Rare Cinematic Gems Exploring the Legacy of The Victim: Cult Guide

Dir: Eduardo Notari

A crime drama in the Gennariello-series. The police detective in Naples that is confronted with modern gangsters and crime events.

Dir: William Parke

Bruce Wendell, the son of West Virginia coal mine owner James Wendell, graduates from West Point and prepares to lead a fighting unit to the front during World War I. As his father lies dying, however, he convinces Bruce to remain at home and guard the mine. Bruce's fiancée Ann Blair assumes that he is a coward and breaks off their engagement, but her brother Bobbie remains Bruce's loyal friend. Meyer, a German agent, persuades railroad president Parrish to refuse to transport Wendell's coal, but when Bruce adamantly refuses to close the mine, the spy's men decide to blow it up. While Ann is being abducted by Meyer, Bobbie is buried in an explosion at the mine. Bruce rescues Bobbie and then sends a plea to Lieutenant Parrish to rescue Ann. Meyer and his gang are captured and Ann renews her vow of love to Bruce.

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

Dir: Bruno Ziener

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Edgar Jones

A mail-order bride arrives at a Maine lumber camp but doesn't like her prospective husband.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Eva, wo bist du? perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Alexander Butler

In Alberta, Canada, a Cornish emigrant unmasks a rustler posing as the girl's "blind" father.

Dir: Edward LeSaint

When famous opera singer Elinore Duane undergoes an operation on her throat, she has a series of ether-induced visions. In one, she is transported to ancient Rome where she appears as a much-admired woman in love with Paul, a young heretic, and at odds with Lutor, the high priest. To save her love, she poisons Lutor with her ring. After several other visions which involve variations on this love triangle, Elinore awakens to discover that Lutor is actually her doctor, Sascha Jaccard, and that Paul is the son of a friend who has come to visit the recovering prima donna.

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

Dir: Joseph Levering

Sis, a poor orphaned country girl, is shunned by all the other children in the small town where she lives. It is Sis's ambition to become a famous actress, and when an opportunity arises for her to go the city, she seizes it. There she secures a position as a maid in a theatrical boardinghouse. Among the boarders are Jim, a leading man; Ned, an out of work actor; and Flossie, an ingenue. One morning while rehearsing, Jim sees Sis sweeping the floor and persuades the girl to help him rehearse his lines. Her acting talent astonishes him, and he begins to see real promise in her. Sis's future looks grim, however, when she is accused of stealing Flossie's jewelry. Sis is saved by Jim who discovers that Ned is the real thief. Upon Sis's release, Flossie is taken ill and Sis fills in for her on stage, becoming an instant success. Sis's happiness is then made complete when Jim pledges his love to her.

Dir: Robert N. Bradbury

A simple country girl, brutally mistreated by her stepfather, awakens first the sympathy, then the love, of The Boy. The Spider, who lusts after The Girl, makes a bargain with the stepfather and takes her to the city where, kept prisoner, she is soon broken in health and spirit. Cast out and near death, she is taken in by The Boy. Following the demise of The Spider, The Boy takes her to church, where he prays, and after many hours she is restored to health.

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

Dir: Joseph Levering

Lindy Gray, a little orphan who lives with her grandmother, is ostracized by the townspeople because of the uncertainty of her birth. In spite of cruel treatment by her neighbors and the threat of foreclosure on her grandmother's home, Lindy maintains a cheerful optimism. One day, a new minister comes to town and befriends Lindy, recognizing her virtue. Lindy convinces him to hire Noah, an old Black man who is Lindy's only other friend, as the church sexton. When the collection money is missing the day after Lindy's grandmother's mortgage is due, the townspeople accuse the little girl of robbery. To save his friend, Noah confesses to the crime. The minister suspects that neither one is guilty, however, and uncovers evidence that proves that Jim, the son of the town snob, is the thief. After a stirring sermon in which he chastises his congregation for their narrow-mindedness, the minister proposes to Lindy.

Dir: Harley Knoles

Jim McDonald, the foreman of a shipbuilding plant and head of the labor union, strives to combat the anarchistic propaganda being put forth by Klimoff, the leader of a Bolshevik gang whose goal is to disrupt the country with strikes and anarchy. Despite McDonald's efforts, a strike is called, resulting in chaos. McDonald's child is knocked down by runaway horses abandoned by their striking driver, and dies. Mob scenes take place in America, as well as in Russia. Eventually, the unrest is quelled with an armistice called between Capital and Labor for a year, during which time wages are to be increased to reflect the cost of living, and leaders are to work out a common plan for their mutual advantage. The strikers now realize that they have been pawns of the Bolsheviks and call off the strike, agreeing to the plan.