The Global Archive For Devotees of The Tell-Tale Step: Cult Guide

Dir: Burton George

After watching her mother die gradually from a broken heart, Roberta, an illegitimate child, decides to seek vengeance from her father Bradley, who ran away before she was born. Bradley is wealthy now, and so Roberta secures a job as his secretary and schemes to ruin his financial empire. Meanwhile, she becomes friends with the hunchback Orloaf. Because of his physical deformity, however, Orloaf feels that he cannot tell her he loves her, and because she was born out of wedlock, Roberta believes that she is not good enough for him. Then, carrying out her plan, Roberta burns down Bradley's riverfront warehouses. Full of remorse afterward, she writes Orloaf a note that expresses her love and then tries to kill herself. When he finishes reading the note, however, Orloaf rushes to Roberta and revives her, and then the couple begins making plans for their life together.

Dir: Burton George

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

In Paris an actress divorces a jealous impresario and weds the officer who once saved her from suicide.

Dir: Burton George

Sebastian Maure has never known the influence of a good woman's love. He is the type of man who takes a keen delight in knowing that he is held in awe and extends that feeling still further by his daring books. Ghirlaine Bellamy, a young American girl, with her aunt, Mrs. Bellamy, is visiting Rome. She is being courted by Vincent Pamfort, a young English officer of good standing. He is called to England, but before he goes be receives Ghirlaine's promise to marry him. Ghirlaine exerts a new influence over Maure. When he learns that she and her aunt are returning to England on account of the latter's health, he manages to be a passenger on the same vessel. His desire for the girl gets the better of him. Under the name of their mutual friend, Ernesto Sangallo, he asks her to meet him on the deck the first night out, and then he picks her up bodily and drops her overboard. They are picked up by Ilario, a fisherman, and are taken to a small island where dwell fisherfolk. The girl is cared for by the housekeeper of the native priest, and when she is somewhat recovered, Maure arranges for her removal to a certain haunted villa. It seems that Fannia, the daughter of Ilario, was in love with Annibale. Her father wanted her to wed the schoolmaster, so Annibale took the girl and they established themselves in the villa at the top of the cliff, where he guarded her day and night. The superstition of the natives kept them from coming near. But this does not in the least deter Maure from engaging the villa, and thence Ghirlaine is removed and placed under the care of Fannia, who is about to become a mother. An epidemic of cholera breaks out in the village, and the natives credit Maure with producing the plague. With his strong personality he dissuades them from their belief, and he does all he can to alleviate the sufferings of the stricken ones. Eventually he finds a cure for them. Meantime, the child has been born to Fannia and the motherly devotion displayed by Ghirlaine arouses for the first time in the heart of Maure a desire to become a better man. He goes on his way without thought of self, aiding the poor natives and becoming to them almost a god. Then one day in the harbor a yacht is sighted, just as Maure is stricken with the dread disease. On the boat are Vincent Pamfort and Ernesto Sangallo, who has come in search of Ghirlaine. At first Vincent is angry, but he finally is calmed and the three leave. But weeks later, when Maure has recovered from his illness though the efforts of the kind priest, and at last has stricken from his soul all of the evil and has become a man true to his better and higher self, Ghirlaine returns to him, as she has discovered that she loves him more than anyone in the whole world.

Dir: Burton George

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

"Ginger" tells the story of Ginger Carson (Violet Palmer), a girl who has been trained to be a thief by her criminal father. While helping him rob a house, both are arrested. After her father is sent to prison, Ginger is adopted by the judge (Paul Everton) who sentenced him. When she grows up, she is torn between two men who love her--Bob Trowbridge (Gareth Hughes), the son of the judge, who adopted her, and Tim Mooney (Raymond Hackett), a childhood companion from her criminal past.

Dir: Burton George

Eve Ricardo, a society girl, is sent to live with her aunt in a New England village by her father, a speculator who has lost all his money. She is initially attracted to John Sheen until she discovers that he is a violent thug and bully. She then falls for writer Paul Armitage. Sheen does not take rejection well, and conspires with his sister, Nina Carey--who is married, whose husband is in India and who is in love with Paul--to discredit Paul and break up their romance.

Dir: Burton George

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

William Crombie, a wealthy man of weak character, becomes lost in the wilderness on a hunting trip and is sheltered by a rough woodsman (Bowles) who lives with a pretty girl named Jeanette. Crombie becomes infatuated with her but is afraid to fight the woodsman for her, and she views him with contempt. Returning home, Crombie finds his neglected wife involved in an affair and decides to make a man of himself; after developing himself physically, he thrashes his wife's lover. He then seeks the woodsman to accept his challenge, but finding him near death, he pays for his medical care. Then, seeing that Jeanette really loves Bowles, he paves their way to a happy future. Returning to his hunting lodge, Crombie is surprised to find his wife awaiting his return.

Dir: Burton George

Dissipated youth Tommy Hilgrade is sent to the lumber lands in the Northwest by his father who hopes that hard living will reform his son. Accompanying Tommy is his sister Marion. Upon their arrival in Canada, lumber foreman Jack Macy is attracted to Marion but, unknown to her, he contributes to Tommy's addiction to drink and gambling. When Marion falls in love with French Canadian Jules Bonnivet after he rescues her from a fall through the ice, Macy schemes to destroy their romance by fabricating the story that Jules is responsible for Tommy's downfall. Marion believes the accusation and denounces the French Canadian, but later discovers his innocence and apologizes. Frustrated, Macy attacks Marion, who escapes and flees to Jules's cabin. Meeting upon the trail, a fight ensues between the two men but is interrupted by the appearance of a crowd led by Durant who accuses Jules of betraying his daughter Annice. The crowd seizes Jules until Annice appears and denounces Macy as her betrayer. Thus exonerated of all false accusations, Jules and Marion embrace.

Dir: Burton George

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

A girl picks a bum from a park bench and marries him, finding out later that he was once rich and they knew each other as children.

Dir: Burton George

Society matron Mrs. Wayne announces her daughter Marian's marriage to Teddy Grandin, a man of position, and hopes that Ruth, her other daughter, will marry wealthy Stephen Bond. However, Ruth disappoints her mother and marries commoner Robert Trent. Later, escaped convict Jim Marsh finds his ex-wife, Lucy, remarried to a wealthy man, but she agrees to hide him if he does not harm her child. When Robert loses his job and finds Ruth wearing expensive attire supplied by Marian, he accuses his wife of having an affair with Stephen. After Jim is shot by police, Lucy hurries to Robert's apartment, where she identifies Stephen as the father of her child. Robert realizes that Ruth has been faithful and both couples are reconciled.

Dir: Burton George

Lieutenant Robert Graham, commanding the Northwest Mounted Police at an obscure post, announces to his young friend, Corporal Emerson, of the Mounted, that his daughter, Edith, is coming from London to join him. Marie Beaubin and her brother, Pierre, a trapper, live on the outskirts of the post. Marie repulses the advances of Batiste, a whiskey runner, but falls easy prey to Reginald Annesley, the prepossessing factor of the trading post. Edith comes, and Emerson and Annesley become rivals for her favor. Marie determines to end the repulsive advances of Batiste, and proposes to lead Emerson to the scene of his illegal liquor traffic. Emerson captures the half-breed and locks him in a cell. Marie visits Annesley and confesses her predicament, "I die if you do not marry me." Annesley laughs. Emerson learns of the truth and warns the factor, "Look out for the Law of the North. A broken promise means death up here." Annesley scornfully bids him mind his business. Batiste escapes from prison, and Emerson again searches for him, aided by Marie. Annesley sees his chance, and persuades Edith that the frequent meetings between the corporal and the girl can have but one meaning. seeing the two together, and realizing that Marie is aiding in the search for him. hastens to Pierre and tells him that Emerson is trifling with his sister's love. Pierre swears vengeance. Marie informs Annesley that she will tell Edith of his perfidy, and fearing that she will keep her threat, he kills her, placing a handkerchief with Emerson's initials near the body. Pierre finds his sister's frozen corpse and goes to the post to demand justice, presenting the handkerchief as evidence that Emerson is guilty. Emerson once more captures Batiste and brings him to the post, where he himself is placed under arrest. Visiting the scene of the crime some days later, Edith finds a photograph of Annesley and a baby shoe. With her father's permission, she invites Annesley to her cabin and there proceeds to entertain him. She plies him with wine, and under its influence, Annesley flings caution to the winds. He makes love to her, and in a burst of passion, confesses the murder of Marie as proof of his devotion. A shot rings out. Pierre, thirsting for vengeance, has been watching the cabin, hoping for a sight of Emerson, and has overheard Annesley's confession. Edith and the corporal are later married, while over Annesley's grave, an inscription tells that Marie's death has been avenged by "The Law of the North."