Hidden Genre Gems In Alignment with the style of A Prince in a Pawnshop: Cult Guide

Dir: Paul Scardon

Jimmie Hallet is walking through a heavy fog one night when, seemingly out of nowhere, a girl appears, shoves a bundle of papers and a slip of paper with an address on it into Jimmie's hands, then disappears. Intrigued, he goes to the address on the paper, and is promptly knocked out by a blackjack. When he wakes up the next morning he discovers the dead body of a man named Greye-Stratton and learns that the "mystery girl" was Stratton's daughter Peggy. Jimmie soon finds himself questioned by the police about her father/s murder and mixed up with a gang of thieves and killers led by a mysterious thug named Ling.

Dir: Paul Scardon

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

Dorothy Arden is private secretary to Godfrey Lovell, known as the Croesus of Wall Street. His Western partner is Daniel Casselis, who has a daughter named Dorothy. Lovell has a son, Robert, and the two financiers are trying to arrange a match between their children. But Robert falls in love with his father's secretary and marries her, but on returning home to tell dad, he finds that Lovell is ill and has gone on a long sea voyage to recuperate. Bob is sent to Chicago to see Casselis and invite him and his daughter to come on the cruise with Lovell, and Dorothy is greatly distressed at this turn of events. Bob reassures her, however, and still they do not tell his father. Bob meets Miss Casselis on the Limited as she is returning from an Eastern trip and they become friends. Meanwhile, Dorothy has determined to go on the yachting trip, so when the whole party arrive at Frisco Bob finds his wife awaiting them. Many amusing complications occur during the voyage and jealousies are aroused. The yacht anchors off a lonely island in the Pacific and Bob, with the two Dorothys, goes ashore. The yacht is driven out to sea by a terrible storm, leaving the three stranded on the Island of Surprise. Bob is hurt in a terrific landslide and the blow causes him to lose his memory. Dorothy tries in vain to call to mind his marriage to her, and Miss Casselis, thinking Dorothy is merely bluffing, is not to be outdone and claims Bob is her husband. Bob finally settles an uncomfortable situation by telling the women he will simply remain their friend and protector. Meanwhile, the yacht has had to send out a boat for the nearest land, owing to engine trouble, and a man-of-war is met. She is directed to the island, and arrives just in time to drop a shrapnel among a horde of island savages who are attacking the three castaways and just about to annihilate them. Rescued by the navy men, the three castaways are reunited with their party. Bob recovers consciousness and recognizes his wife, and all ends in forgiveness and happiness.

Dir: Paul Scardon

Famous architect Harrison Stuart is taken over with alcoholism and begins living in flop houses, he is saved by Billy Lane, a young architect who has always admired the older man. Lane reunites Harrison with his family and falls in love with Harrison's daughter. After announcing his engagement to her, however, Lane himself becomes an alcoholic when another woman, jealous of his fiancée, spikes his punch and tricks him into heavy drinking. Then Harrison gives in to his old habit but before submitting completely, he kills himself. The suicide brings Lane to his senses; he swears off drinking and returns to Harrison's daughter.

Dir: Paul Scardon

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

Stanley Ormsby, a dramatic critic, runs foul of an author and dramatic company who have just put on a new play which he announces as "rotten." On his way home from the play, after waiving aside the author's pleas for a merciful criticism, his adventures begin. He interferes between a couple quarreling on the street and is rebuffed. Later he gets an assignment from his editor to go to a certain apartment house to interview a singer. Entering the place he is diverted from his mission by a woman falling apparently dead at his feet, before the door of Apartment 29. Carrying her inside he finds her to be the woman of the quarrel, and there finds also her husband shot. There alone, he realizes suddenly that circumstances are against him and wishes to flee. The playwright, who lives in the same building, offers refuge, but in return asks a large sum of money, which Ormsby is only too glad to give. A girl in the playwright's apartment hides him while the police search the place. He has a dozen hairbreadth escapes and is finally shocked as the playwright demands a bribe to keep him hidden. Finally Ormsby escapes from the house with the girl, only to run into a nest of thugs, who attack him. He is then rescued by the very police, who then charge him with murder, after which...well, it winds up all right, but it was a hair-raising experience, mates.

Dir: Paul Scardon

The Hawk, Count George De Dazetta, preys upon society with the aid of his beautiful wife. She seems to be in love with a young French nobleman, who is the real aggressor in this triangle. De Dazetta finds that the young nobleman's love for his wife is changing her for the better, that she begins to abhor his gambling profession and his inroads upon society. However, he continues to use her beauty as a lure to his gaming tables and wins heavily. In the meantime the nobleman breaks with a young woman aristocrat whom his mother wishes him to wed. During a transaction with an American from whom he borrows money to repay his gaming losses to De Dazetta the nobleman learns of the Hawk's love for his wife, and that she is helping her husband to win. Marina, the wife, washes her hands of the whole earning enterprise and is accused of infidelity by her husband, who tried to kill the nobleman. Failing, he leaves, and the nobleman protects the wife while attempting to locate the gambler and get his consent to a divorce. Finally this is effected, and Marina herself pleads for the divorce, that is until she learns that De Dazetta is now penniless, having lavished his every cent upon her and really loves her, and has consented to give her up only because he thinks it best for her future welfare. Her womanhood comes to the surface and she goes to him, renouncing the nobleman, her love for the latter having been without sin throughout.

Dir: Paul Scardon

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Apartment 29 perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Bob Deering on his way to business meets his sweetheart, Molly Sherman. He arrives at Milliken and Co., stockbrokers, his place of employment, just in time to save Herman, Zalmon Pinsker's 14-year-old son, from a very rough engagement with the other messengers in the office. For this act Herman takes him to his father's shop and obtains a suit at wholesale, and it is here that Bob meets Ike Mandell, who is in love with Dora, the daughter of Pinsker. Previous to this meeting Pinsker re-engaged Mandell after having hired and fired him at least ten times, and also just previous to Bob's arrival with Herman, Moses Hecht and Israel Classman had an argument with Mandell, who, trying to look after Pinsker's business, tried to force them to pay certain notes which had been endorsed by Pinsker. Mrs. Pinsker and Dora arrive and realize that if Pinsker keeps up this pace of unorganized charity they will have little if any chance of obtaining the new dresses for which they came. Later the stock market closes on account of the war, and both Herman and Bob are out of a job. Bob calls upon Molly, who is a telephone operator in a hotel. There he meets "Red" Dorgan, who interests him in war orders. Clothing, sweaters, and shirts are needed for the allied armies, so Bob goes to Pinsker and agrees to get him a contract that will at once make him a rich man. Pinsker is overjoyed. Bob returns to Dorgan, and it is arranged that the manufacturer shall meet the commission. Ike Mandell has a cousin, Abie Lefkowitz, another clothing manufacturer, and he feels that if he can give Pinsker the double cross and get the business for Lefkowitz he will be able to marry Dora. Ike arranges with Dorgan to switch the order to Lefkowitz, who has to give Ike an advance commission of $8,000 for his work. Bob apprises Molly of what he has done for Pinsker, but she has her misgivings about Dorgan. The contestants for the big war order is requested by the commission, which has quarters in the hotel in which Molly is a telephone operator, to have samples of their goods at the commission's offices. The different clothing manufacturers comply, and when each at different times receives most encouraging reply concerning their samples each refuses domestic orders so that all time possible may be devoted to the commission's order. The hotel detective becomes suspicious and after a short conversation with a Scotland Yard man who has been on Dorgan's trail for months, they, with Bob, examine the commission's quarters. They are now firmly convinced that the scheme is a fake, and Bob conveys this information to Pinsker. He is greatly discomfited over the revelation, but Bob gets an idea which will net Pinsker a considerable sum. All the other clothing manufacturers are refusing domestic orders pending advices from the commission, so Bob helps Pinsker to corner the home market. This scheme is successfully executed. Ike Mandell, jealous, is busy instituting a strike among the employees, but his plan is soon frustrated by Bob. Lefkowitz scenting that something is wrong, goes to the hotel, where he is told of the fake affair. The crooks are captured. It is then that Lefkowitz tells of a $6,000 check and that it was made out to Bob. The police now go with Lefkowitz to the shop of Pinsker, where they try to fasten the check upon Bob, but he has given it to Dorgan, and Pinsker agrees that if his is the only signature on it, he, Pinsker, will make good for Bob. Molly goes to Pinsker, who introduces her to his new partner, Bob Deering, and assures her that she need not "hello" any more if she will marry this live businessman. Molly is pleased, and is further glad to know that Mandell has lost out with Dora, who is going to marry Glassman, who is now making his fortune through Bob's methods of wide-awake business.

Dir: Paul Scardon

Polly Biggs helps care for her younger brother and sisters, while her widowed mother works hard as a seamstress to earn a living. Mayor Hoadley, Mrs. Biggs' brother, a crooked politician, calls to sympathize with her on the death of her husband, and Polly takes a dislike to him. Within a short time Mrs. Biggs dies and for the sake of appearances, Hoadley and his wife take the children to live with them. Oxmore, a reform candidate, opposes Hoadley's re-election. His son John, an artist, meets Polly and calls on her at the Hoadley mansion, where he saves her from the advances of Hawkins, a ward boss who "has something" on Hoadley. Hawkins threatens to "get" John for his interference, and the threat is heard by Hoadley. Polly and the children are treated so badly that they run away to the poorhouse, which later burns; Polly saves the children, and they wander to a bungalow in the woods, John, who owns the bungalow, finds them there, and permits them to stay all night. During the night Hoadley visits Hawkins and kills him in self-defense, using a cane that John has inadvertently left at his house, when John goes to town he is arrested. Polly and the children are his only alibi, and he cannot tell of Polly's presence. The evidence is strong against him, and if he is convicted his father will lose the election. Polly, who has been sent away by Hoadley, returns in time to straighten matters.

Dir: Paul Scardon

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

At a reception given for the vacationing Prince Zarl of Zorania, secretly the emissary of Zorania set on negotiating a treaty with the United States, Geoffrey Wynne, apparently a society dandy, but in reality a secret service agent, meets the prince. During the reception, Wynne is summoned to Washington where he learns that the treaty has been stolen and is being held for $15,000,000 ransom. Discovering that one of the thieves is an Italian named Farnelli, Wynne enlists the aid of his fiancée, Irene Mitchell, in apprehending the thief. Irene meets the Italian who offers to accompany her to New York. En route, Wynne overtakes them, chloroforms Farnelli and rips off his disguise to reveal Prince Zarl. Zarl then admits that he has stolen the treaty in order to cover his gambling debts.

Dir: Paul Scardon

Young Hugh Jordan, the nephew of the man who robbed the Winthrop children, is earning his living out west when he comes into the millions of his thieving old uncle. Hugh goes east and settles down to a life of ease and enjoyment. He is entertaining a stag party at his home when the butler announces the arrival of the Misses Winthrop. A letter left by their father told them to go to Hugh Jordon, as he held a mining claim in trust for them. Penelope, the oldest girl, shows the letter to Hugh and he invites the orphans to remain until he has investigated the matter. It is all plain sailing after that, and Hugh marries Penelope and the fortune is kept in the family. There is a slight underplot involving a handsome widow, who tries to capture Hugh, and a most despicable specimen of the wealthy class who tries to ruin Penelope.

Dir: Paul Scardon

Jerry Rufus, a river pirate, loves Claire Dawson, an actress, but because she has so many wealthy suitors, he incorrectly believes she plans to marry for money. Jerry learns that a large gold shipment secretly stored in nail kegs is to be delivered to a certain dock, and by substituting kegs of sand for the ones containing gold, he succeeds in obtaining the treasure and sinking it near the shore. When he proposes to Claire, he is astonished to learn that she has always loved him, and the two marry. Soon, however, Detective Ryan, who has been trailing Jerry for some time, convinces Claire to badger her husband for money. Anxious to please her, Jerry digs up the kegs, and as he is about to open one, Ryan appears. Ryan is discouraged and Jerry relieved to find that the barrel contains only sand, the pirate having stolen the wrong kegs.