Cinematic Discoveries Following the Footsteps of The Soul of Satan: Cult Guide

Dir: Otis Turner

Jack Langdon is sent by a San Francisco company to manage its Santa Clara mine in Peru. Gov. Juan Maria Barada, who disputes the American claim to the mine, means to gain possession of it through intimidation. Barada has his henchman, Miguel Alba, try to bribe and then attempt to kill Langdon, who plans to inform his superiors about the plot. Langdon returns to San Francisco, and after six weeks in delirium in the hospital because of Alba's attack, recovers. He then is told that his aunt has died, leaving him the heir to a woman's seminary in Massachussetts, containing 250 female students. Langdon goes to the seminary, and after the commencement exercises, although he thinks that he is alone at the college except for the caretakers, he comes upon Pepita, Barada's daughter, who is a student at the seminary. She escaped from the clutches of the evil Alba and his mistress, Señorita Del Deros, who had tried to kidnap her from the college. Alba returns for Pepita but he is overcome by Langdon who then telephones Barada and informs him that his daughter is safe. In gratitude, Barada promises that Langdon's new tenure in Peru will be trouble free, and that Alba will be silenced permanently.

Dir: Otis Turner

With his only asset being his title, then when Lord Arthur Waring seriously injures Helene Von Gerold in a riding accident, he borrows money from his dishonorable rich younger brother Mark in order to pay for her medical treatment. Mark drives a hard bargain, however, and makes Arthur agree to commit suicide in six months, thus allowing Mark to inherit the title, if he cannot pay back the loan. Toward the end of the allotted time, Arthur still has not been able to raise the money. Then, just as Arthur is about to kill himself, Helen's father overturns a lamp and sets fire to his house, and Arthur, hearing the alarm, rushes to the scene. Mark also hurries to the Von Gerold's house, but he dies en route when he is thrown from his horse. Arthur rescues Helen, and then, having inherited Mark's fortune, he confidently begins a romance with her.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Gay Lord Waring perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Otis Turner

Young and wild, George Bell lives with his rancher father, Thomas Bell, in Paradise Valley, California. When George sells his father's favorite horse, Mr. Bell turns him out, and George becomes a grain salesman in St. Louis. Meanwhile, Polly Martin lives with her father Bill, an ex-businessman who has sunk to day-labor because of his addiction to alcohol. Bill frequently abuses Polly, and when he falls to his death from a high girder, Polly becomes a nurse in the Salvation Army in St. Louis. George falls in love with Polly after he saves her from the advances of a drunk, but she will not marry him because of his wild past. Instead, she applies for a job in Paradise Valley as a nurse, where she renders aid to Thomas Bell, who has broken his leg. She nurses him back to health at his ranch, and he grows fond of her. Eventually, George learns that Polly is in Paradise Valley and follows her to the ranch. When Thomas discovers that his son loves Polly, he sacrifices his love for George's happiness, and all live together as a family.

Dir: Otis Turner

While working his way through college, Paul Potter acquires a flock of wealthy friends who encourage him to give up his hometown fiancée, Sylvia Castle, for Muriel Evers, a flirtatious married woman. After Sylvia releases Paul, and Muriel's husband divorces her for infidelity, Paul and Muriel marry. Meanwhile, when Sylvia's father dies after being ruined in the stock market, she goes from one job to another in the city until she tries acting in a stock company. There she befriends Henry Leamington, an alcoholic leading man, who, as he tutors her, falls in love and stops drinking because of her. When Paul discovers Muriel's unfaithfulness, he renews his acquaintance with Sylvia, who still loves him. After Muriel dies in an automobile crash, Paul's appearance in Sylvia's dressing room before an opening night causes Henry to drink, but after Sylvia refuses Paul's request to be his mistress, Henry braces himself to give a commanding performance, after which they marry.

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

Dir: Otis Turner

Borrowing shamelessly from "A Tale of Two Cities", an American agent, Harvey Birch (Herbert Rawlinson), exchanges places in prison with Henry Wharton (J. W. Pike'), a condemned British officer and brother of a woman,Frances Wharton (Ella Hall he greatly admires, and goes to the gallows. After his death, General George Washington (William Worthington),reveals the true identity of the dead martyr.

Dir: Otis Turner

The tale is that of a curious expedition to a pearl lagoon off the South Sea Islands in search of untold treasures. The members of the party are a newspaper reporter, a degenerate Australian, who is literally seeped in gin, and a cunning Chinese, who supplies the money to fit out the vessel. When they arrive at the island, they find only a girl, Leila, who was shipwrecked with her father long before. Leila is so glad to see white men again that she eagerly shows them a bag of beautiful pearls brought up from the ocean bed by her father, who disappeared shortly afterward. The pearls are so tempting to the Australian and the Chinese that they form a combination against Leila and the reporter, Bruce Chalmers, when the latter refuses to aid them in robbing the girl. The struggle which follows for the possession of the pearls and the lagoon is very realistic.

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

Dir: Otis Turner

Willie O'Donovan, grandson of Cormack O'Donovan, a retired millionaire contractor, is regarded by his parents as more of a nuisance than an asset. Mr. O'Donovan, Willie's father, is actively engaged in business, while his wife is an enthusiastic aspirant for social recognition. The grandfather, coming to the O'Donovans' home for dinner, enters to find that he has interrupted a domestic row. The grandfather, disliking to have Willie brought up in such an atmosphere, persuades the parents to let him send the boy away to a boarding school. Willie arrives on the school grounds and is made miserable by Peters, one of the other boys. Peters is in love with Mary, a pretty country girl. Willie receives word from Baden Baden, where grandfather had gone for his health, announcing his death. The will he has left with his valet bequeaths his entire fortune to Willie, but naming the person with whom he is living on his eighteenth birthday as the custodian of the fortune until Willie has reached his majority. Willie's parents are overjoyed when they hear of the news. O'Donovan has been losing money rapidly in his business and finds Willie's fortune a necessity. Since the grandfather's departure for Europe they have entered suit for divorce which complicates matters. Each of them decides to beat the other to the possession of the boy before he reaches his eighteenth year. Each of them writes to him to come to them. Willie refuses to have anything to do with them, so each hires a detective to get him. Clews, the father's detective, captures him, but Willie succeeds in giving the detective the impression that he is not Willie. That night Clews breaks into the dormitory, and following directions given him by Willie, gets another boy whom he takes back to the city to the waiting father. Willie's father is enraged at the detective's mistake and orders him back to get the boy. Returning to the school grounds he and Ketchum, the rival detectives, are pitted against each other. But Willie is too clever for them, and evades the detectives each time they plan to get him. School ends and Willie goes to live at Mary's home in the country. But the villains still pursue him. While he and Mary are fishing, Clews manages to capture him and take him back to his waiting auto. Ketchum, however, in the meantime, has learned that Clews is ahead of him. He hurries to the village constable and enlists his aid, insisting that a kidnapping is about to be pulled off. And so, when Clews arrives at the machine he is met by the posse and is arrested. In the confusion, however, Ketchum gets Willie on board a train and starts with him for New York. Ten miles out of town Willie escapes. En route, he runs into a gang of hobos who take his money and clothes. Willie is then forced to hide his nakedness in a sack. O'Donovan gets Clews out of jail and they start for town when they see Willie returning in his sack. They give chase, but Willie beats them to the gardener's cottage, where he gets a suit of clothes and starts for the church where he is to meet Mary. They trail him there and capture him again. Willie, who is wearing the gardener's clothes, begs for permission to return to Mary's for his own clothes. They hurry there and are met at the house by Mrs. O'Donovan, Ketchum, Mary and her mother. When Mary's mother refuses to let either party take the boy without a warrant, they rush off to get said warrants from the town justice of the peace. While they are gone Willie escapes through the window and they return to find him gone. The next day Willie is eighteen, and since he is living with neither of them, the money is to go to charity. They go to the attorney's office to hear the settlement of the will. One minute before the appointed hour, in walks Mary and demands the money. The parents are indignant until she informs them that Willie is living with her. Mother is about to faint when in walks Willie and announces that they are married and on their way to Europe on a honeymoon. The parents make up and decide to forget the divorce.

Dir: Otis Turner

After a prologue which shows several aerial views of the Acropolis, the story begins. The friendship of Damon, the senator, and Pythias, the soldier, is famous in Ancient Syracuse. Because the general Dionysius is infatuated with Calanthe, Pythias' sweetheart, he sends the soldier to fight the Carthaginians at the Battle of Agrigentum. Pythias returns in triumph, and then angers Dionysius even further when he defeats Aristle, the general's favorite, in a chariot race. During the wedding ceremony for Pythias and Calanthe, Dionysius has himself proclaimed sovereign while Damon is absent from the Senate. Shocked, Damon attempts to assassinate Dionysius, but he fails and is sentenced to death. In order for Damon to say goodbye to his wife and son, Pythias leaves Calanthe and takes his friend's place in prison, offering to die in Damon's place if he does not return. Despite several tests of the strength of their friendship, they remain loyal to each other and so impress Dionysius that he allows them both Free.

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

Dir: Otis Turner

Balentine inherits a fortune from his father. He also inherits a fiancée. He sets out to spend the fortune and would have succeeded had not Vera Morton stepped in. Miss Morton, the fiancée, gets his money away from him, and keeps it until he settles down to earn a living. Jack changes his mind about marrying Miss Morton, when he sees Jane Billon. Vera solves the difficulty by becoming the wife of old Billon. Then she returns Jack's fortune, and he adds to it by acquiring Jane.

Dir: Otis Turner

When the story opens Sylvia Lacey has been left an orphan. Her shiftless father, Sam Lacey, of artistic, but weak nature, left her without money. Her mother had died ten years before. The girl writes to her only remaining relatives, an aunt, Miss Martha Lacey, and her mother's brother. In his youth the Judge, Calvin Trent, wanted to marry Miss Martha, but they quarreled. When Sylvia's letter arrives, announcing that she will be in Boston the next day, both uncle and aunt are nonplussed. Neither wants the responsibility. Miss Martha finally decides to go and the Judge sends his young partner, John Dunham, in his place. Miss Martha waits with the young lawyer in the hotel parlor. Plainly she speaks her mind to John about the inconveniences of the girl's coming. Sylvia is already in the room and hears. She promptly refuses any aid from either relatives. Miss Martha is sorry, but it is too late. Dunham, however, goes back to the girl and forces her to accept a loan (of judge's money.) Back in the village, Miss Martha and the Judge both remember a cousin of the Judge's who manages the Judge's main farm. "Thinkright" is sent for and his white hair and kindly eyes soon win the girl to visit him. "Thinkright" once loved Sylvia's mother and is naturally drawn toward the girl. As she and "Thinkright" reach the Mill Farm near Portland, she sees the deserted old Tide Mill with all its shutters closed. Imaginative, she says then and always after, that the old mill is sorrowing and only love can open the shutters. Edna Derwent, a rich Boston girl, who owns a cottage on a nearby island, is a friend and disciple of "Thinkright's." He has taught her to be patient with the false social life which means so much to her mother. Each summer she comes to Hawk Island with Miss Lacey as chaperon. Sylvia becomes jealous of Edna and all her beauty, charm and wealth. "Thinkright" stops this trend of thought in the girl and after several severe tussles, turns her thoughts into the right road. She struggles bravely. Her uncle, penitent, arrives and promptly falls in love with this niece he has never seen before. She forgives him. The next day Miss Lacey arrives at Hawk Island with Edna. This forgiveness is harder, but Sylvia, strong in her new right thinking, manages it. She is invited to the Derwent cottage for a visit. John Dunham, an old friend of Edna's, comes for a visit and his fancy is quickly taken with the imaginative Sylvia whom he rescued in Boston the month before. Sylvia has a strong talent for painting. She has done some things with pencil, but longs for paint. She has no money and is too proud to ask any of her relatives. In her heart she adores John Dunham, but has held herself coldly toward him because she thought that he and Edna were engaged. Suddenly she discovers that he loves her. In her embarrassment she drops her book of sketches and "Thinkright'' finds pieces of brown paper covered with drawings, all showing much power and talent. Edna leagues Judge Trent in a plan, and Sylvia learns that she is to have lessons in painting. The winter passes. Sylvia is making rapid strides in her profession under Edna's special wing in Boston. Summer comes and she goes to the Mill Farm again for a visit. Walking alone on the edge of the basin, she sees the shutters of the Tide Mill have opened and the windows are gleaming brightly. Just then John Dunham appears and asks her to go with him to the Tide Mill. It is open. The first floor is vacant and so is the second. He asks her to go clear to the top and there she finds a luxuriantly appointed artist's studio. "Love opened the shutters," says John, "I bought the Mill and furnished this for my bride." The old story is told and the shutters of life open wide for the girl who learned to think right.