Editor's Top Picks Following the Footsteps of Three Green Eyes: Cult Guide

Dir: Dell Henderson

Pretty young seamstress Doria Dane is discovered by a motion picture producer, who transforms her into a film star and then proposes. Doria, however, has fallen in love with a sculptor named George Steele, who has asked her to pose for his statue, "American Militant." Under Doria's influence, George concentrates on his work and avoids his frivolous Greenwich Village friends, with the result that he wins a prestigious award for the statue. Basking in the limelight, George neglects Doria and falls prey to the fashionable Mrs. Schuyler, a wealthy widow who wants him for herself. George's friends are horrified when Doria bursts into his studio and shatters his masterpiece, but soon afterwards, she leads him into artist Harry North's studio, where the statue is standing intact. After explaining that she destroyed only Harry's replica of the work, Doria accepts George's heartfelt apology, and the two are reunited.

Dir: Dell Henderson

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

To prevent her niece from becoming an old maid, Beatrice Hammond's aunt stipulates in her will that the girl must be married by the age of eighteen or sacrifice a million dollar inheritance. Beatrice is in love with Ronald Farwell, but he has been called to fight against the Germans in France, so Beatrice approaches her guardian, Gerald Eversleigh, with a plan: Gerald will marry her, thus insuring that she will inherit the fortune, but divorce her as soon as Ronald returns. The wedding is staged, and all goes well until Gerald falls in love with his wife. Meanwhile, Ronald falls in love with a French nurse and, upon his return home, offers to pay Gerald to remain married to Beatrice. Gerald happily accepts the offer but refuses the money, and Beatrice discovers that she has loved her husband all along.

Dir: Dell Henderson

Kid Kelly, a gangster in New York's Lower East Side, attempts to rob Goldberg's millinery store. When the police arrive, Flo Haines, who had come to the building to look at an apartment, hides. When the police find her, they charge her with the crime, but the Kid turns himself over to the law instead. After his release, he again meets Flo, who works in an artificial-flower factory by day and at Reverend Roberts' relief mission by night. The Kid soon falls in love with Flo, and his jealous sweetheart Mamie tricks her into coming to her apartment, where she drugs her and turns her over to Joe Carelli, the flower factory's lustful owner. The Kid saves Flo, but when Carelli is found murdered the next day, he is arrested for the crime. The confession of Annie, who had stabbed Carelli in a jealous rage, frees The Kid, who reforms himself and marries Flo.

Dir: Dell Henderson

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

Stubborn Emily Delmar sneaks out of the house to go to a nightclub, and when she discovers that she has left her house keys at home, decides to spend the evening at the apartment of Richard Trotter, a young man who is pursuing her. Trotter comes home to find her there, and proceeds to take her to the house of her Aunt Geraldine. On the way there they stop at a beachfront hotel for dinner, and Emily, not ready to go to her aunt's house just yet, hatches a scheme to stay overnight and have a swim. Unfortunately, her Aunt Geraldine and Herbert Threadgold, a rival for Emily's affections, arrive at the hotel, see Richard and Emily there and assume "the worst". Complications ensue.

Dir: Dell Henderson

After Miriam Gibson is seduced and abandoned by a handsome adventurer, who marries an old woman with money, she becomes a prostitute to get money for her new-born child. When the baby dies, Miriam, now without hopes, goes to London and becomes the mistress and housekeeper of barrister Geoffrey Sherwood, who has become a drunkard after having been jilted by his fiancée Valentine, when she married a wealthy baronet. Miriam hopes to marry Geoffrey, but when Valentine, who is unhappy with her baronet, begins to trifle with Geoffrey, he responds and discards Miriam. Geoffrey soon realizes the shallowness of his affair with Valentine, who has not divorced the baronet, and his sense of shame is awakened by Miriam's kindness and consideration for others. They marry in a little Scottish kirk, and sail for Buenos Aires to begin a new life.

Dir: Dell Henderson

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

A young man doubles as a butler and an amateur detective.

Dir: Dell Henderson

Press agent J. Butterfield Conroy, known affectionately as "Butts," is left only $500 when his wealthy father dies--until he can show that he has been "of service to humanity" in a scientific capacity. In a New York restaurant, Butts meets Mary Bruce MacDowell when her uncle Angus, an entomologist, chases a butterfly around his table. Smitten with love, Butts follows Mary to Bug Hollow, a resort where the professor is searching for a rare insect. After losing all his money playing poker, Butts starts to walk to Manhattan, when he meets Frank Morrison, an acquaintance, who hires Butts to invent a reputation for him as a scientist so that the professor will allow him to court Mary. Although Butts is successful, Mary, loving Butts, refuses Morrison. After Butts rescues the professor from his burning laboratory, set on fire by Brazilian swindler Ybor Cavallo, the professor consents to Butts' and Mary's marriage and Butts is awarded the rest of his father's estate.

Dir: Dell Henderson

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

Pampered Frederic "Freddy" Pritchard, warned by his father that he must work or be disinherited, learns how to crack safes to help his girlfriend Gloria Nevins, whose villainous uncle holds security for the family jewels, as well as the right to vote on the disposition of the Nevins Motor Works. After Freddy steals the papers with the aid of his valet Smithson, Gloria's uncle locks him in a warehouse to prevent him from attending a crucial stockholders' meeting. Freddy escapes and saves the factory for Mrs. Nevins, who gives him power of proxy. Pritchard, Sr., pleased with his son, consents to Freddy's marriage to Gloria.

Dir: Dell Henderson

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Dell Henderson

Traveling under the name "Charles Conant," the son of an American mine owner tries to enter England in 1916 after masquerading as a muleteer, but the captain of his ship, suspicious when he sees him looking through a spyglass, plans to take him back to the United States. Charles escapes and visits his relative, Lady Dartridge, and falls in love with her daughter, Lady Joan Templar, who is loved by her cousin, chief constable George Templar who, suspicious of Charles' manner and unexplainable meetings and activities, wants to arrest him as a spy. After Charles handcuffs two German agents, he reveals that he is a secret-service man. Earlier, he mistakenly sold titanium from his father's mine to a German agent. His successful mission recovered the titanium before it went to Germany aboard a U-boat. Promising to wed Lady Joan, Charles leaves to join the Lafayette Squadron in France.