The Definitive Watchlist Seeking the Same Brilliance as The Way Back: Cult Guide

The The Way Back Phenomenon

In the Pantheon of cult cinema, The Way Back to provide a definitive example of Carlton S. King's stylistic genius.

Mary Wilson, an orphan, has inherited all of her father's money; when her unscrupulous lawyer, Samuel Kingman, tells her that all her investments have turned out badly and that she is ruined, she immediately suspects Kingman of dishonest dealings. She consults another lawyer and is told that she really has no redress. Mary is compelled to sell all her possessions and goes to a boarding-house. Then she starts out to look for employment. Unsuccessful and embittered, she is finally compelled to take a cheap room "with meals" in an East Side house. This house is the home of many noted underworld characters, and here Mary meets Dan Reedy. a crook, and Lilly, an all-around thief. One of the gang has, stolen jewelry and brings it to Dan, who is at the gambling den. The place is raided by the police. They help their leader to make his get-away. Hastening to the boarding house, Dan rushes into Mary's room and begs her to take the jewels out and pawn them for him. She objects, but finally agrees to help him. She passes the police at the door, pawns the jewels and returns just after the police have left. She eventually becomes one of the gang. Meanwhile Samuel Kingman's son Ralph, has been given a position of cashier. Although handling large sums of money each day, he draws only a moderate salary. One night Ralph meets Mary and Lilly, and Mary prevents Lilly from picking Ralph's pockets while in a semi-intoxicated state. This leads to further conversation, during which Mary discovers that the young man is the son of a man who has cheated her out of her fortune. She obtains her revenge upon Ralph's father by getting the son infatuated with her, and by having him steal a lot of money. Mary agrees to go with Ralph to South America when the shortage is discovered, but before boarding the boat, she tells him that she has forgotten something at home and leaves. Mary does not return to the ship and Ralph goes in search of her. He finds her in her apartment, and upbraids her. Mary then makes it known to Ralph that, with the aid of her lawyer, she will make good his shortage, and shows him papers to this effect. Being in love with Mary, Ralph proposes. Mary does not love him, and tells him so. She is later confronted by Dan, who pleads his love for her. Having been impressed by his manliness, she consents, and together they seek "the way back" to upright living.

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