The Essential Watchlist that Capture the Essence of Undine: Cult Guide

Dir: Henry Otto

Dick Warrington, a successful New York dramatist, receives a visit in his apartments from Katherine Challoner, an actress whom he has "made." She shows him her engagement ring and tells him that she is soon to be married, as the stage never really fascinated her, but she refuses to tell the name of the man she is to marry. As Kate is about to leave the butler announces another caller and Dick requests her to remain in order to meet John Bennington, as he and John are great chums. Kate protests that her presence in his room so late at night might cause embarrassment and leaves to enter the butler's pantry. John finds a pair of white gloves which Kate has left behind her. He put them in his pocket surreptitiously. The two men sit down to smoke and chat, and John tells Dick that he is going to be married, and wishes him to act as his best man, but must withhold the name of his fiancée for the present. After John's departure Kate comes out of the pantry and Dick helps her to look for her gloves. Kate tells him that John Bennington is the man she is to marry, and that he bought the gloves for her that very morning. Failing to find her gloves, and realizing that Bennington had probably taken them away with him, Kate falls in a faint. The next morning Dick escorts Kate out of the apartment. The janitor sees them enter a cab and drive off, fully aware that the actress has spent the night in Warrington's flat. Some days after Dick returns to his native town, Herculaneum. John Bennington's marriage to the actress, Kat Challoner, has caused considerable gossip in Herculaneum. One of the scandal mongers says, "That actress and Richard Warrington have been very intimate, and you know Warrington's reputation." The honeymooners return a day sooner than expected. Shortly after their arrival Dick meets Senator Henderson, the boss of the Republican party, who tells him that he wants him to run for mayor of the town at the fall election. McQuade, the boss of the local Democrats, is determined that Mayor Donnelly must have another term. At the Republican convention Warrington is nominated for mayor. After Dick's nomination McQuade sends Bolles, one of his henchmen, to New York to dig up some "dope" on Warrington's metropolitan career. A month later Bolles returns from New York and informs McQuade that he got what he went after, as the janitor he interviewed there had told him about Kate passing the night with Richard Warrington in his apartment. McQuade keeps this information as a trump card until the night before election. Then he goes to the editor of the local Democratic paper, which he controls, and forces him to publish this bit of scandal in the election day issue. Pattie Bennington's sister reads the scandal and rushes to the conservatory to find her mother and Kate. When Kate reads the article she becomes excited. Dick, who has meanwhile read the attack on him, comes over and meets Kate in the parlor. Dick tells her that John must be made acquainted with the truth. Kate protests, fearing that it will cause her to lose her husband's love, but Dick throws open the parlor doors and, as John enters, shows him the article. After reading the scandalous attack carefully, John, who is a large-minded man, emphatically declares that he does not believe it. Then, pulling out Kate's white gloves from his pocket, he turns to her and adds: "Even with this evidence I never doubted you." Dick rushes to McQuade's office and insists on knowing who is responsible for the scandal. Bolles comes forward and says that he unearthed it in New York. Dick promptly knocks him down and says defiantly: "Miss Challoner did remain in my apartment one night, but there was a nurse and doctor in attendance until I escorted her home next morning." After Dick has returned to his library he learns that Donnelly, his opponent, has the plurality vote in nine districts. Later Pattie phones to the editor of the Republican paper and is told that Warrington has the plurality of over 700 in fifteen districts heard from so far, which assures his election. Pattie then calls up Dick and informs him that he is elected. Dick embraces Pattie and they walk, hand in hand, down the path as the scene fades out.

Dir: Henry Otto

Lilly Meany, a member of a London underworld gang, poses as a faith healer to fleece wealthy hypochondriacs. On the recommendation of socialite Mrs. Prall, Lord Asgarby beseeches Lilly to cure his young crippled sister Eve. When Lilly mends a broken doll, she inspires Eve's confidence, and soon Eve is cured. Then Lord Asgarby falls in love with Lilly, and she confesses her scheme. He forgives her and they marry.

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

Dir: Henry Otto

After her mother dies, a young girl is sent with her little sister to live with their aunt and uncle, who treat her terribly. The aunt and uncle run a show at the Panama exposition and turn her into a human butterfly.

Dir: Henry Otto

John spies his girlfriend embracing his brother. Stunned, John deposits the family's money and leaves the country. Years later he returns to find his brother dead, the plantation in ruins, and that he is suspected of stealing the money.

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

Dir: Henry Otto

When oil magnate Thomas Waring receives a letter from his old friend, Mrs. Juliet Smith, suggesting that his beloved daughter Maida spend her vacation at Mrs. Smith's island home, Waring encourages Maida to accept as he has to go East on business. After Mrs. Smith supposedly gets Maida, Waring receives a call from the real Mrs. Smith, who says that Maida has left with an impostor. On the island, Maida lives luxuriously, unaware that her hosts are sending her father ransom notes. She meets Gilbert Spear, camping out, and they fall in love. After receiving no response from Waring, the kidnappers reveal their scheme to Maida and demand that she write to her father. They lock her in when she refuses, but she escapes and leaves the island with Gilbert. Although they are overtaken by the criminals, Waring and the police pull up and the gang is taken into custody, leaving Gilbert and Maida free to pursue their romance.

Dir: Henry Otto

The tactics of a vicious slumlord and greedy businessman finally drive a distraught man to commit suicide. The businessman is tried for murder, executed, and afterward swiftly taken by demons to the Hell where he will spend the rest of eternity.

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

Dir: Henry Otto

Young bride Patricia Morley's flirtatious ways at a summer resort keep her husband Henry in a state of continual anxiety. At an old-fashioned barn dance, Patricia enacts the role of a chicken breaking out of an egg, and Henry's wrath explodes. After accusing her of being in love with another man, Henry returns to New York and files for divorce. Heartbroken, Patricia sends her friend Victoria French to tell Henry that she is dying. Meanwhile, Patricia goes to a hospital and alarms the staff with her hysterical conduct. Later the nurse discovers that Patricia is bluffing. Henry arrives at the hospital just in time to see Patricia pretending to be nurse to his divorce lawyer, Geoffrey Patten, whose leg is broken. Henry's anger explodes again, but he makes up with Patricia and they go home together. Henry hires the hospital nurse as a detective, causing more complications, but Henry finally is cured of his jealousy.

Dir: Henry Otto

Happy O'Brien, called "The Microbe," or "Mike" for short, a female street urchin who sells newspapers dressed as a boy to avoid harassment, is saved from arrest for fighting other newsboys in Chinatown by wealthy author DeWitt Spense. DeWitt, there to purchase drugs, is so moved by Mike's pugnacity, that he takes her to his mansion for literary inspiration. When DeWitt learns that Mike is a girl, he resolves to educate her. As Mike blossoms, DeWitt's attentions turn to love, to the dismay of Judith Winthrope, who wants to marry him, and his friend Robert Breton, who, with Judith, convinces Mike that DeWitt's writing is suffering because of her. After Mike leaves and gets a job making artificial flowers, she writes DeWitt daily letters, signing them "Bianca," which inspire him to write a best selling novel of replies. Although DeWitt nearly marries Judith when she claims authorship of the letters, he weds Mike when he learns that she penned them.

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

Dir: Henry Otto

Venus sends Cupid to earth to find if romance still exists there. He finds Moira and Peggy, a fisherman's daughters, who become entangled in the amorous pursuits of an artist and a fisherman. Cupid returns to Venus with his report.

Dir: Henry Otto

Jack and Blanny Wheeler live in the apartment above Laura and Billy Bartlett. Jack likes to stay out late and play poker, but covers by telling his wife that he attends meetings of the Mystic Shrine society. Laura is carrying on a dalliance with Philip Evans. One night Jack goes to play poker and leaves Blanny with the Bartletts. Laura goes out with Philip. Blanny and Billy commiserate about their loneliness, and concoct a scheme to arouse their spouses' jealousies. They taste various liquors, become intoxicated, and fall asleep. Jack, Laura, and Philip return. Jack and Laura both threaten divorce until the explanations are made, and the couples are reunited.