Rare Cinematic Gems Exploring the Legacy of Alias Miss Dodd: Cult G...

Dir: Richard Smith

Two female candidates for Chief of Police live across the hall from each other, and their political rivalry follows them home, leading to plenty of hi-jinks.

Dir: Malcolm St. Clair

A dancing instructor gets involved with a newly rich family.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Don't Weaken! perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Maurice Campbell

Carver Endicott, a young sophisticate, is rejected by his fiancée for being too foppish and dull. When she feigns an interest in his father, Carver attempts to disgrace his family name by working as a farmhand and later as a busboy in a hotel. However, the newspapers only praise him for his self-sacrificing principles; and finding that he cannot bring shame to the family through menial labor, he takes up with a notorious actress. But when this maneuver also fails, he returns to his former fiancée, who has no further complaint about his being an inexperienced dullard.

Dir: Harry L. Franklin

Lionel and Daniel Houston both love a Southern beauty named Virginia, and when she finally chooses Daniel, Lionel angrily moves North and turns his full attention to the acquisition of wealth. Virginia dies in childbirth, leaving Daniel to rear little Virginia alone. A rich aunt promises to leave Daniel a fortune provided he resume contact with his brother, whereupon Virginia, determined to effect a reconciliation between the two men, answers Lionel's ad for a cook and settles into his luxurious estate. There Virginia meets and falls in love with Lionel's adopted son Perry Arnold, but faces stiff competition in Rose Mason, in reality a crook who hopes to obtain Lionel's secret stock market papers. In the end, Virginia not only unmasks Rose's plot and wins Perry, but reunites her long-estranged father and uncle.

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

Dir: Hal Roach

An American book salesman (Lloyd) is persuaded to go to the kingdom of Thermosa to impersonate the Prince. He is greeted by a peasants' revolt before the real prince shows up to claim his throne and princess. The revolution succeeds, and the American is elected president of the new republic.

Dir: Lloyd Ingraham

While walking along the street one day, Arthur P. Hampton, an impoverished young doctor, and his chums, Stub Masters and Johnny Stokes, are persuaded to part with their last remaining funds by tag day solicitor Mary Jane Smith, with whom the doctor promptly falls in love. Doc's friends then hit upon a get-rich-quick scheme. Knowing that his Uncle George has promised a large sum of money upon his nephew's marriage, they persuade Doc to send out fake wedding invitations naming Mary Jane as the blushing bride. Uncle George, elated at the good news, writes to Mary Jane's aunt, Angelica Burns, an old sweetheart, to invite Mary Jane and Angelica to be his guests on an ocean voyage. Meanwhile, Mary Jane pays a visit to the doctor's office and, upon seeing the wedding invitations, becomes so flustered that she trips and sprains her ankle. Doc comes to her rescue and then begs her to pose as his wife. She agrees, but at ship-side, Stub and Johnnie confess all to Uncle George, who flies into a rage until Doc announces that he and Mary Jane have chosen a wedding at sea.

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

Dir: Henry Edwards

A millionaire bets £25,000 that he can earn his own living for six months.

Dir: Harry L. Franklin

Aspiring author Johnny Rutledge, whose philosophy for business and love is embodied in his book entitled, "Taking it Easy, or Everything Comes to Him Who Waits," is evicted after he gives his last $10 to Anne Travers, another would-be author, so that she can pay her rent. Johnny joins a medicine show and attempts to comply with his wealthy father's demand that he earn $5,000 before he receives any more family money, while Anne, upset at Johnny's lackadaisical attitude, is courted by a crook who, learning she will inherit a fortune if she is married by a certain time, impersonates a famous author. When Johnny learns of Anne's impending marriage, he hurriedly steals a car, impersonates a minister, and arrives just in time to stop the marriage and expose the fraud. After Johnny marries Anne and receives a $5,000 reward from her executor, he rushes to his father's lawyer, and after being admonished to "take it easy," Johnny replies, "There ain't no such word."

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

Dir: Harry L. Franklin

Lon Withers, a bored clerk for an exporter, annoys his sweetheart, Suzanne Brooks, his employer's daughter, with his get-rich-quick schemes. To teach him a lesson, Suzanne has South American millionaire importer Señor Romez cable Lon that he will be arriving soon to look for an American representative. Lon attempts to bluff his way into Romez's good graces by entertaining him lavishly on the life savings he cajoles from bookkeeper Ford and by impressing Romez with his phony company, F. F., Inc., or Four Flusher, Inc., located in a ritzy hotel. After two weeks of spending at cabarets, boxing matches, and horse races, Lon is broke. When he convinces members of the hotel staff to contribute to his company, the hotel detective arrests him. Suzanne and Romez straighten things out, and Romez, impressed by Lon's hustling, hires him as his American representative, which leaves him and Suzanne happy.

Dir: Harry L. Franklin

Returning from a selling trip, Jimmy Baxter, the fastest salesman at his father's munitions company, notices a pretty girl smiling at him in the station. Since her train soon leaves, all Jimmy learns about her is information on her luggage: her initials and destination, the Central American republic Santo Dinero. When Jimmy's father wants a delivery of munitions to be taken secretly to the president of Santo Dinero, so that they are not appropriated by the many revolutionaries there, Jimmy volunteers, and under the cover of selling patent medicine called "Pep," in reality, whiskey, he finds that the president is the father of the girl in the station, Felicia Bocaz. After Felicia's suitor, General Lopanzo, who secretly leads the revolutionary forces, discovers Jimmy's real purpose, he calls for an uprising. Jimmy, having earlier endeared himself to the natives when he first sold, then gave away "Pep," now tries it on the soldiers. He wins their favor and also Felicia's love, as her father returns to power.