Hidden Genre Gems In Alignment with the style of A Kiss for Susie: Cult Guide

Dir: Robert Thornby

Bradford Stewart, a young American surgeon studying in Germany, is dining in Cologne with a German friend, Ritter Bloem, a philosopher and a patriotic German. The latter is called away by German officers, and on his return announces to Stewart that war has been declared. After Bloem's departure, Trapadoux, chief of the French Secret Service maintained in Germany, who has been listening to their conversation, accosts Stewart, claiming to be one of the German police agents, inspects his passport, and learns to which hotel he will go in Aachen, which is his next destination. Frau Schanne, the proprietress of the Holmer Hof, secretly maintains French sympathies, but her servant, Hans, is a German spy. In Stewart's absence from his room, Trapadoux brings Frau Schanne a package, the contents of which he instructs her to place in Stewart's baggage to avert police suspicion during their later moves. Upon his return to his room Stewart finds in his luggage a lady's slippers, silk hose and dainty lingerie. The door of his room is opened and Little Comrade hurries in, embraces him fondly and calling him husband. Outside the door Hans listens, perplexed and a little suspicious, but had he not seen the lady's garments in Stewart's belongings? Perhaps, after all, she is his wife. After making sure of Hans' retirement, Little Comrade explains to Stewart that she is a French spy fleeing from Germany with secrets stolen from the German officers with whom she has been wont to flirt in Alsace-Lorraine; that even now they are on the watch for her and that if she is brought back, death will be the penalty. Stewart consents to help her, and watches while she forges an addition to his passport, adding to his own name and description, the description of herself as his wife traveling with him. Together they pass the gauntlet of police inspection and board the train for Brussels. At the frontier the train is held up and all passengers inspected. The police inspector stationed there holds Stewart and his "wife" for the coming of a German' officer from Metz to identify Little Comrade. One of the French spies on the frontier summons Trapadoux, who comes in the guise of the officer from Metz, and after inspecting Little Comrade, states that she is not the woman spy they feared. In the morning they arrive at the Belgium camp, where they are welcomed, but a few hours later the Belgians muster in battle against the German invaders. Little Comrade and Stewart are wounded, and while Stewart goes for a stretcher for her, she is captured by a genuine officer from Metz, who takes her to German headquarters and denounces her as a spy. Bloem, who is in command is unable to persuade her to confess. When Stewart discovers Little Comrade gone, weak from loss of blood, he becomes unconscious for several days. Upon regaining consciousness he learns that Little Comrade has been captured, so he concentrates his energies on delivering to General Joffre the papers she confided to his keeping. In gratitude, General Joffre bestows on Stewart the ribbon of the Legion of Honor, but overwhelmed by his loss and weak from this last effort, Stewart is borne away delirious. At the German headquarters, Bloem finding Little Comrade obdurate, is about to pass sentence upon her when she begs him to send her last words of love to Stewart. Finding that Stewart is her lover, Bloem, whose life was once saved by Stewart, refuses to condemn her, claiming that there is not sufficient evidence, and sends her back to "her American husband." There follows a joyous reunion in the hospital between Stewart and Little Comrade.

Dir: Robert Thornby

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

Joseph Stagg is a lonely, grouchy middle-aged man living with his housekeeper, "Aunt Rose", in a New England village. A prominent merchant in town, one day he gets a letter notifying him that his sister and brother-in-law have been lost in a shipwreck. He takes in his sister's daughter Carolyn and her dog, Prince. Carolyn meets Amanda Parlow, a local woman, and discovers that Amanda and her Uncle Joe had an affair years ago, and its breakup left Joe hurt and bitter. Carolyn resolves to get them back together, but a forest fire that breaks out in the mountains where Amanda and Carolyn are staying puts her plans, and her life, in danger.

Dir: Robert Thornby

As Nan Lorimer's mother lies dying, she makes Nan promise to take care of her younger sister Masie. Unfortunately, Masie falls for the shady Dr. Thornton and travels secretly around New York City to meet him. One night she is rescued during a subway accident by wealthy John Harwood, a miner, who falls in love with her and marries her. Although the two are deeply in love, John begins to neglect his wife for his mining business, and soon Masie begins to see Dr. Thornton again. Complications ensue.

Dir: Robert Thornby

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

Mary Willard takes over her father's railroad after his death. Her major competitor is a ruthless crook named Harvey Judson. She arranges for Judson to be kidnapped and taken to an isolated spot deep in the forest and turned loose to fend for himself. She accompanies the kidnappers to the wild and Judson, not knowing who she is, begins to fall in love with her. Complications ensue.

Dir: Robert Thornby

Jill Cummings and her sisters Marguerite and Jane are left penniless when their father dies. To provide for the family, Jill accepts a sales position in a department store, where she attracts the attention of her unhappily-married boss, George Hemingway. Desperate to escape her difficult circumstances, Jill accepts Hemingway's proposal that she live as his mistress and subsequently is kept in high style in a large, beautiful house. Some years later, Hemingway dies, and with the fortune he leaves her, Jill tours Europe. There she becomes engaged to Harry Adams, but when George Hemingway, Jr. appears to act as best man in the wedding, Jill is forced to confess her past to Harry. The two separate for a year to think things over, and when Harry returns, he suggests to Jill that they live together "in a happy way." Jill leaves him and continues her life alone.

Dir: Robert Thornby

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

A feud over boundaries between the McKinstry and Harrison families, both from Kentucky, but squatting in California in search of gold, has caused Cressy McKinstry to show disdain for Joe Masters, a cousin of the Harrisons, even though she secretly loves him. Nellie Dabney, who left her husband Ben for city-bred John Ford but then was deserted by him, returns and is rejected by Ford, who is now the schoolteacher of the settlement and is attracted to Cressy. After Ben fights Ford and takes Nellie back, Cressy schemes with Ben for him to buy the land in her name. A San Franciscan representative of the legal owner arrives to take possession and provokes a fight at the boundary line which leaves Joe with a bullet in his arm. Cressy proves that the land belongs to her and Joe, who she will soon marry, and the families are reconciled.

Dir: Robert Thornby

Vaudeville artist LaBelle Geraldine and her dancing partner Freddie Montgomery are stranded in Arizona when their troupe breaks up. In order to raise money, Geraldine orders Freddie to impersonate masked bandit Black Jim so that she may turn him in and collect the $2,000 reward. When the real Black Jim holds up her coach, Geraldine, believing that he is Freddie, boldly pulls out her gun, and the bandit shoots her in the wrist and takes her to his cabin. Later Freddie is captured too, but when members of the gang insult Geraldine, he refuses to protect her. Gradually Black Jim falls in love with her, and she comes to admire him so deeply that instead of seizing a chance to escape one night, she returns to warn him of the gang's plot to kill him. Together they hold the gang off until their cabin is set on fire. Dashing through the flames, they leap onto their horses and escape to safety.

Dir: Robert Thornby

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

The Highlanders and Lowlanders are sworn enemies until Lieutenant Kemper, the son of Brigadier Kemper, the leader of the militaristic Lowlanders, is held hostage by the Highlanders until his father's army has retreated to its own boundaries. Much to his surprise, the lieutenant is treated with kindness and consideration by his captors, especially by Boyadi and his beautiful daughter Nathalia, whom he learns to love. Thus, instead of obeying his father's command to escape at an appointed time when the Lowlanders plan to violate their pledge and storm the fortress, he keeps his promise to his captors and remains a prisoner. The Highlanders, inflamed by the Lowlander's broken word, are about to kill the lieutenant when news comes of the approach of another foe and, hailing the Kempers as saviors, the two former enemies unite to defeat this new foe.

Dir: Robert Thornby

A Japanese man falls in love with the daughter of his American employer.

Dir: Robert Thornby

Young playwright Harold Montague travels to the Kentucky mountains to seek the local color that his manager has complained is lacking in his new play. There he falls in love with Kate Kendall, a mountain girl, and tries to befriend a group of moonshiners, who regard him with suspicion because of their fear of revenue officers. Looney Lige, jealous of Harold's success with Kate, alerts the officials to the location of the still, and the mountaineers, led by Big Hank, decide that the outsider whom they assume has betrayed them must hang. Kate saves Harold at the last moment, and, badly shaken, he catches the next train back to New York. At the rehearsal of his play, his manager introduces him to his leading lady--Kate Kendall, who had also been sent to the mountains for local color.