The Definitive Watchlist Seeking the Same Brilliance as Annette in ...

Dir: Edward F. Cline

A lighthouse keeper finds a little girl who is washed ashore tied to some wreckage. He adopts her and they become inseparable. Eventually her real family finds her and tries to take her away.

Dir: David Hand

Hiya, pal. Laugh along with Mickey Mouse and all his friends in these timeless cartoon shorts.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Mickey Mouse Classic Shorts perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Lloyd Bacon

A singing waiter and composer (Al Jolson) loves two women (Betty Bronson, Josephine Dunn), conquers Broadway and holds his dying son, singing "Sonny Boy."

Dir: Manuel Noriega

A woman who arrives Madrid fleeing from their abusive stepmother tries to help her cousin, who has an illegitimate child, pretending to be the real mother.

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

Dir: Anton Gunnarsson

The story begins in a pawnshop owned by a middle-aged woman whose daughter is a cocaine addict. The woman is divorced and has just begun an affair with her sales assistant, a young man with extravagant habits. In the second act, we find the pawnbroker, her husband, daughter and sales assistant in one of the city's dance halls, the Eldorado. Suddenly, the police raid the place, and one of the cocaine addicts is so frightened that he pulls out a gun and shoots himself. In the third act, the whole group is in custody. However, it all ends happily when a decent police officer, who knows the pawnbroker from before, ensures that they are released.

Dir: Ub Iwerks

Mickey Mouse is a mischievous deckhand on a riverboat that is under the command of the tyrannical Captain Pete.

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

Dir: Max Obal

Mr. Effington and his daughters Maud and Edith hear Miss Destinn at the opera. Edith expresses a wish to meet Miss Destinn, so her father invites Miss Destinn to the birthday party to be given for Edith. Maud is very fond of animals. A friend sends her some lion cubs which she trains to do tricks. She also has several full-grown lions in her private menagerie. Edith is very fond of music and loves her young teacher, Jack Harris. Her father objects to her attachment, and drives him from the house. Atwood, a business friend of Mr. Effington, asks for Edith's hand in marriage. At the birthday party he proposes to her, but is refused. At the party Maud is showing how tame her lions are, and on a dare Miss Destinn, who has accepted the invitation to be present, enters the cage with her and, with one of the lions lying on the piano, within a few inches of her, sings parts of Mignon, Atwood chagrined at Edith's refusal of his hand refuses to assist Mr. Effington in his business, with the result that the business fails. Mr. Effington does not survive the shock and the two girls, brought up in luxury, are forced to go out into the world to make a living. They consult Miss Destinn as to what they should do and receive her assurance that she will help them as best she can. They decide to use Maud's lions and advertise for a young man to play a part in a moving picture drama. Jack Harris sees the advertisement and answers it. He and the girls are much surprised to meet again and he renews his suit for Edith's heart. Edith accepts him and the preparations are made for the wedding. Maud is heartbroken and confesses that she has loved Jack for a long time. She goes with the happy couple to get the marriage license, but cannot face the ordeal. Disappointed and dejected, she goes back to the house and dressing in her sister's wedding dress, enters the cage of the lions. The lions do not seem to recognize her and she loses control of them. When Jack and Edith return they are horrified to find that Maud has become indeed "The Lion's Bride."

Dir: Arturo Carballo

Film based on variety shows of the 20s 'Arco Iris', 'La feria de las hermosas', and 'Las maravillosas', all of them created by Eulogio Velasco.

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

Dir: Bryan Foy

A police raid on a night club results in the entire cast of the club's floor show being hauled into court, where they must perform their routines for the judge.

Dir: Unknown Director

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.