Hidden Genre Gems for Fans of The Sleeping Lion: Cult Guide

Dir: Rupert Julian

Christoper Foy, who is running away from the authorities, is injured during his escape and takes refuge at the mountain cabin of Colonel Vorhis and his daughter Stella. Stella takes pity on Foy, and the Colonel, admiring Foy's confession of guilt, takes steps to have him pardoned. He and Stella fall in love and Foy remains honest, but when he is accused of cattle stealing, he again runs away. When John Wesley Pringle, who also loves Stella, learns that Foy is innocent but is the object of a conspiracy, he helps Foy by uncovering the plot. Despite his love for Stella, Pringle helps to prove that Foy is innocent so that Stella can find happiness with the man she loves.

Dir: Rupert Julian

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A propagandistic view of the First World War, showing the political greed of the German Kaiser Wilhelm, the resistance of some of his own soldiers, and fanciful prediction of the nature of the war's end.

Dir: Rupert Julian

Lucille, a beautiful and romantic young woman, marries John Linforth, a wealthy businessman, who is twice her age, and too distracted by his business affairs to give her the attention she craves. John is pleased when she takes a liking to his young friend, Ronald Standish. After the friendship has grown to romance, however, John tries to keep the two apart. As he is about to depart on a short trip, John orders Ronald from the house. Later that night, Ronald asks Lucille to elope with him, but before they leave, they realize that an illegal union would only lead to unhappiness, and Ronald returns home. A burglar, who, in stealing certain securities from John's desk, witnesses the couple in an embrace, blackmails Ronald into purchasing the bonds. To save her lover, Lucille confesses everything to John, who promises to give his young wife her freedom. A year later Lucille and Ronald marry.

Dir: Rupert Julian

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

Miner Dan Stuyvesant finally strikes it rich, but on his way to report his claim, he is shot. When Jack Dedlow, the head of a gang of outlaws, hears this news, he rides to Stuyvesant's cabin intending to secure the claim for himself. There the outlaws find Stuyvesant's daughter Hilda, the sweetheart of Tom Flynn, and are about to draw cards for her when Dago Sam pulls out his guns and spirits her out the door. Because Tom is his only friend, Sam determines to protect Hilda from the gang, but when Tom suspiciously questions his intentions toward Hilda, Sam decides to live up to the town's poor opinion of him. Hilda saves herself by declaring her faith in Sam and, his spirits restored, he returns her to Tom. Dedlow is killed in a fight at Sam's cabin, and Tom and Sam renew their friendship.

Dir: Rupert Julian

After the death of her father, a young girl goes to live with her uncle in Kentucky. She immediately comes into conflict with her uncle's shrewish wife.

Dir: Rupert Julian

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

Ernestine Bergot is a child of the Paris streets. One day she begs a few sous from a student of the Latin quarter. He becomes interested in her, takes her to his studio, and declares he will adopt her. Later she meets Justin Chevassat, another artist, and a mutual infatuation springs up. Gradually Ernestine becomes a beautiful "vampire," hardened to any crime. One day she shoves her benefactor out of the studio window after robbing him of a large sum of money. When he dies as a result of the fall, Ernestine and Justin leave the Latin quarter. To further their schemes they take into partnership Sir Thomas Elgin, who poses as Ernestine's uncle. The woman changes her name to Sarah Brandon her reckless adventures soon make her known as the most evil woman in the city. Malgat, a banker's clerk who has access to the funds, is her first victim. Sir Thomas Elgin, acting as Sarah Brandon's decoy, feigns illness one day while walking in Boise de Bologne and attracts the attention of Count Ville Handry, who assists the supposed sick man to Sarah Brandon's home, where the woman proceeds to practice her wiles upon the old nobleman. In the end Count Handry asks her to marry him, and their engagement is announced. The Count's daughter Henriette objects, especially when Daniel Champcey, her betrothed, a French naval officer, informs her of Sarah Brandon's reputation. The Count persists, Daniel is ordered to China, and Henriette is left alone in her father's home with the mistress of the house and all the servants (by Sarah's conniving) turned against the daughter. Before leaving Daniel has mistakenly entrusted Henriette to the "tender" mercies of Chavessat, tool of Sarah. When Henriette is no longer able to endure the humiliation she suffers in her father's home, she begs Chavessat to take her away to some quiet spot where she can live respectably until she can get word to Daniel in China. Chavessat's treachery imprisoned Henriette in a house of ill repute, where he threatens, by starvation, to compel the girl to submit to his will. In the same building where Henriette is confined lives Malgat, the banker's clerk Sarah ruined, and it is through his discovery of Henriette's identity and his further activities in association with the Parisian police that Sarah is finally exposed at the moment when Count Handry, ruined by her iniquity, is about to commit suicide. Daniel has hurriedly returned to Paris in response to Henriette's appeal, and with Malgat and the girl, faces Sarah Brandon in Count Handry's home. Rather than submit to arrest Sarah Brandon drinks from a vial of poison and falls dead, as the police lead away to prison Chavessat and her other accomplice, Sir Thomas Elgin.

Dir: Rupert Julian

Police headquarters has been plagued by a series of robberies, culminating in the theft of a priceless necklace smuggled from Europe. The detectives are on the track of a gang led by master thief Ramon Mordant and his accomplice known as "the Face" because of his twisted and hideous countenance. Among the detectives on the case is undercover agent Clara Hawthorne, masquerading as a mysterious, glamorous woman. The Face and Clara play a cat and mouse game until, while they are both in pursuit of Mordant, the Face secures the necklace and turns it over to Clara, at the same time revealing himself to be Prentice Tiller, chief of the Secret Service.

Dir: Rupert Julian

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

In 19th-century France, wealthy, single young Bettina is pursued by dozens of young men, but she believes that they're interested more in her money than in her and rejects them all. Young Army Lt. Jean Reynaud meets her and falls for her without knowing how wealthy she is; when he finally finds out, he is afraid that, because of her high social status and his low one, he'll be perceived to be just another gold-digger, and his sense of honor won't permit that, so he turns her away. She, however, doesn't want to be turned away, and he finds the tables turned when she pursues him.

Dir: Rupert Julian

While Major Abercrombie and wife were hurrying through a Persian forest, in order that Mrs. Abercrombie might reach an English settlement to bear her child, a tent was hurriedly pitched, and there a little girl was born. The mother surrendered her life and Major Abercrombie went mad with grief. He ran into the forest and was killed by lions. Usun Hassan, while passing with his huntsmen, discovered the tent and sent Malec, his secretary, to investigate. Malec found the dead body of Mrs. Abercrombie and heard the faint cry of her baby. The body of the woman was buried and the babe was carried to Hassan's harem. There she grew to become a beautiful girl, with Malec acting as her tutor. They called her Rokaia. Hassan having decided she should marry a merchant whom she loathed, Rokaia readily listened to Malec's proposal that she go with him to France. Having provided her with clothes, money and tickets, Malec was detected while helping the girl escape. Malec hid himself away to save his head, while Rokaia proceeded to France. Arriving at Marseilles the girl was robbed of her purse, thus becoming easy prey for a young gallant who made her acquaintance and started to take her to his apartments. Rokaia was struck by an automobile and her admirer found safety in flight. The motor was owned by Marquis De Tonquin, who helped Rokaia into the tonneau and drove her to his home. There she was found to be little hurt. The Marquis about this time received a letter from the Parisian college where his son, Marcel, was being educated, stating that the boy was incorrigible. Believing that there must be a "woman in the case," the Marquis prevailed upon Rokaia to go to Paris as his son's companion. Marcel did not look upon the girl as his father would have him, but secured separate lodgings for her, where he lived, and treated her with utmost respect. The day Rokaia arrived in Paris she halted before a Persian bird-vendor and asked the directions to Marcel's lodgings. It so happened that Malec had just arrived from Persia and lived at the Asiatic lodgings where the bird-vendor stopped. He heard the man's gossip about the girl who spoke in his own tongue and bought his birds. Malec believed he was on the trail of the girl be sought, and went to the address the bird-vendor gave him, and there found Rokaia. Through hypnotic influence he controlled the girl so far as to cause her to go away with him. Marcel was informed by his fellow students, when he returned, after a brief absence from his lodgings, that Rokaia had just departed, and the note she left for him confirmed the story. When a drayman called for Rokaia's trunk, Marcel learned her address, and leading a party of students, went to her rescue. The happy ending was attained when Marcel and Rokaia were married.

Dir: Rupert Julian

In a little town in France live orphan siblings Gabrielle and Anatole Picard. Gabrielle has been a mother to her brother since their own mother died and they are devoted to each other. Their friend is Pierre Dupont, who is in love with Gabrielle. When the call comes to fight for France, the two men join the colors. Gabrielle promises Pierre that if he will watch out for her brother that she will marry him upon his return. In the field, Anatole becomes the bugler of the regiment and during one of the skirmishes he and Pierre become separated from the main division of the army and with them, Peppy, the drummer boy, who dies. So it is that the report comes to the village that the two men are dead. Later the invading army reaches the village. They enter the cottage of Gabrielle and order her to serve them with drinks, which she does, but when they order her to drink a toast against France, she throws the liquor in the officers' face. Years elapse and Anatole and Pierre return to the village. No one knows of Gabrielle's whereabouts, as she was last seen when the invading army entered the village. Their search is fruitless. At last they settled down in the rebuilt cottage. But never does Pierre lose an opportunity to recount the valor of Anatole when the commander of the foe ordered him to give the bugle call for retreat with the promise that he would be spared and instead Anatole had given the call to charge. Thus the enemy was routed. Dissard, an officer of the French government, is at the head of a committee to bestow honors upon those who have done brave deeds. It so happens that the reception which he has planned for a certain officer will have to be abandoned, owing to the hero's death, unless Dissard can find some other one to take his place. The records are searched and it is decided to decorate Anatole Picard. Accordingly he is sent for. Pierre and Anatole decide to march to Paris in spite of the protest of the villagers, but just as they are at the gates of Paris, Anatole becomes so weak that he cannot go further and dies in a peasant's cabin. Pierre goes on alone and receives the decoration from the President and makes a speech which wins the hearts of his audience. He tells them of Gabrielle and the part she had had in making a hero of Anatole, spectators thinking that Pierre is Anatole. Much to his surprise, Gabrielle, now an old woman, enters the banquet room and the two are united. On their way back to the village, she asks where her brother is and Pierre promises to take her to him. They go to the little peasant cabin where Pierre left Anatole and shrouded in the flag of France. Then Pierre decorates the body with the cross which he received for Anatole, as he never intended keeping the honor for himself.