Underground Favorites Mirroring the Impact of The Wolf: Cult Guide

Dir: Barry O'Neil

Dick Baker, cashier of the National Bank, is in financial difficulties through his wife's extravagance. Becoming desperate, he plays the stock market with "borrowed" securities. Schmidt, a social climber and director of the bank, goes in with Dick on some of his speculations and in return Doris, Dick's wife, is expected to receive Mrs. Schmidt. Pat Alliston, a wealthy young man, is in love with Doris, but is playing "on the level." Doris refuses to receive Mrs. Schmidt one afternoon while Alliston is calling. This infuriates her and she confides in her husband, who then refuses to go in on a deal with Dick. Porter, Dick's younger brother, has learned something of Dick's difficulties, and blames Doris for her extravagance. Doris complains of Porter to Dick and they quarrel. The next day the stock Dick has invested in drops heavily and his margin is wiped out. He cannot cover it and is forced to let it go. Schmidt has become suspicious and sets detectives to watch Dick. That evening Dick learns that Doris is dining with Alliston again and asks her why she doesn't get a divorce and in anger she says, "Very well, I will." Doris plans to go to Japan with Mrs. Prescott, a chum, Alliston and their daughter Bessie. She has planned to give Dick the impression that she is eloping with Alliston so that he will get a divorce, but Doris confesses to Mrs. Prescott that if Dick should even hold out his hand to her, she would stay. Schmidt's suspicion is again aroused, and when Schreiber. the detective, reports that Doris is planning this trip. Schmidt thinks Dick is planning to slip away with them and cautions Schreiber to guard against this. Schmidt has Knight, the bank examiner, go over things and when Dick learns of this and of Doris' intended departure, feeling utterly deserted and alone, he attempts suicide, but is prevented by the unconscious intervention of Bessie. Alliston calls for Doris and Bessie and they meet Mrs. Prescott at the railroad station. They are followed by the detective's assistant and brought hack, he mistaking Alliston for Dick. Doris denounces Dick for having, as she supposes, detectives trail her and Alliston, and when she learns the truth, falls unconscious to the floor. Dick carries her into the drawing room and they are reconciled. Knight tells Schmidt that his suspicions of the bank's soundness were groundless and the latter leaves crestfallen. Alliston, alone in the hallway with Bessie, realizes his own part in this domestic tragedy. Knight asks him if he will help him to give Dick another chance, and he agrees. Knight writes a check and a note and sends it by Bessie to Dick.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

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

Businessman Philip Nuneham pays more attention to his business of building power plants than he does to his wife Christabel. Feeling neglected and unloved, Christabel is receptive to the attentions of Rex Allan, a young army officer. When his regiment is suddenly called to duty in India, he convinces Christabel to secretly accompany him to Southampton to see him off. She spends the night with him, and on her way home the next day she is involved in auto accident and injured. Renowned evangelist Sylvanus Rebbings rescues her. He has the largest congregation in the country, but has incurred the enmity of the religious establishment because of his "radical" views on religion and religious hypocrisy, Christabel finds out that she really needs his help when Rex comes home from India and she attempts to end their affair, but her husband discovers her infidelity and threatens to divorce her and keep their daughter Ione.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

McTeague begins life in the mines. He later becomes an unlicensed practicing dentist. He is a man of violent physical passions, but until he meets little Trina, who visits his dental office, his love instincts have never been aroused. McTeague induces Trina to marry him through the sheer force of his domineering personality. The couple are not happy. Trina develops miserly instincts and when she wins a $5,000 lottery prize, she hoards the money and grows more and more avaricious. McTeague quarrels with Marcus, his former rival for Trina's affections, and the ill feeling between the two men leads to a fierce combat in which McTeague proves the victor. In revenge Marcus has McTeague prevented from practicing dentistry because he has no diploma. McTeague leans on Trina for support but she turns him away. Trina has a severe illness and while recuperating develops a mania for fondling her hoarded gold pieces. McTeague returns to find Trina showering handfuls of gold upon her bed. After a terrific scene he strangles her and steals the money. Marcus, determined to avenge Trina's death, trails the fugitive McTeague into the heart of Death Valley, where the two men come at last face to face in a final battle to the death under the blistering desert sun.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

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

Anna, a young shop girl, is urged by her rather disreputable stepmother, Mrs. Biddle, not to be so particular, to liven up and get presents and favors from rich young fellows. Lena Schmidt, a co-worker at the store, "stands in" with the manager and lies to her mother about the jewels and dresses. Lena's affair is cut short when the proprietors find her telling the manager about her delicate condition. She believes Anna has told on her and threatens revenge for her discharge. Anna attracts the attention of John Stevens, a salesman, who believes her to be like Lena, but when he attempts advances after a dinner, he finds out his mistake. His respect is aroused and he begs Anna to marry him. For a while the young couple are happy, but Mrs. Biddle's nagging gradually gets on John's nerves and he begins to seek amusement outside of his home. Mrs. Biddle tells Anna she is a fool to stand for this treatment; John is having a good time, why doesn't she go out and enjoy herself. Lena, who still harbors a resentment against Anna, plays on the girl's loneliness when she learns from Mrs. Biddle of the conditions in Anna's home. After long miserable waiting for John's homecoming, Anna decides one night to stand it no longer and accepts Lena's invitation to a party. Arrived at Lena's apartment she is somewhat surprised at the people she meets there, and later in the night, when the men arrived to carouse and make free with the girls, she awakes to a full realization of the nature of the party she is attending. She tries to get away, to flee from the repellent advances of the "Deacon," one of the guests, but Lena tells her there is no escape. As the Deacon seizes Anna in his arms the door bursts open and Dr. Goode enters; he had been a sweetheart of Anna's before her marriage and had never ceased to care for her. He had learned of her presence at the party and had determined to ascertain the reason fro it and to save her if possible. Anna gladly goes with him from the place. At home John is watching over Nanny, the little neglected daughter of the unhappy couple. Nanny is ill and is crying for her mother. He is overjoyed when Dr. Goode leads Anna in. Explanations and reconciliation follow and over their baby's bed they plan for a new and better life.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

To keep his social-climbing wife and daughters in the lifestyle they are accustomed to, wealthy John Hunter makes some large investments in the stock market, but the stocks crash and he loses a great deal of money. When he discovers that his son-in-law Dick Sterling has lost $3 million making investments in his name, Hunter kills himself. His wealthy aunt offers to bail the family out, but on the condition that the money she gives must be under Sterling's strict control. Complications ensue.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

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

Janet Hall begins a romance with Dale Overton, a small town minister, after the death of Henry Dalton, with whom she had an illegitimate child. At first, because of her past, she refuses to marry him, but then, after listening to his sermons about forgiveness, she consents, although she makes sure that he knows nothing of her history. Finally, however, he does find out about her relationship with Henry, and just as Janet feared he might, he renounces his wife. Defending Janet, Dale's friend, Stuart Doane, accuses the minister of spreading the word about tolerance without actually believing it himself. Dale realizes his hypocrisy, and then, after forgiving Janet, sees through her recovery from a breakdown brought on by the sudden disclosure of her past and by the subsequent strain on her marriage.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

Lord Desborough and Captain Mostyn, both officers in the same regiment, are suitors for the hand of Muriel. Desborough wins and marries her, and thereby incurs the everlasting enmity of his rival. Their regiment is ordered to India, where Desborough falls under the wiles of an adventuress named Vivian Darville. His flirtation is duly reported to the absent wife by Mostyn, and the resultant future trouble between husband and wife, is fanned into flame by the jealousy of Rupert Lee, a young officer whom Vivian has driven to drink by her broken promises. On the return of the regiment to England the Desboroughs open their magnificent home, Desborough Hall, where in spite of the fact that Desborough is on the verge of bankruptcy, expensive entertainments are given under the patronage of the Countess, known as "The Sporting Duchess," because her aspirations are in the direction of hunting, horse racing and other phases of sporting life, rather than the less exciting functions of society. She is a woman of great wealth, keeps a large racing stable, and her liking for Desborough causes her to back his horse, Clipstone, for the Derby, as against King of Trumps, who is Mostyn's entry. Deciding to take unto herself a young husband, she selects Dr. Streatfield, a young army surgeon of fickle temperament, who has become engaged to Vivian Darville on the voyage home from England, and whom he introduces into the Desborough circle, only to find that his true affinity is Annette, daughter of Colonel Donnelly. Vivian's interest, however, goes no further than to be introduced into society through her engagement to Streatfield, and once under the Desborough roof, she begins to aid the villainous Mostyn in effecting a separation between the Desboroughs. This will open the way to Mostyn's attentions to Muriel, and at the same time secure revenge for Desborough's casting her off in India. But there is in the household, as nurse for the Desborough heir, Harold, Mary Aylmer, daughter of Desborough's stable trainer, whom Mostyn has betrayed under promise of marriage. She exacts fulfillment of that promise, and the plotters decide to remove her from the field of action at once. Mary reveals her condition to Muriel, who consults Desborough, and he writes her a letter stating that he will provide for her future, but cannot, of course, retain her in his household as preceptress to his own son. At the same time he also writes a letter to Vivian Darville, asking that their former relations be forgotten, and that she no longer should remain in his home, to disturb the restored tender relations between his wife and him. Mary shows the Desborough letter to Mostyn, who promises to do what he can for her in a secret way, at the same time retaining the letter. Going with it to Vivian, she shows him the letter she has received, and the method of parting the Desboroughs is at once revealed. The headings of both letters are torn away, substituting for each other, and two letters are the result, which furnish evidence of Desborough's guilt both with Mary and Vivian. Muriel already prepared by Mostyn for certain compromising disclosures, is shown the letter, believes that her husband is doubly false to her and accepts Mostyn's offer to act as her escort to London, followed by the irate husband. Mostyn takes Muriel to an out-of-the-way inn, where his perfidy is revealed, for she now discovers that his only motive in removing her from her home was to further his own evil designs. She tries to escape from her prison, and a struggle between them is interrupted by Desborough, who administers a severe beating to Mostyn, and informs Muriel that he will at once begin an action for separation. This action results in a sweeping verdict for Desborough. In spite of the earnest efforts of "The Sporting Duchess" and other good friends, and he is given the custody of the child. Harold, a heart-breaking interview taking place in the court chambers. Following his event the affairs of Desborough grow from bad to worse, and even his stable is to be sold. Including the great Clipstone, favorite for the Derby. Believing that Desborough is the betrayer of his daughter, the faithful trainer, Aylmer, deserts him, taking with him Dick Hammond, the lover of Mary, who was to be the mount for Clipstone. The days of sale for the Desborough stable is announced, and to save for Desborough his one hope to recoup his shattered fortunes, his friends decide to raise a fund for the purchase of Clipstone. But their efforts are unavailing, the sum subscribed is not sufficient, and "The Sporting Duchess" is appealed to by Doctor Streatfield and Annette Donnelly to buy the horse herself. Replying that she buys expensive horses only for her husband, the young people magnanimously decide to break the engagement of marriage between them, and the doctor becomes the affianced husband of the Duchess. At the sale the Duchess buys Clipstone; he wins the Derby and nothing is left for Mostyn but to leave the array and retire into solitude with his fellow plotter, Vivian Darville. The unfortunate Rupert Lee, In the cottage where he has been living with Vivian, overhears the interview between Mostyn and Vivian and determines to revenge himself by making atonement for his share in the plots against the Desboroughs, which is done by producing the two Desborough letters with the proper headings supplied. Accordingly the Desboroughs are reunited, the erring Mary is forgiven by her faithful lover, and "The Sporting Duchess," deciding that it is best to be the doctor's mother instead of his wife, restores him to the unhappy Annette Donnelly.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

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

Horace Frambers, an impecunious literary man receives the following offer: Helen Talbot, daughter of a rich financier, has trusted her lover not wisely but too well. She is about to become a mother. Her lover went down on the Titanic. If Frambers will marry Helen Talbot and save her name he will receive $10,000 and a position in Mr. Talbot's office. Frambers marries Helen; the child dies. Mr. Talbot gradually trusts and likes Frambers, but Helen despises her "bought" husband and intrigues with other men. So Frambers resigns his position and pays her back her $10,000. He deserts her and tells her to get a divorce. Talbot's business is failing and Frambers helps him recover it. Then Frambers returns to his room to die, as he thinks, but when he recovers from his illness he finds Helen by his side. She loves him and they are made happy with a happiness that has not been "bought."

Dir: Barry O'Neil

Atwater and Hingham are two rival colleges in the Middle West, and Hingham has for several seasons bested Atwater at football. There is a well-grounded impression that Atwater's weakness on the Gridiron must be attributed to the inherent opposition of its president, Dr. Witherspoon, who has a notion that Atwater, being a Presbyterian institution, should play gentle and unbloody football, and the members of the squad must attend recitations. Fortunately, football has two enthusiastic champions in the president's daughter, Jane, known as "The College Widow" because she bids farewell to her fiancé at every commencement, and Mrs. Dalzelle, a grass widow, who is the convenient and unwatchful chaperone of all the young women who have the entree of the Atwater Campus. These two, after much earnest argument, succeed in convincing the doctor that true college supremacy can only be attained through the excellence of its football team, and the paramount consideration is the defeat of Hingham, a Baptist institution, not far distant. The Atwater eleven, under the charge of Jack Larrabee, a graduate coach, and Matty McGowan, a professional trainer, proves so hopeless as a possible conqueror of Hingham, that Stub Tallmadge, an undergraduate, is sent abroad to search for new athletic timber. After many peregrinations among the farms and manufacturing towns he succeeds in unearthing a young giant named Murphy, who seems to have every qualification and being totally unschooled. It is arranged that he shall enter Atwater as a special student in a course of art, but even the ponderous Murphy is not potent enough to pull the team out of the rut into which it has fallen, and further building up of the team becomes more and more of a necessity every day. Comes there at this time to Atwater a millionaire named Bolton, whose son has for three years been the unapproachable half-back of Hingham, and the arrival of the two creates great enthusiasm among the college athletes. But when it is discovered that Billy's presence with his father is only to secure the services of a tutor, to squeeze him through the fourth freshman year so that he may claim to have spent four years at college, the consternation in Atwater knows no bounds. Coach Larrabee determines to secure the famous halfback at all hazards, and although he is supposed to be almost engaged to Jane Witherspoon, he evolves a plot by which she shall work her wiles upon Billy Bolton, and induce him to enter Atwater as a regular student. This, as usual, proves to be no difficult task, for poor Billy falls in love with Jane at first sight. His father is a long-time patron of Hingham, which institution has often conferred honorary degrees upon him in return for financial assistance, and before leaving Atwater for a quick trip to Europe, he leaves a check for $1,000 in his office as a bet that Atwater cannot beat Hingham in the Thanksgiving game. But he has not reckoned on the wonderful deftness of the college widow as a temptress, for, no sooner has he sailed from New York, when she induces his son to resign from Hingham and become half-back for Atwater. "The plans of mice and men gang aft aglee," however, and in luring the love of the great Hingham star, she falls deeply in love with him herself. On the night of the victory, when he won his game almost by his own exertions, At water is ablaze with lights and fireworks, and the students despoil many stores of their signs and fences of their gates. Then it is that for the first time he discovers that he has been made the dupe of a flirt and decides upon moving west with his father, where even mention of the very name of Atwater would not be possible. At the same time, Jack Larrabee discovers that his plot has become a veritable boomerang, for it has resulted in losing forever the love of Jane Witherspoon, A great celebration of the victory is arranged for the evening of the game at a hotel near the college and while the merry band of revelers are dancing about the mighty bonfire, these disclosures are made, and two fathers announce that their children shall go to the west together. During the progress of the banquet which is to terminate the festivities of the day an accident happens in the kitchen which causes a rapid and devastating conflagration and the guests escape death only after the most superhuman efforts, many of them being compelled to walk through fire or jump from windows into fire nets. To the horror of all, it is announced that Jane has become lost in the scramble for the two stairways and is in the burning building. Billy has been injured by a leap from a window, but Jack Larrabee offers to risk his life to save Jane. The firemen and police, however, assure him that such an effort would be nothing less than a plunge to death, and mass in front of the burning doorway to prevent him from entering. Calling upon his football team, a wedge is formed, which ploughs a way through the massed firemen. Jack feels his way through the fire and smoke, and places his lost love in her more worthy lover's arms.

Dir: Barry O'Neil

The disowned son of a wealthy family is tried for the murder of a college friend who killed himself after his failure as an artist.