The Auteur's Selection In the Shadow of When the Door Opened: Cult ...

Dir: Reginald Barker

Mercedes Murphy and her partner, Slick Barney, run a saloon and dance hall in the tough town of Paradise, Nevada. While Mercedes is a hard-nosed businesswoman, she has a soft spot for her sister Olive, with whom she lives. One day a preacher, Rev. McGregor, who is determined to "reform" Paradise, sets up his church right next to the saloon. Mercedes is at first opposed to the reverend, but is eventually won over by his sermons and closes the dance hall. However, she soon discovers that Olive's "virtue" may no longer be so virtuous--and she suspects that the minister might be responsible for this.

Dir: Reginald Barker

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

The bandit Jim Stokes, wanting to go straight and settle down with his new bride, strikes a bargain with the sheriff for his freedom.

Dir: Reginald Barker

The Devil, in the guise of a human, meets a young couple who remark upon looking at a Renaissance painting of a martyr that Evil could never triumph over Good. The Devil, taking this as a challenge, decides to bring about the couple's downfall.

Dir: Reginald Barker

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

Japanese diplomat Tokoramo ( Sessue Hayakawa ), on a mission to Paris, begins a love affair with chorus girl, Helene ( Gladys Brockwell ), who subsequently rejects her American fiance, Richard Bernisky. When the Japanese discover the affair, they try to force Tokoramo to end it, but Helene refuses to stop visiting him. One night, during one of her visits, Bernisky comes to Tokoramo's apartment and, while Helene hides, rebukes her to her lover. After Bernisky leaves, Tokoramo orders Helene out, but when he realizes his love for her, he calls her back. Suddenly, she rejects and insults him to the point that he strangles her. Tokoramo wants to confess his crime, but he must complete his work, and so his countrymen sacrifice a boy, Hironari, who pleads guilty to the murder and eventually is executed. In the end, Tokoramo also dies and his colleagues burn his valuable papers in order to protect Japan.

Dir: Reginald Barker

After his wife dies in childbirth, mountaineer Jim Grimsby names his newborn daughter Bill, and raises her as a boy. Remaining a boy in name only, however, Bill soon wants to style her hair and wear the latest fashions. She soon develops a crush on the new sheriff, Waldo Whittier. Appalled at the prospect of his "son" marrying Waldo, Jim decides to test the sheriff's grit, and so, believing that Waldo will be too frightened to come after him, he robs a casino. The sheriff does pursue, however, and, further impressing Jim, Bill pulls a rifle on Waldo to protect her father. Now certain of the sheriff's manliness, and convinced that his daughter has not forgotten how to act like a man, Jim returns the casino's money and agrees to let Bill and Waldo continue their courtship.

Dir: Reginald Barker

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

Denton rides into Yellow Ridge with a money-belt filled after years of toil in the mines beyond the desert. The local gamblers covet the fortune but fail to get Steve to try the roulette table until the enticer, Trixie, comes to exercise her charms on him. He blindly follows her lead and is watching the wheel with stern stare when a telegram is received. He asks the woman to read it. She lies when she says it contains good news, for it tells of his mother's critical illness. In the morning Steve awakes to find his belt is empty. In his feverish search through his pockets, he comes upon the telegram. As the truth dawns he goes to the telegraph office to send home a wire. The operator hands him the news that his mother has died. Wild with rage, he shoots up the town and drives away with Trixie lying limp over his horse before him. His heart is now filled with hate for all women and Trixie becomes his slave in a community where he tolerates only the scum of the section. Across the desert comes a pack train of Mississippi farmers who have left their fertile valleys to hunt for gold. Their water is all but gone and their stock is fagged. Their leaders plead with Steve for aid, but the white race may expect nothing from him. Back to the wailing women and children go the despondent leaders. Mary Jane, a waif among them, is not cowed by the story they tell, and by night she goes to repeat their please to the harsh white man. He looks upon her as another victim to share Trixie's lot, but her innocent, fearless attitude toward him makes him hesitate. Meanwhile, his men have carried off the women of the train. As the men pursue and bloodshed is in the air, Steve yields to the little girl and trades the safety of those people for his rich mine, leaves his wealth to his followers and guides the strangers out of the desert.

Dir: Reginald Barker

An American sailor falls in love with a fisherman's daughter and convinces her that Jesus is more powerful than the gods who have cursed her.

Dir: Reginald Barker

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

A stagecoach robber falls in love with a saloon girl. However, she falls for a pastor, who converts her; she marries him. The robber is so impressed by this that he decides to turn over a new leaf. However, a shady gambler sets his sights on the former saloon girl, and the robber has to protect her from his advances.

Dir: Reginald Barker

A parson, in love with a girl who is betrothed to a rich Count in her family's hope of partaking in the Count's fortune, uses his pulpit in a scheme to shame the family into allowing the girl to break the engagement and marry him instead.

Dir: Reginald Barker

A poor ditch-digger, Pietro Massena, lovingly raises his motherless daughter Rosina. Phil Griswold, in order to throw a party to celebrate his expected inheritance, induces his friend Robbins to rob the flower shop where he works. After the inheritance goes to Phil's brother William, who refuses Phil money to return to the flower shop, Phil abducts William's daughter Dorothy and sends a "Black Hand" ransom demand to throw suspicion onto Pietro, who earlier frightened Dorothy when he delivered a Christmas tree to William's house. William drives into the slums looking for Pietro and accidentally runs down Rosina. The grieving Pietro goes to the flower shop on Christmas morning to buy a rose for Rosina's coffin and is accused of the kidnapping, because Phil arranged to have a man known by "the sign of the rose" pick up the ransom money there. Pietro threatens to kill the arresting detective so that he can return to his "bambino," when William arrives with news that Dorothy has been found. William offers Pietro compensation, but he refuses and sorrowfully returns home.