The Global Archive Complementing the Tone of The Unbeliever: Cult Guide

Dir: Alan Crosland

Lady Noreen of Kildoran's father is killed during a fox hunt, and his daughter is left with the debts of the estate and a dilapidated castle. Ephraim Roach, who holds a mortgage on the property, threatens to foreclose unless Noreen marries his son, Desmond; but she rents the castle and the servants to a wealthy young American, Terrence O'Brien, pretending she is only a housemaid. O'Brien sees through her acting and helps to repair the estate. The arrival of his fiancee, Leila, and her brother, Osborne, leads Noreen to make life uncomfortable for Leila and to break up the engagement. Roach comes to foreclose the mortgage but is thrown out by O'Brien, who announces he has taken over the estate and that Noreen is to be his wife.

Dir: Alan Crosland

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

Having been rejected by Phyllis Leigh in favor of wealthier suitor Peter Lester, Hugh prevents Elinor Ashe from drowning herself. Hugh recklessly marries Elinor, but they occupy different wings of his house. Lester and Phyllis arrive as guests, and a new manservant favored by Elinor is hired. When Lester is murdered, the servant is charged with the crime, and Elinor admits to Hugh that he is indeed her father, recently released from prison. While in the company of Marcia Marshall, Hugh discovers her husband Harley dying in a Chinese opium den. He confesses that, victimized by Lester, he killed him. Elinor's father is released, and she reconciles with Hugh.

Dir: Alan Crosland

A young aristocrat strikes up an affair with a mysterious woman for three weeks.

Dir: Alan Crosland

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

Alan Croft, a young aviator and a girl from a strict English background are stranded on a cannibal island when their plane crashes on the way to Australia. The natives worship them, believing them to be gods, until a native girl discovers that the pilot is mortal. Giving up hope of rescue, they marry in the sight of God, but when they are found by a search plane Alan is wounded and left for dead. Barbara is spurned by her friends and family as having sinned, but Alan returns to claim her legally.

Dir: Alan Crosland

Boston Blackie Dawson gets some jewels that belonged to the imperial family of Russia. A gang of terrorists is after the jewels.

Dir: Alan Crosland

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

A Russian prince has to flee his country after fighting a duel. He falls in love with a duchess, but becomes jealous when he finds out she has a lover.

Dir: Alan Crosland

Joan Bruce, leader of the jazz set at Miami, is courted by two men--Ranson Tate, an unscrupulous villain who deserted his wife on becoming wealthy, and Grant North, a young man who ignores her advances until he saves her from drowning. She is compromised by Tate but ultimately is rescued by North.

Dir: Alan Crosland

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

Charlotte Marlin was raised on a Connecticut farm in the shadow of Micah's apple tree, whose fruit, according to legend, changed from pale green to spotted red after a peddler was killed and buried at its base. Orphaned, Charlotte goes to live with her aunt and pretty cousin Margaret. She meets Neil Kennedy, a poor boy who is working his way through college, and they become friends. Margaret, who is engaged to wealthy Willis Hayland, teases Charlotte, who considers herself to be plain-looking. At high school graduation Charlotte's academic achievements are obscured by Margaret's leading role in the school play. Jealous of Margaret, Charlotte resolves to make everybody like her, to be famous, and to marry a millionaire. She learns that to make everybody like her, she must be friendly to everyone. To become famous, she becomes a golfer and wins the world's championship tournament. She nurses millionaire Perry Graham after hitting him in the head with a golf ball, supposedly an accident, but when Perry falls in love with her, Charlotte realizes that she loves Neil, who has become a promising physician.

Dir: Alan Crosland

Howard Anderson, a young American tourist who finds himself somewhat bored in Constantinople, meets Hassard, a clever crook, who determines to get his money. Hassard, meanwhile, kidnaps Mary, the daughter of wealthy American John Talbot, who is studying Byzantine ruins, and holds her for ransom. Hassard detains Anderson to show him the local slave market, where Anderson sees Mary Talbot (who has been told that her father will die if she fails to play her part). To prevent her sale to a lecherous Turk, Anderson buys her; and following his discovery of the frame-up, there is a fight and he escapes with Mary. Anderson, however, is knocked senseless by one of Talbot's employees who mistake him for one of the kidnappers. Later, meeting Mary in a Fifth Avenue traffic jam, Anderson claims her as his own.

Dir: Alan Crosland

Chris, a student, ambitious in his own way but resisting tutors, was always in trouble until, at an auction sale, he purchased an old Oriental lamp because of its odd design, not dreaming that it was possessed of magical powers which he discovered when he began polishing it. A huge slave appeared, told him the lamp was his master and that he was prepared to obey any command that its owner, Chris, might give. As a test Chris bade the slave to transform himself into another Chris. He then sent the double of himself to school, where he was made to take the thrashings intended for Chris and to serve as the butt of many jokes and experiences meant for the real Chris. When the genie finally decides that he does not relish serving as Chris' double, the real trouble and fun begins, involving Chris' father and mother, teachers, family doctor, and farcical mix-ups develop with great rapidity. The doings of "Chris and the Wonderful Lamp" in the days of the Twentieth Century rival the best of Arabian Night tales.