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Select two cult films to compare side by side.
The Guilt of Silence Synopsis
During the Alaskan gold rush, two unscrupulous fortune-seekers, Amy and her husband Gambler Joe, rob Mathew Smith, who has offered them shelter from a snow storm. Mathew pursues them but loses his way, and by the time Harkness finds him, he is nearly dead from exposure. Mathew, nicknamed "Silent" Smith because the storm has robbed him of his voice, lives in friendship with Harkness until the latter marries Amy, who has found employment in a local dance hall. After the ceremony, Harkness is called away to protect his mining interests, and in his absence, his daughter Mary arrives for a visit. Silent and Mary fall in love, but Mary's suspicions are aroused when Amy gives birth to a child. Shortly afterwards, Harkness returns. Amy insists that Silent is the baby's father, whereupon Harkness shoots his friend, wounding him in the shoulder. Smith regains his voice, and through the help of an Indian who is familiar with Amy and Joe's treachery, reveals that she was a married woman long before she met Harkness. Mary returns to Smith, and the two settle down with Harkness.
The Midnight Man Synopsis
When young inventor Bob Moore fails in his efforts to provide his father, a safe manufacturer, with a lock that is burglar proof, he contacts The "Eel," the most talented safecracker in the city, to offer him a job in his factory. The Eel, deciding to go straight, accepts the offer, but when he later learns that Irene Hardin has been given a valuable necklace by her father, The Eel plans one last job to secure Irene's pearls. Meanwhile, Irene's father, also a safe manufacturer, places the pearls in his own safe and tells Bob that if he can open it, Irene will be his. Bob, in love with Irene, opens the safe and places the pearls on the handle. After he departs, The Eel enters the house and steals the pearls. Bob is accused of the crime, and to exonerate himself, pursues The Eel. After a lively fight, Bob recovers the necklace and returns home to claim his bride.
"The Guilt of Silence" holds a slight edge in general audience appreciation, but "The Midnight Man" offers its own unique cult appeal.
Suggested Watch:
The Guilt of Silence