Must-Watch List Comparable to the Style of The Sneak: Cult Guide

Dir: Edward LeSaint

Inez de Pierrefond's mother forces her to marry a wealthy man who proves to be such a brute that after he is killed in a drunken brawl, Inez swears that she will never marry again. Later, she falls in love with John Hemingway, an Iowan who has come to Paris to study architecture, but when she tells him her views on marriage, he leaves her in shock. His friend, Charles Abbey, convinces him that Inez's ideas are quite logical, and for a time, the two live together in perfect happiness. Upon the couple's return to Delphi, Iowa, however, the town gossips assume that the beautiful and cultured Parisian is an adventuress, and when they learn of her book, Free Love , they call a meeting to inform John's mother of Inez's low character. Hearing of their plan, Inez roundly denounces the villagers as hypocrites and then explains her views to Mrs. Hemingway, who lovingly forgives her. Mrs. Hemingway's tender devotion to her son so moves Inez, however, that she eventually consents to the marriage ceremony.

Dir: Edward LeSaint

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

De Guise visits the Paris home of the Marquis Henry De Montfort to obtain the marquis' system of beating the roulette wheel. In the struggle, De Guise kills the marquis and then abducts his daughter Blanche, who has fainted. On the road, De Guise is knocked unconscious in a fight with the "Stag," a leader of the Paris underworld, and the latter takes Blanche to his den in the slums. Blanche awakens with no recollection of what has transpired and begins a new life with the Stag. Using her father's roulette system, the two soon make a fortune and enter Paris' select gambling society. Blanche meets De Guise, stabs him, and is arrested, but an operation for "pressure on the brain" saves her from prison and restores her memory. De Guise recovers and again abducts Blanche, but the Stag comes to her rescue and, now choosing straight life, finds happiness with her.

Dir: Edward LeSaint

James Kelly and Tom Baldwin, two old pals, agree that their children, Larry and Helen, should marry. During the month before the marriage, Larry plans to have a fling and is smitten by a woman he meets on a train. Not realizing that the woman is Helen, he takes a job on the ranch next to hers, and she poses as a maid to sound out her fiancee's character. Tom exposes a group of cattle thieves but is accused of murder and makes a run for it. His horse catches up with a train, and when he jumps through the window, he finds himself facing his future wife.

Dir: Edward LeSaint

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

The city editor remarked to his star reporter, Jimmie, "This is the biggest steal that any corporation tried to put over the municipality. Run it down, break it up, and you will own the shop." Jimmie went after the new assignment fast and furious, and the front page of his paper began to attract the attention of the populace to a new condition of affairs, in which a railroad trust appeared to be hiding behind an innocent application made by a coterie of seemingly disinterested citizens, all of whom were associated with big corporations. Councilman Blake, a cold-blooded politician, led the controlling faction of aldermen, and while he had long been a "suspect" nobody was clever enough to "put it over on him." At the preliminary council meeting only a single vote was required to give the "people's property" to the railroad trust. The lacking vote was Black, who, knowing his previous power, reserved his right to hold the big job in leash. At this point in the game, grim Grayson, the head of the railway trust, came to the city secretly, just as Blake expected he would, praying for a conference. In the interim Reporter Jimmie met and impressed Alice, Blake's stenographer, who felt the power of his personality, and could not restrain her interest in the story that was unfolding as he came day after day for interviews. When she learned that Councilman Blake was to be a guest that night at Grayson's country home she "tipped it off" to Jimmie by 'phone. He managed to get unobserved into Grayson's house and his sharp ears overheard the conclusion of the bargain between the councilman and the magnate. Blake hurried away, and Grayson sat down to enjoy reflecting that he had the winning of the franchise fight in his pocket, signed for a certainty by Blake. The alert Jimmie leaped upon him, bound and gagged him, and, possessing himself of the precious document, escaped from the house and made a run for his horse he had concealed in the shrubbery. He ran into the husky secretary of Grayson and handed him a punch on the point of the jaw and then proceeded to his horse. The secretary, however, rallied for the count and took a shot at Jimmie, that came so close that it made a brain bruise across his brow. Grayson's man staggered to his feet, rushed to the house and found his master trussed up like a stuffed turkey. He released him, learned the truth of the raid, and consequently, upon his master's demand, rushed for his automobile. The wounded reporter rode madly on and then the automobile came flashing into the scene. Jimmie tried out all the tricks at his command in fox chasing, in cutting across ploughed fields and taking down narrow, rough lanes, but Grayson's car ate up the miles savagely and came closer and closer. Now they were in the city limits, and on a shaded boulevard the car caught up with the tired rider and his foam-flecked steed. Jimmie was dragged from his horse, and was about to be thrown in the car and carried away when a mounted patrolman appeared and asked impertinent questions. Jimmie thrust the document in the officer's hand, when Grayson declared his identity and insisted that a valuable document had been stolen from him. The patrolman glanced at the document and the significance of it appealed to him so powerfully that he handed it back to Jimmie and told him to "Beat it." Then he compelled the frantic Grayson and his huskies to conform with the speed laws so he could trot alongside their automobile through the park. Things were happening in the City Hall in the interim and likewise at the newspaper office, a sort of expectant hush that comes before great news "breaks." The editor was about to order the presses to start, giving up the expected scoop as too late, when Jimmie with a bloody handkerchief bound about his brow, and the knock-out document in his hand, staggered into the office with his smashing story. It was a big thing and the bold-face type played it up scare-heads. The scene shifted to the council chamber. Blake concluded his speech and the voting was about to begin, when Jimmie darted into the room and pushed the "extra" under the nose of the astonished Blake, and then passed other copies around so quickly that the great franchise steal died a-bornin'. Blake's pretty stenographer was at work early that morning when the telephone rang and she recognized the voice, unmistakably Jimmie's that said, "Hello a friend is talking. Will you marry me?" It wasn't hard to guess the answer, and when the orange blossoms bloomed upon her brow two months later, the newspaper that Jimmie helped to the greatest scoop of the time was heavily represented both in "among those present" and the bridal gifts.

Dir: Edward LeSaint

Three outlaws fleeing a posse through the desert come upon a dying woman and her baby in a wagon. Before she passes away, she makes the men promise to take care of her baby and get it safely through the desert.

Dir: Edward LeSaint

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Reporter Jimmie Intervenes perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dick Brown kills himself in front of Adele Durant after she rejects him and Dick's friend Robert Bradley threatens to accuse her of murder unless she places her life in his hands. He leaves her at a dance hall in an isolated spot in Mexico, where she falls in with a group of bandits planning to seize an American mine. Learning that the brigands plan to kill the lone mine owner, she warns him of their approach and discovers that he is none other than Bradley, whom she loathes. They flee together but are captured and held with other prisoners of the gang. While Bradley goes for help, bandit Pedro Vasquale threatens to kill the prisoners unless Adele comes to him in his cabin. When he embraces her, she stabs him. Bradley, recognizing her noble character, marries her.

Dir: Edward LeSaint

Rhandah, who is to succeed his father, the Maharajah of Dharpuli, is sent to Oxford to be educated. The Princess Nada, to whom he is engaged, fearful of the outcome of his journey, gives him an amulet to bring him back to her in safety. At the college, he soon becomes accustomed to English customs, but refuses all invitations into society. He meets Amy, daughter of Colonel Dawe, and they become interested in each other. Amy wagers that she can persuade the Prince to give her the amulet and succeeds in having him accept her invitation to a party; she manages to see Rhandah alone and secures the amulet. Dick Larimer, to whom Amy is engaged, denounces Amy for doing such a thing. Asa Judd, tutor to the Maharajah's son, has taken a snap shot of Amy and Rhandah and sent it to Colonel Marcy, the Resident British Councilor. Mulai Singh, an aspirant to the throne, obtains possession of the photograph. Rhandah, embittered, returns home just as the Maharajah dies. By his bedside he swears eternal vengeance on all the English and is overheard by Nada. He seeks out Mulai Singh and obtains the picture, declaring his intention of leading his people against the English, issuing a command that all captured English be brought before him. Dick is taken and Rhandah orders him to the dungeon. Amy has come to India with her father and is also taken by the outlaws, but when they see the amulet they release her. Nada recognizes her from the picture, and comes upon Rhandah and Amy as he is contemplating what he shall do with Dick. Rhandah makes advances to Amy which she dares not resent, and tells him she will do anything to save Dick, but he replies there is nothing that will save her sweetheart. Nada, listening, ready to kill Amy with a dagger, overhears and rushes into Rhandah's arms vowing her belief in him. At Amy's solicitation, Nada intercedes and Dick is set free. All the trouble and turmoil is at last ended, and both couples are happy.

Dir: Edward LeSaint

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

Just prior to World War I, the Kaiser sends Baron von Zeller to inform Emperor Franz Josef of Austria that he is ready to declare war on France. Sensing the impending crisis, the French War Office dispatches secret agent René de Bornay to investigate the situation, and upon his arrival, he cultivates the friendship of Franz Josef's mistress, the Countess Griselda von Arenburg. Austria's Archduke Franz Ferdinand, distressed with the countess' influence over the Emperor, resolves to get rid of her, but she learns of his plans and commissions her Serbian servant Danilo to murder him. Baron von Zeller, who loves the countess, covers up her part in the assassination and asks her to come to Berlin to serve the Kaiser as an agent. In Berlin, she again meets René, and although she has been assigned to expose him, the countess falls in love with the Frenchman and urges him to escape to France. Just as René leaves her apartment, von Zeller enters, and having learned that she hid René from the Germans, has her shot on the spot.

Dir: Edward LeSaint

Chicago Charlie, a crook, gets Harriet Gordon, a wealthy heiress, to elope with him. He takes her to a road house on the promise that a minister will be waiting. There he drugs her. Detective Scully arrives, but Charlie gets away. Five years later Harriet is engaged to the district attorney. Chicago Charlie is arrested and convicted, Peggy, his sweetheart, pleads to see him. Harriet helps her and takes her as a maid. Chicago Charlie escapes from prison. He tells Peggy he must have money to get away. With Harriet, Peggy meets Charlie. She recognizes him. She .gives him money, but he demands also the engagement ring she wears. He takes it. While Peggy is trying to pawn the ring Charlie attacks Harriet, who takes a knife from a table and kills him. Detective Scully finds Peggy leaning over the body. Through the ring he traces Harriet. However, knowing all the circumstances, he reports to headquarters that a detective stabbed Charlie while Charlie was trying to escape.

Dir: Edward LeSaint

Maj. Ralph Seton is a British army officer stationed in Cawnpore, India, when the Sepoy Rebellion--a mutiny of Indian soldiers in the Brtitish army in India--breaks out in 1857. He receives the prestigious Victoria Cross--the highest decoration that can be awarded to a British soldier--for his actions in battle. However, after a night of drunken debauchery, he is stripped of the honor and disgraced in front of his love, Joan Strathallen, the daughter of his commanding officer. When Indian rebel leader Azimoolah instigates an uprising by the natives and has Joan kidnapped, Seton sets out to redeem his honor and save the woman he loves.