Rare Cinematic Gems Sharing the Atmosphere of A Temperamental Wife: Cult Guide

Dir: David Kirkland

A self-appointed "love expert" tries to play cupid with uneven results.

Dir: David Kirkland

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

Miss Devore plays Tommy, a young woman who runs a boarding house for her father, an inventor of eccentric devices, and the boarders are the usual collection of neurotics in such an effort.

Dir: David Kirkland

Stephen Winthrop, a young playboy living in New York City, inherits the estate and all the holdings of his wealthy Canadian uncle but pays scant attention to it, preferring the "party" life in New York. He is unaware that the family attorney, Frank Garson, has forbidden hunting on the Wintrop lands in Canada, cutting off the livelihoods of the local villagers. Mary Cartier, goddaughter of the village priest, travels to New York to try to get Stephen to change the policy. He returns with her to Canada, sees what's going on, and lifts the ban, then decides to stay in Canada. Mary returns to New York to try to help Garson's ill wife and child, whom the sleazy lawyer has abandoned, but the wife dies and Mary brings back the small child to Canada. The villagers, mistaking the child for Mary's, are outraged at this "scarlet woman" flaunting her illegitimate child and attempt to drive her out. Complications ensue.

Dir: David Kirkland

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

Robert Bennett, an idle socialite, wagers $30,000 with his three friends that he can tell nothing but the truth for a period of one week. His troubles begin at a party where his friends' wives question Robert about their husbands' outside activities. Forced to tell the truth, Robert's veracity results in domestic disharmony. Consequently, his vengeful trio of friends pursue Robert for the next five days, intent upon silencing him until the week is over. They finally resort to committing Robert to an insane asylum where he escapes with the aid of Dolly, who is in love with him because she believes that Robert is a society thief. When the real burglar arrives, he tries to frame Robert for his crimes, but Robert is cleared as the week ends and claims both his wager and his sweetheart, Gwendolyn Gerald.

Dir: David Kirkland

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: David Kirkland

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Nothing But the Truth perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dad Randall is forced to mortgage his cattle to pay a debt to Ivor Johnson, who has bought them after stealing the receipts for the money Randall actually has paid. His son, Dean, returns home from action in the trenches and saves John Stickley, his daughter Grace, and a child from the grasping tactics of Texas Pete, a Johnson hireling who is charging for use of the waterhole. Meanwhile, Dad Randall is being forced to sign over the ranch, but Dean arrives and disposes of the villains just before Dad's death. When Johnson's cattle are rustled, Dean goes to work for him to track down the rustlers; returning the stolen cattle, Dean is tricked by Johnson, but with the aid of Grace and his horse, Silver King, he escapes. By a pulley stunt, Dean leads his pursuers into the sheriff's trap, and following a final showdown with Johnson, Dean and Grace are united.

Dir: David Kirkland

Roaming cowboy Bart Andrews is arrested for vagrancy by a sheriff who needs men for the state road gang. On the way to jail, the sheriff stops off at a rodeo, allowing Bart the chance to ride a wild bronc. Bart tames the horse, and, at the urging of some cowboys, the sheriff allows Bart to go to work on the Lawrence ranch. Bart falls in love with Jean Dawson, the ranch manager's daughter, and prevents the theft of a trainload of cattle. Later, Bart surprises the foreman in the act of robbing the safe at the express office; the men fight, the station agent is killed, and Bart is accused of the crime. He frees himself, brings the foreman to justice, and reveals himself to be the real owner of the Lawrence ranch.

Dir: David Kirkland

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

Georgiana Chadbourne is married to a good but dull man. When he dies, she decides to find a more exciting romance, one with a "bad" man. But a case of mistaken identity upsets her plans.

Dir: David Kirkland

When retired New England skipper Captain Purcell finds Kit as a baby in a storm, he adopts her and she grows up to be an adventurous youngster of the docks. One evening years later, she boards a fishing boat to break up a poker game and extricate the husband of a weeping woman, and she is taken prisoner by Capt. Burt Kincaid, who tries to force his attentions on her, but when she proves her courage, he admires and comes to love her. When it is discovered that she is the daughter of the Hamptons, a wealthy family, Kit becomes a woman of fashion but longs for her former life and Captain Burt. Soon it is revealed that she is not a member of the Hampton family but only a daughter of their former maid, and she happily returns to Burt.

Dir: David Kirkland

A charming, attractive woman inadvertently causes a great disruption when she takes a job at a busy office by stealing the attention of all of her male co-workers--except the one she fancies.