada, a Cornish emigrant unmasks a rustler posing as the girl's "blind" father.

Dir: William Parke

Bruce Wendell, the son of West Virginia coal mine owner James Wendell, graduates from West Point and prepares to lead a fighting unit to the front during World War I. As his father lies dying, however, he convinces Bruce to remain at home and guard the mine. Bruce's fiancée Ann Blair assumes that he is a coward and breaks off their engagement, but her brother Bobbie remains Bruce's loyal friend. Meyer, a German agent, persuades railroad president Parrish to refuse to transport Wendell's coal, but when Bruce adamantly refuses to close the mine, the spy's men decide to blow it up. While Ann is being abducted by Meyer, Bobbie is buried in an explosion at the mine. Bruce rescues Bobbie and then sends a plea to Lieutenant Parrish to rescue Ann. Meyer and his gang are captured and Ann renews her vow of love to Bruce.

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

Dir: T. Hayes Hunter

Dr. Montrose's attempts to develop a chemical which would make a person super-intelligent fail, and the subjects of his experiments metamorphose into hideous monsters who band together and prey on humans. With the police stymied, a young detective attempts to track down the leader of the group of killers, known only to have a small crimson stain in one eye.

Dir: T. Hayes Hunter

Cowhand Jim Cleve is wrongly accused of murder and rescued by Jack Kells, leader of a band of Idaho outlaws known as the Border Legion. But when the Legion takes Joan Randall prisoner and leaves Cleve to guard her, he realizes that he cannot remain part of an outlaw band and decides to rescue Joan.