Essential Cult Cinema Mirroring the Impact of The Wharf Rat: Cult G...

Dir: Chester Withey

Lydia Bolton is only a child when financial difficulties overtake her father. His fellow townsmen do not give him support and he goes to the wall. Andrew Bolton goes to prison an embezzler, cursed by everyone. Lydia is taken in charge by an uncle and the old Bolton mansion, once a proud landmark, is left to neglect. Time has not tempered the disposition of the community when Lydia Bolton comes back, her identity hidden in the name of Lydia Orr. She opens her purse first at a church festival, but her generosity is rewarded only by disparaging remarks and open hints of ulterior motives. She lives at the same boarding house as the young minister and tongues of scandal are at once loosed. Then she purchases the old Bolton mansion, her childhood home, and offers to buy at unreasonably high prices all antique furniture in the town. There is a rush to get all the girl's money, but a few decent folks seek to protect her and at once the town is split in two hostile camps. The minister has a sweetheart and she is jealous of Lydia, which adds to the complexity of her troubles. And in the midst of it all, Bolton, his prison term ended, steals back to town. Lydia and a few loyal friends seek to hide his identity, for a time, at least, but the senile old man eludes them and goes to the country store and proclaims himself. All the pent-up hatred against him now is turned against the daughter and the townspeople utterly blind to all she has done for them and the town, rush to the old Bolton home to wreck it and lynch Bolton. The old man, aided by the minister and Lydia's sweetheart, are striving to protect the girl when Bolton falls dead. This tragedy disperses the mob and finally Lydia's enemies come to see her and her efforts in their true light.

Dir: Chester Withey

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

A young man planning to marry receives a cautionary tale from his bishop based on the sad tale of the bishop's own early romance.

Dir: Chester Withey

When innocent country girl Paula Letchworth comes to the big city she foolishly allows herself to be influenced by her superficial friends while ignoring the wise counsel of Allen Cotter who truly cares for her. Paula's frivolous life leads her into a marriage with Lawrence Topham, a worthless louse who abuses her and squanders her money. Desperate, Paula offers to buy a divorce from Topham, and turns to Allen for the money. After Topham spends his fee, however, he refuses to go through with the deal, and Paula's invalid mother, unable to endure further cruelty to her daughter, shoots him. Paula and Allen both have reason to believe that the other is guilty of the murder, although the evidence points to suicide. Realizing that the lovers' suspicions are keeping them apart, Paula's mother confesses to the shooting shortly before her death, thus eliminating the barriers between Allen and Paula.

Dir: Chester Withey

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

Betty Griffon delays her wedding to Harry Lindsey, because her brother Dick is late for the ceremony. Upon learning that her dear brother has been injured in an accident, Betty refuses to leave on her honeymoon until he has recovered. When Harry objects, Betty proclaims that he is insensitive and demands a divorce. To oblige his wife, Harry hires his friend Tom Robinson to testify as corespondent in a divorce case, and a separation is granted. Betty and Harry realize that they really love each other too late and decide to remarry, but are prevented from doing so by the divorce papers which forbids Harry from marrying again. They finally decide to circumvent the New York law by becoming really married in New Jersey, and all ends happily.

Dir: Chester Withey

A German-American father, loyal to his new U.S. home, finds himself on opposite sides with his son in the wartime conflict between Germany and America. The son becomes involved with German agents plotting against U.S., and the father must decide between his son and his adopted homeland.

Dir: Chester Withey

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

Genevieve Rutherford Hale, a pampered youngest child, reads an advertisement for women to work on farms to increase food production during World War I. After having her modiste make silk overalls which Genevieve models on Russian ballet attire, she arrives at the Hubbard ranch in New York State with her chauffeur, maid, and pet dog, to be a "farmerette." While Genevieve finds the chores difficult and the other girls unfriendly, Bobbie, the youngest Hubbard, discovers officer training camp to be equally discouraging. Although he is tempted to desert, Bobbie only leaves for one night to see his home again. He finds Genevieve crying in a potato patch, and together they resolve to do their patriotic duty. When a prying neighbor, seeing them together, tells the Hubbards that Genevieve was with a soldier, Genevieve remains silent about Bobbie's identity, and is banished from the ranch. After Bobbie gets a furlough and explains matters, the Hubbards apologize to Genevieve. Bobby proposes, and they plan to marry when he returns from "over there."

Dir: Chester Withey

Billy Jenks, a young bank clerk in a small town, goes to New York City in search of greater opportunity and becomes a cashier in a department store. When several dollar bills he is counting are blown out a window, he chases after them and, by coincidence, finds the money at the feet and on the hat of stenographer Phoebe Howard. They become so romantically overwhelmed that they neglect their jobs and are soon fired. Billy wires his aunt for money, but the next day, when he throws his alarm clock out the window, it hits, by coincidence, the head of a lawyer who has come to tell Billy that his aunt has died and left him $100,000 in thousand-dollar bills, which he duly presents to the stunned heir. When Billy gives Phoebe the news on a Fifth Avenue bus, con man "Handsome Harry" Brent overhears their conversation, introduces himself, and arranges to "help" them by investing the money the next day. However, Billy's money is stolen by John Carter, who is desperately in debt, and Billy, by coincidence, mistakes Stephen Fiske, Carter's creditor, for the thief. During a series of chases, notes and money are exchanged to the satisfaction of all parties, leaving Billy and Phoebe to get married.

Dir: Chester Withey

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

Adventures of King Richard when he travels with Queen Berangaria, the knights and ladies of his court, and his army of crusaders to Palestine to fight Sultan Saladin and the Saracen hordes for possession of the Holy Land.

Dir: Chester Withey

Maggie Pepper, a strong-willed, sharp-witted saleswoman for a dry goods store, raises her deceased brother's daughter, Claire, to shield the girl from her thieving mother, Ada. Unaware that she is speaking to her employer, Joe Holbrook, Maggie shares her ideas for improving the store. Maggie is fired by the insecure manager, but rehired as Joe's assistant, and the store prospers with the help of her innovations. After Ada marries Sam Darkin, she reclaims Claire and teaches the girl to be a pickpocket. The mother and daughter are soon apprehended in Joe's store, and Claire is returned to Maggie's care while Ada is sent to prison. Realizing that Joe's interest in her has ended his engagement, Maggie quits her job and takes Claire to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as protection from Darkin. Joe arrives soon after and rescues Claire from being kidnapped by her stepfather. Although he sustains only a minor wound, Joe pretends to be seriously hurt so that Maggie will nurse him through the night. The next day, Joe proposes marriage and she accepts.

Dir: Chester Withey

Rosalie and Reginald become acquainted while they are guests at a hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, and later they are married. Misunderstandings, aggravated by a case of measles, send the young wife to Reno, Nevada for a divorce. A year later she finds her ex-husband engaged to Marcia Hunter--a match promoted by Mrs. Hunter with an eye for Carter's wealth and social position. Regretting her hasty divorce, Rosalie almost succeeds in winning him back until the Hunters, a poet, and a rejected suitor interfere with her plan. Nevertheless, Rosalie stops the wedding by sending a note to the bishop, telling him that Reggie is divorced. Returning to Reggie, she becomes Mrs. Carter again.