Essential Cult Cinema Drawn from the Same DNA as The Strangers' Ban...

Dir: Marshall Neilan

At the outbreak of the First World War, a mother and one of her two daughters are captured and debased at the hands of the Germans. The other daughter goes from America to find them in war torn Belgium.

Dir: Marshall Neilan

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Those Without Sin perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Melanie is captured by a Northern soldier while she is carrying secret Southern messages. She falls into the hands of her father's former superior, who attempts to compromise her. She is saved by a successful Confederate attack.

Dir: Marshall Neilan

The manager of the American oil company quits out of fear of El Jaguar, the bandit who is terrorizing the Mexican countryside, Phil Jordan is sent in his place. Phil arrives with his younger sister Nancy, when the bandit makes a unwanted pass towards the girl, Phil beats him, causing El Jaguar to vow revenge. Waiting until Phil's bride Beth arrives, El Jaguar captures all three Americans and sadistically forces Phil to choose between leaving with his sister or his wife. Beth volunteers to remain as a sacrifice, and Phil and Nancy ride off, soon to encounter a troop of rangers. They all rush back to rescue Beth, but before they arrive, the bandit is killed by a woman whom he had abducted and violated on her wedding night.

Dir: Marshall Neilan

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

Three men, disillusioned in love and intent on getting away from all women, rent a cabin and retreat there. But the young woman who owns the cabin, unaware that it has been rented, is on her way there to escape from an unhappy engagement.

Dir: Marshall Neilan

Two young women - a paraplegic girl sheltered by her wealthy guardians and a more experienced orphan - fall in love with a man separated from his violent wife.

Dir: Marshall Neilan

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

Lopaka, a poor Hawaiian fisherman, falls in love with Kokua, a young girl of royal blood. Her irascible father refuses her hand until Lopaka can bring him two feather cloaks, an impossible stipulation, as no one not of royal blood can touch a cloak under penalty of death. Rollis, a drunken sailor, tries to steal the girl, but is driven away by Lopaka. He then concludes to go to Devil's Mountain and snare the bird from which the feathers for the cloaks are obtained. He goes to the volcano but finds no bird. He encounters an old dying priest of Pele, who agrees to give him a wishing bottle in which Kono, a brother of Pele, is confined. Kono will grant any wish to the bottle's owner, but anyone dying with the bottle in his possession will go to hell and the bottle must be sold for less than paid for it, otherwise it will come back with its menace. Lopaka wishes for wealth and servants and his humble hut turns into a beautiful palace. Kokua and her father join the crowd in front of the palace and the father readily gives her in marriage to Lopaka. Lopaka sells the bottle to his friend, Makale, but angers the Bottle Imp and is stricken with leprosy so that he cannot marry. He finds Makale has sold the bottle and it passes through many hands, but he is unable to secure it again. Each time the bottle is sold for less, being sold for the smallest coin. Rollins gains possession of the bottle and is about to steal Kokua when Lopaka rushes to her aid and the two men fight and fall from a high cliff into the sea, where Lopaka strangles the sailor. With the death of Rollins, the last owner of the bottle, the Imp is freed and goes back to his mountain and the dead volcano gushes forth lava and flames. The gorgeous raiment of Lopaka and Kokua fade into their old rags; the wonderful palace vanishes, but the two are happy together in the fisherman's little hut.

Dir: Marshall Neilan

M'liss, a feisty young girl in a mining camp, falls for Charles Gray, the school teacher. Charles is implicated in a murder of which he is innocent, and the two must fight to save him from a lynching.

Dir: Marshall Neilan

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

With her family in financial difficulties, Rebecca is sent to live with her two strict, unfeeling aunts, who do not appreciate the young girl's charm and energy. Rebecca must make new friends and adjust to surroundings that are sometimes difficult. But she still finds time to think of numerous ways to help others in her new hometown.

Dir: Marshall Neilan

Amarilly comes from a large family in a working-class neighborhood. She is happy with her family and her boyfriend Terry, a bartender in a cafe. But one day she meets Gordon, a sculptor who comes from a rich family, and she begins to be drawn into the world of the upper class.

Dir: Marshall Neilan

An orphan discovers that she has an anonymous benefactor who is willing to pay her college tuition, unaware he's the same man who has been romantically pursuing her.