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Select two cult films to compare side by side.
Fighting for Love Synopsis
In adjoining kingdoms rule Sylvia, beloved of her people, and Ferdinand, who is forced to exact homage from his subjects. He spends his life in riotous living. One day the two meet, and straightway Ferdinand decides that he will marry the queen, sending his prime minister with the proposal. But she refuses it. He delivers the ultimatum that unless she consents to his proposal within a certain space of time, he will declare war. In America two cowboys, Jim and Johnny Little Bear, discover a rich mine and decide to spend some of the money traveling. The two start out. It happens that during their travels they stop near the kingdom of Sylvia, and Jim, wishing to see a real queen, makes bold to climb the wall. He sees a beautiful lady, who is none other than Sylvia herself, but he thinks her one of the court ladies. She finally confides the predicament of the queen, and he tells her that he will come to the assistance of the great lady. He wires to Bill, one of the cowboys, and tells him to come on with the whole gang. When he rides to the palace to tell the lady, he finds that she is the queen. Meantime, Ferdinand's favorite, seeing that her reign is coming to an end, tries to hold him, but he refuses to have more to do with her. Both sides prepare for battle. Ferdinand, with his army, attacks Sylvia's force before the cowboys arrive, and they are being forced to retreat when Bill arrives and saves the day. The favorite is killed when she tries to slay Sylvia. Jim explains to the boys that he is in love with Sylvia, and they finally persuade him to ask her hand in marriage. But Sylvia kindly explains that though she loves him, the dictates of custom compel her to marry royalty. Bill and the boys, seeing that Jim is taking this keenly, leave him in the palace and after a time return, telling him that they have captured the whole of Sylvia's forces, and that now he is the king. Sylvia is informed of this and with queenly dignity places her crown upon Jim's head, and so accepts his proposal of marriage.
The Terror Synopsis
Chuck Connelly discovers his sister in a compromising situation with a gunman and kills the man. Two private detectives connect him with the crime. Later, the members of the protected organization to which the man belonged, attempt to kill Chuck, but he kills three of them and the detectives help him make a getaway. They then force Chuck with threats of the electric chair to kill a reformer who has been upsetting the organization. Chuck then becomes a regular member of the gang. Chuck falls in love with Annie Mangan, who is persuaded to go to the Salvation Army home. Chuck comes to the dancehall looking for her and is told that she has joined the Salvation Army. The new District Attorney is pounding the graft organizations. Word is passed to the gunmen to get him. Chuck goes to the District Attorney's house to threaten him, and is taken aback when the District Attorney's three-year-old daughter leans trustfully on his knee and looks up into his face with a smile. He goes to the Salvation Army for another sight of Annie. Chuck's sister has become the mistress of Jim Canford, the man higher up. The District Attorney pays no attention to the warning. Chuck is ordered to kill him and breaks into the house. He sees the District Attorney's little daughter, who forgot one of her dolls and is on her way to the library to get it. He steps out of sight, the child passes him, and he attempts to go up the stairs but cannot do it. Canford arranges to put some other man on the job and accuse Chuck. His sister overhears and warns Chuck, who has gone to the Salvation Army. He tells Annie he has thrown the gang down and asks her to teach him "this religion thing." She explains, but he cannot understand how a few words of acknowledgment can square all he has done. His sister arrives and, seeing a chance "to square himself with God," goes to save the District Attorney. The gunmen have surrounded the District Attorney's house before Chuck arrives. He reaches the door and sees the gunmen. There is no time to wait, so he breaks through the library window, grabs the District Attorney and his daughter, hurries them up stairs and faces the gunmen. The District Attorney's life is saved, but Chuck is mortally wounded. Word is sent to Annie and his sister and they come to the house. Chuck dies, feeling that this was the only way in which he could atone.
"Fighting for Love" holds a slight edge in general audience appreciation, but "The Terror" offers its own unique cult appeal.
Suggested Watch:
The Terror