Masterpiece Selection that Capture the Essence of The Spy: Cult Guide

Dir: Richard Stanton

Dick Mason is arrested for defending a girl's honor in a Chicago restaurant brawl, and his father sends him to Lithuania where his family owns a share in a cattle concession. By chance, the girl from the restaurant is also bound for the Balkans. While on board, Dick undertakes to renew his acquaintance with this attractive foreigner, but encounters considerable resistance. In Lithuania, Dick meets with Count Vortsky, the Minister of Finance, who presses him to sell his cattle concession, hoping to clinch a coup attempt he is planning with the Bulgarian Ambassador. Somewhat suspicious, Dick agrees to announce his decision only in the presence of Princess Alexia, who turns out to be the girl from the restaurant. When she advises him not to sell, the love-bitten Dick refuses the count. The count nevertheless instigates a revolution, but with the help of his Chicago assistants, Dick squelches the uprising and wins the princess' heart.

Dir: Richard Stanton

Edward Campbell, known as Checkers, is a racetrack tout. Determined to reform himself, he foreswears gambling, but must take it up once more in order to save someone he loves from disaster.

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

Dir: Richard Stanton

New York City: Dashing, debonair, but not-very-rich Robert Morgan (William Farnum) wants love and is determined to get it. He lives with and takes care of his aged mother (Sara Alexander). Beautiful Mary Lamar (Anna Luther) wants him anyway, but there are two problems. First, she's a wealthy society girl, and her mother (Anna Schaeffer) is afraid that he will not be able to support her. Also, unbeknownst to Morgan, Mary has a wealthy suitor, devious Philip Garson (Lyster Chambers), her mother's choice. Garson is aware of Mary's feelings toward Morgan. New York City: Garson meets and befriends Morgan, who tells him of his desire to see the jungle. Garson convinces Morgan that he could make money getting African tiger skins for him, and entices him with a story of an enormous tiger which, it was said, could not be captured. Garson promises a $50,000 reward for that tiger, and agrees to finance Morgan's trip to Africa. Morgan decides to go, and Garson assigns two guides to go with him. A Zulu Village: In Africa, Morgan uses a Zulu Village as his base camp. Before he arrives the guides, on Garson's order, conspire with several of the Zulus to kill Morgan. First, while he sleeps, a guide slips a rattlesnake into his bunk. He awakes and kills the snake. Then, a large party of Zulu hunters (Miami residents dressed in leopard skins) arrive, stating that they have seen the tiger in the nearby forest. Morgan follows them, and soon needs to run for his life as they attempt to kill him. In the forest, he drops a lucky charm that is picked up by a guide. Morgan is led back to the village and he barricades himself in one of the huts. Surrounded by about 20 natives throwing spears, he defends himself with his automatic rifle. Soon out of ammunition, the hut is set afire. Morgan runs, wading through a pool of alligators, and escapes. The Hindu Temple - Exhausted, Morgan collapses on the shore of a fantastic village never-before seen by Europeans. He is discovered by Wanada (Anna Lehr), a temple virgin, and brought to her father, the high priest. Seems their people had never seen a white man. Wanada befriends Morgan, and this enrages Haja (George Stone), her lover. He convinces the villagers to burn Morgan at the stake as an infidel. Morgan pulls out the stake, avoids poisonous fumes, and saves himself. Impressed by this feat of strength, they make him a god and give him free reign of the temple. The Hindu Village: Morgan is challenged by the village strongman Ebano (G. Raymond Nye). Surrounded by cheering villagers, Morgan throws Ebano into the water. Now living at the temple and homesick, Morgan confides in Wanada, telling her of his love for Mary and for his mother in America. Desperate for money, he and Wanada steal the jewels at the foot of the statue of the god of war. Haja sees them, and Morgan upsets the war god statue, crushing Haja. Morgan and Wanada then quietly walk away from the village. New York: Back home, Morgan discovers that while he was away, Garson had shown his mother the lucky charm that the guide had found in Africa, and told her that he had died. She then died of grief. Morgan vows revenge on Garson. With Wanada's help, he disguises himself as a fortune teller and, in a session with Garson and the still-grieving Mary, he tells them that Morgan is still alive. When Garson doubts that, Morgan reveals himself, and threatens to kill Garson. Wanada intervenes, and instead forces Garson to agree to surrender himself. Morgan and Mary marry, and live happily ever after.

Dir: Richard Stanton

In New York, Bill Stratton saves a friend's marriage, but Bill's fiancée, Evelyn, misinterprets the situation and believes Bill to be unfaithful to her. She breaks her engagement, and Bill, in remorse, goes to Alaska. In the town of Yellow Gulch, Bill meets "Silver" Jack Belmont, the man responsible for nearly ruining the marriage of Bill's friend. Bill also learns that an old miner named "Lucky" Matthew Durant is Evelyn's father. Durant has been lying to his daughter, claiming he is rich. Bill tells Evelyn the truth about her father, but she does not believe him. Instead, she believes Belmont when he says he will take her to her father's mine. Eventually, Bill and Belmont confront each other and Bill defeats Belmont in a fight. Bill then reconciles Evelyn and her father.

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

Dir: Richard Stanton

Bob McGuire, Royal Northwest Mounted officer trailing a ring of opium smugglers, suspects gambling house proprietor Big Bill Lusk. Lusk's plan is to frame McGuire by drugging him and marrying him to Katie Peck, a dance hall girl who knows the plot. McGuire's superior officer is killed, and McGuire is accused of the murder; but Katie, who has fallen in love with McGuire, discloses that Lusk is the murderer and exposes the smugglers' plot.

Dir: Richard Stanton

John Dowling, a greedy factory owner, cuts his employees' pay while raising their food prices at the company store. The employees strike but to no avail. Mary Garvin visits Dowling to plead the laborers' cause, but because her mother had once refused his marriage proposal, he attacks Mary out of revenge. In the struggle, Dowling is shot, and Mary is tried and convicted of murder. Before the execution, foreman "Bull" Thompson boasts that his bullet killed Dowling during Mary and the factory owner's struggle, and Dowling's son Chester, who has attempted to introduce reforms into the factory, races to the governor's train to secure a pardon for Mary. After Mary's release, she and Chester are married.

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

Dir: Richard Stanton

The story concerns the adventures of Mary Livingston, who is deeply in love with Richard Mallaby, a gambler. Through a misunderstanding, she thinks she has been deserted by her lover when he goes west and leaves her and her baby in the east, to fight out the questions of life in their own unaided way. Disconsolate, heartbroken, she drifts westward herself, and meets Watt Tabor in a rough frontier village. To provide for her child, she is forced into theft, but is detected. Tabor, who knows her history, shoulders the blame himself and marries her. She despises him because she thinks he married her as the result of a whim, and not as the result of real love. Then she meets again the man who first wronged her. Mallaby demands that Tabor give up the woman. Tabor refuses. His decision results in a battle between the two. In the darkness and surging water of a mine, they wage their last fight. Mallaby loses consciousness, but Tabor rescues him, and leaves Mary free to make her choice. She goes with Mallaby.

Dir: Richard Stanton

Brilliant but besotted attorney, David Harmon, wins a big case but ends the day in a dingy waterfront flophouse. His fiancée puts him on a sailing ship in an attempt to get him to dry out, but once at sea a storm wrecks the ship and strands Harmon on a tropical island. He rescues the daughter of a native chieftain from being sacrificed to the lava gods and together they live an idyllic life for a time. Harmon is drawn back to civilization though and he returns to his former city only to find that his fiancée has wed his best friend. Another bout of drink finally brings Harmon back to realize that his true life is back on the island so he returns to once again find his beloved about to be sacrificed, this time with their son in her arms.

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

Dir: Richard Stanton

This is not a romance but the biography of the man who now leads our vast forces in France. It shows him from boyhood to his present high command, and the story of his life tells why Pershing was selected to lead the American forces overseas and how he has his own personal account to settle with the ruthless Hun.

Dir: Richard Stanton

During the French Revolution, Englishman Sir Percy Blakeney is considered to be a terrible fop, completely unaware of the seriousness of the political situation abroad. In reality, Sir Percy is a hero to the French aristocrats and is known as "The Scarlet Pimpernel." His wife, Lady Marguerite, shares the opinion of most that Sir Percy is useless, until his heroism is proven when she discovers his secret identity. In Calais, Sir Percy is able to elude Chauvelin, a member of the new French government, even though Chauvelin threatens the safety of Lady Marguerite's brother, Armand St. Just. Lady Marguerite goes to Calais to aid her husband, and they finally are able to escape on a ship bound for England, assured of their love for each other.