The Definitive Watchlist Seeking the Same Brilliance as The Witch: ...

Dir: Frank Powell

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Frank Powell

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

Former newsboy and jockey Joe Braxton, becomes a millionaire rancher and decides to visit New York. He soon becomes the prey of swindler Tom Linson and socialite Viola Grayson. Linson defrauds Braxton's old employer, Colonel Downs, and attempts to corrupt Eleanor, the colonel's daughter. When Eleanor learns that Linson intends to destroy Joe on the stock exchange, she warns him, disregarding Linson's threat to ruin her reputation. Eleanor is too late, but Joe recovers his losses by riding Mongrel to victory in the Kentucky Futurity, after having stacked his last dollar on the horse's success.

Dir: Frank Powell

Hedda Gabler, the degenerate daughter of a drunken, dueling father, has just returned with her husband, George Tesman, from their honeymoon. Hedda, who possesses an uncanny affection for her father's pistols, lives in jealous watchfulness over Ejlert Lovberg, a former lover whom she often pictures in Tesman's place, in her imagination. Lovberg, while under the positive influence of Thea Elvsted, has written an important book, and Hedda, learning this, sets out to recapture Lovberg's affection, whereupon he takes to drinking, loses the manuscript, and is cast into despair. Tesman finds the manuscript, which Hedda then obtains from him. Lovberg then breaks with Thea and goes to Hedda. She shows him her pistols; he takes one and goes to Thea's home where, in her arms, he shoots himself. Hedda, after burning the manuscript that she regards as the child of Lovberg and Thea, shoots herself as well.

Dir: Frank Powell

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

Blanche Merrill, the handsome wife of a young artist who is seeking his way to fame, is surprised when her husband Bob, seeing her standing before a mirror, insists upon painting her portrait. The painting is exhibited and attracts the attention of Boyd, a theatrical manager and playboy who seeks Blanche out and entices her to leave her husband with promises of a theatrical career. Blanche leads a life of indulgence with Boyd until, feeling the pangs of dissolution, she awakens in her husband's arms to discover that it was all a dream.

Dir: Frank Powell

A married diplomat falls hopelessly under the spell of a predatory woman.

Dir: Frank Powell

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

A baby is left on the Brinbecombes' yacht while they are sailing up the Hudson River, and they adopt him and name him Everett. They are neighbors of Governor Floyd Vandecarm whose twin children, Floyd Jr. and Fledra, were kidnapped in early infancy. Their abductor was Lon Cronk, a man sent to prison by Vandecar when the latter was a district attorney of the county. The twins grow up in Cronk's shack as "Flea" and "Flukey." Despite her rough surroundings Fledra/Flea grows into lovely young womanhood and she and her brother run away from Cronk's cruelty. They reach Tarrytown and peer into the lighted windows of the home of siblings Horace and Anne Shellington. Anne brings the two young vagrants into the house and ultimately adopts them. But Cronk, aided by Everett, wages a long, evil campaign to regain possession of the children.

Dir: Frank Powell

Young society rake Gerard Buckland spies a pretty girl walking down the street. As he tries to figure out a way to approach her, he sees a disreputable-looking man surreptitiously hand her a diamond necklace, which she hides on her person before fading into the crowd and disappearing from sight. Later that day he visits a friend's home, and is astounded to meet that same girl. During their conversation she claims that, as a lark, she picks her friends' pockets of valuables and gives them back later--but Gerard doesn't quite buy it. It turns out that she is, in fact, not what she says she is, but not in the way Gerard thinks.

Dir: Frank Powell

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

Farmer Leo Bannister is crazy about his neighbor Auriole Praed, but she finds him to becoming on too strong. She travels to Paris to see her brother, and there falls in love with and marries Otto Bettany, a young painter. When the couple return home, Bannister--still carrying a torch for Auriole--plots to claim Auriole for himself by using a beautiful young actress to work her "charms" on Otto and then showing Auriole how untrustworthy her new husband is.

Dir: Frank Powell

Mrs. Balfame is the social leader of the small town of Elsinore, and David Balfame, her husband, is the political leader, a drunken loutish man his wife has hated during their sixteen years of married life. While attending a club meeting Mrs. Balfame listens to a speech by Dr. Anna Steuer, her friend, stating that many of the women on the other side are glad to be rid of their beasts of husbands who made war possible. Later in her home Dr. Steuer shows Mrs. Balfame an untraceable poison. With these two facts in her mind, and urged on by a disgraceful scene at the Country Club caused by Mr. Balfame's drunkenness, Mrs. Balfame decides to kill her husband. Meanwhile, Mr. Balfame has wandered into Old Dutch's saloon and insults the proprietor and his son, Conrad, and also arouses the ire of a tough young man who is dancing with a girl. Discovering that he must go to Albany on political business he phones Mrs. Balfame and asks her to fix him a bracer and pack his grip. She replies that a glass of lemonade and aromatic ammonia will be left on the table for him. Mr. Balfame, still drunk, then starts for home, followed by the young man from Old Dutch's. Mrs. Balfame make a glass of lemonade, putting in the poison, and places it on the table. Then, discovering a man lurking on the grounds, she takes a revolver and hurries out to scare him off. Frieda, the maid of all work, sees Mrs. Balfame leave the house. As Balfame nears the house there is a shot and he falls. Mrs. Balfame rushes in and, still watched by Frieda, pours out the lemonade and rinses out the glass. On the testimony of Frieda and Conrad Mrs. Balfame is arrested, charged with her husband's death. Dwight Rush, a young lawyer who has long been in love with Mrs. Balfame, represents her. Mrs. Balfame does not love Rush, but promises to marry him if he obtains her freedom. Alys Crumley, a young artist, is in love with Rush, and through her jealousy of Mrs. Balfame tells of the conversation she overheard in which Dr. Steuer told Mrs. Balfame of the poison. Dr. Steuer is called as a witness, but is sick in a hospital, and from her dying bed makes a confession that she shot and killed Mr. Balfame because she could no longer see her dear friend abused by the brute. Rush finds his love for Mrs. Balfame has been diminishing as his interest in Alys is strengthened, but goes to claim Mrs. Balfame after the acquittal. Realizing the disparity in their ages, she sends him to seek happiness with Alys Crumley.

Dir: Frank Powell

Alaire Austin runs a cattle ranch along the Texas-Mexican border with her corrupt husband Ed. After Texas ranger Dave Law saves her from dying of thirst in the desert, the two fall in love. Mexican bandit Longorio, who longs to possess the beautiful Alaire, orders his men to kill her husband and take control of the ranch. The bandit captures Alaire and forces an old priest to marry them, but before the ceremony can be performed, Dave arrives and secretly marries her himself. The couple escapes and seeks refuge in a little house just inside the Mexican border, but Longorio's men pursue them and set the building on fire. Just in time, a force of United States cavalrymen arrives and conducts the couple across the Rio Grande to safety.