The Essential Watchlist that Capture the Essence of Why America Will Win: Cult Guide

Dir: Richard Stanton

Edward Campbell, known as Checkers, is a racetrack tout. Determined to reform himself, he foreswears gambling, but must take it up once more in order to save someone he loves from disaster.

Dir: Richard Stanton

Finding his partner, Joe Brooks, murdered in the snow, "Roaring" Bill Wagstaff's troubles begin. A ray of sunshine enters his life soon after though, with the arrival of Hazel Weir who has come West to teach, but finds herself lost in the woods outside the town of Cariboo Meadows. Bill discovers her and under the guise of leading her to town, takes her to his cabin where he declares his love. Hazel, who is smarting from unfair accusations of scandal, rejects Bill's offer and leaves for Cariboo Meadows. Later, Bill learns of Hazel's problems and rushes to town to confirm his faith in her. En route, he stops at a saloon where he sees his dead partner's snowshoes leaning against a wall. At the point of a gun, he extracts the name of Joe's killer from the saloon keeper and then sets out after the man, Nig Geroux. After avenging his partner's death, Bill finds Hazel, who accepts his love.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of North of Fifty-Three perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Richard Stanton

Dick Mason is arrested for defending a girl's honor in a Chicago restaurant brawl, and his father sends him to Lithuania where his family owns a share in a cattle concession. By chance, the girl from the restaurant is also bound for the Balkans. While on board, Dick undertakes to renew his acquaintance with this attractive foreigner, but encounters considerable resistance. In Lithuania, Dick meets with Count Vortsky, the Minister of Finance, who presses him to sell his cattle concession, hoping to clinch a coup attempt he is planning with the Bulgarian Ambassador. Somewhat suspicious, Dick agrees to announce his decision only in the presence of Princess Alexia, who turns out to be the girl from the restaurant. When she advises him not to sell, the love-bitten Dick refuses the count. The count nevertheless instigates a revolution, but with the help of his Chicago assistants, Dick squelches the uprising and wins the princess' heart.

Dir: Richard Stanton

An American is sent to Germany to unearth the identities of German agents operating in the U. S. He infiltrates the German secret service in an attempt to abscond with a list of undercover German operatives.

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

Dir: Richard Stanton

John Dowling, a greedy factory owner, cuts his employees' pay while raising their food prices at the company store. The employees strike but to no avail. Mary Garvin visits Dowling to plead the laborers' cause, but because her mother had once refused his marriage proposal, he attacks Mary out of revenge. In the struggle, Dowling is shot, and Mary is tried and convicted of murder. Before the execution, foreman "Bull" Thompson boasts that his bullet killed Dowling during Mary and the factory owner's struggle, and Dowling's son Chester, who has attempted to introduce reforms into the factory, races to the governor's train to secure a pardon for Mary. After Mary's release, she and Chester are married.

Dir: Richard Stanton

The story concerns the adventures of Mary Livingston, who is deeply in love with Richard Mallaby, a gambler. Through a misunderstanding, she thinks she has been deserted by her lover when he goes west and leaves her and her baby in the east, to fight out the questions of life in their own unaided way. Disconsolate, heartbroken, she drifts westward herself, and meets Watt Tabor in a rough frontier village. To provide for her child, she is forced into theft, but is detected. Tabor, who knows her history, shoulders the blame himself and marries her. She despises him because she thinks he married her as the result of a whim, and not as the result of real love. Then she meets again the man who first wronged her. Mallaby demands that Tabor give up the woman. Tabor refuses. His decision results in a battle between the two. In the darkness and surging water of a mine, they wage their last fight. Mallaby loses consciousness, but Tabor rescues him, and leaves Mary free to make her choice. She goes with Mallaby.

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

Dir: Richard Stanton

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Richard Stanton

While out on a plundering expedition, outlaw Dick Durand comes upon a band of Indians attacking a group of settlers. Dick opens fire on the Indians, but before he forces them to flee, they kill everyone except three children and Durand himself. Durand places the children in the care of Molly Gore, who does not suspect that the kind horseman is actually the outlaw being blamed for the massacre. Although he knows that the sheriff is in close pursuit, Dick stops to rescue a girl who has been kidnapped by the Indians. After he returns her to her father, the sheriff takes Durand prisoner. However, unknown to Durand, the girl he has saved is the governor's daughter, and the executive, urged on by Molly, intercedes and pardons the outlaw, who then settles down to a peaceful life with Molly.

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

Dir: Richard Stanton

In New York, Bill Stratton saves a friend's marriage, but Bill's fiancée, Evelyn, misinterprets the situation and believes Bill to be unfaithful to her. She breaks her engagement, and Bill, in remorse, goes to Alaska. In the town of Yellow Gulch, Bill meets "Silver" Jack Belmont, the man responsible for nearly ruining the marriage of Bill's friend. Bill also learns that an old miner named "Lucky" Matthew Durant is Evelyn's father. Durant has been lying to his daughter, claiming he is rich. Bill tells Evelyn the truth about her father, but she does not believe him. Instead, she believes Belmont when he says he will take her to her father's mine. Eventually, Bill and Belmont confront each other and Bill defeats Belmont in a fight. Bill then reconciles Evelyn and her father.

Dir: Richard Stanton

The senorita, Juanita, loves gallant Capt. Arthur Boyce, on duty near the border. He does not love her, but she contrives to make his fiancée, Clare Nelson, think that he does. The result is that Clare breaks off the engagement. Juanita's passion turns to hatred when she finds she cannot compel Boyce to love her. In a fit of rage, she arranges a scheme by which the officer is accused of having murdered a woman. In the trial that follows, Boyce is convicted. Meantime, a hand of Mexicans led by Juanita and Costa, a Mexican in love with Clare, raids an American town. In the place are Clare and her uncle, Nelson, who has been secretly furnishing the Mexicans with munitions. Costa takes Clare prisoner. Juanita finds the girl with her uncle and Costa in a rude shack. She sees a way to get revenge on Clare. She will force her to marry Lopez, one of the bandits in her employ. While she is thinking over this plan, Arthur Boyce is brought into the hut. He had been exonerated of wrong, when the real murderer, stirred by the pangs of conscience, confessed. Resuming his command, he rushed to the rescue of the captured party, only to be defeated by the Mexicans and taken prisoner himself. Clare and Boyce are left with Lopez in the shack. By a skillful piece of maneuvering, the girl outwits the guard, and she and Boyce escape from the building. Rescue is fast arriving from a nearby American army post. The bandits are pursuing Clare and Boyce, and Juanita rides frantically in the vanguard. But she is too late. A stray shot brings her from her horse, and she dies with a curse on her lips for the woman who won the love she could not have.