The Definitive Watchlist For Devotees of An Auto Nut: Cult Guide

Dir: Robert P. Kerr

A couple on a fishing trip get caught in a series of comical events involving patrons and workers at a local grocery store, a bumbling cop, a moonshine bootlegger, a man in a bear suit and a real bear.

Dir: Robert P. Kerr

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

Van Bibber, wealthy fashion plate traveling with friends in Russia, is called upon to save a Russian dancer from the attentions of a famous wrestler, both of whom are fellow passengers on the train. He reluctantly goes to the task and with the aid of the lurching of the train succeeds in throwing the wrestler, which brings him fame and the unwanted devotion of the dancer. The jealous Duke, who loves Sylvia, Van's sweetheart, arranges another meeting with Strangler Stransky and Van's doom seems sealed, but by the weirdest breaks of good luck and terrible wrestling technique he manages to win.

Dir: Robert P. Kerr

Earle's party visit Africa in search of specimens of butterflies and bugs and he particularly wants to capture a rare bug "The Assassin." It happens that there is a man-eating lion with the same name and a big bet is placed on Van who shows all the confidence in the world that he will capture "The Assasin." There is a good scene where he described how he will do this by chasing his quarry until it is tired, catching it in a net and then chloroforming it. A rabbit scares Van and he runs away. A native chief has a flivver and Van under- takes to run it. It gets out of control and runs through the Jungle and the lion leaps in and gets tangled up in the net. The party is dumbfounded when Van appears with the car and the lion.

Dir: Robert P. Kerr

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

Louise has a persistent lover, who plays various musical instruments, rain or shine, and hangs around her cottage door. Finally, one night, when an awful storm comes up, she invites him to stay all night, and while she's fixing the spare room in the shed he runs home for his pajamas. And such a storm.

Dir: Robert P. Kerr

Millionaire and hypochondriac Welland Strong is given only six months to live and decides to take a trip. Aboard a Pullman, he runs afoul of a jealous bridegroom who mistakenly believes that Strong has been making love to his wife. John then arrives in San Francisco's Chinatown. There he meets a charming widow, and the excitement of pursuing her cures him. In the end, he wins the widow.

Dir: Robert P. Kerr

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

This is the story of a gilded son by name of Simon Legree who has inherited the violent temper of his ancestor of Uncle Tom's Cabin fame. His main interest in life has to do with winning a beautiful girl and providing plenty of slumber for himself. Each morning, he is awakened by a harp solo - and all is well except for the fact that his prospective father-in-law does not rate him very high. However, his opportunity comes at last to prove his worth when he frustrates the plans of a crooked contractor who is constructing an unsound dam for father-in-law.

Dir: Robert P. Kerr

The Duff family shares a duplex bungalow with a police sergeant and his wife. While the Duffs endure a series of trials in making a home and finding ways to relax, the policeman is worried about tracking down Gypsy Joe and his gang. Soon, everyone involved meets up under unlikely and hazardous circumstances.

Dir: Robert P. Kerr

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

The long and short of it are a couple of friends in the moving and hauling business. There is a judge, his court clerk and a beautiful lunch-wagon waitress all mixed up in the plot. Oh, yes, there is the judge's disagreeable neighbor who gets him all wet with his hose one morning. The judge longs for revenge. The waitress is arrested for throwing a pie at a cop and is brought before the judge. She has seen an ad in the paper for a girl and gets the judge to let her off so she gets it. It proves to be the disagreeable neighbor of the judge, who wants the girl. Later the judge receives a court order to attach the property of one J. Smith for non-payment of bills. He sends his clerk to clean the place out. They are told by Mr. Smith that the place they want is next door. The clerk takes the long and short of it with him to the next house and starts putting labels on everything in the house. Just as they have completed the job the judge walks in. Low and behold, they have ruined the judges' house. In the meantime the now ex-waitress has brought her boss over to the house to help get rid of the men. He is pinched by the judge and the girl and the clerk fall into each others arms.

Dir: Robert P. Kerr

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Robert P. Kerr

"Hero goes to Alaska to escape Follies girl and meets with accident. Girl helps him and takes him to her home where jealous rival accuses him of being a bootlegger, when he is the culprit himself. Hero proves innocence and defeats rival for affection of girl." - Motion Picture News Booking Guide, 1927.