The Definitive Watchlist Seeking the Same Brilliance as Beware of B...

Dir: Fred Hibbard

With a tin can tied to Brownie's tail, he follows a flivver and makes the driver think that the car is rattling. This induces him to change the car for a horse and buggy, but Brownie continues to follow until the girl is won by the owner of the dog.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of African Lions and American Beauties perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

In Youthville, a specialist in everything is seeking patients by running around on the street with a huge sign under his arm with the legend "Doctor" in large letters. A millionaire's daughter is leaving home with her father to attend the fashion domestic science school conducted by Prof. P. Soop. She is forced to leave her beau, a tiddley-winks champion, behind but drops a note out of the train window giving him much courage. He drives behind the train on the track all the way. The ingenue is given her assignment to a bed in the girls dormitory and takes a fit on it at once. There is a chance for the doctor. He arrives and proceeds to look her over when several lions happen to escape from a wharf upon their arrival from Africa and they infest the dormitory. A terrible scramble takes place and there is more excitement than ever when the lions begin to attack the girls. They roll the bed together and save themselves temporarily by making cages of the bed springs. The doctor finds refuge in an ice box and the colored errand boy in a red hot oven. The doctor is overcome by the heat and the colored boy catches a cold in the oven. A wild chase winds up with general happiness and the love sick maiden'-marries the tiddle-winks' champion.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

Sheriff Jim is an overgrown mother's boy who eats enormous meals and loves a girl named Susan.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Oh, What a Knight perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Betty leaves the child at the County Orphan Asylum while she delivers the weekly laundry to the bachelor's home. But the kid escapes and slides down a chute from the second story landing in the basket which Betty is dragging along behind her. At the bachelor's the baby is turned over to Brownie, the valet, who gives the baby a bath, filling the small tub with water and placing a screen around the outdoor bathroom. Later the baby roams out into the street where she is picked up by an officer. Brownie saves his little playmate as the baby is about to be placed in the wagon and taken to the Children's Society Home, by substituting another baby who looks like his pal. Betty and the bachelor find Brownie coming down the street with the baby. The child says that she wants the man for a a daddy, and with Brownie tugging at his trousers' leg and the baby 'pulling "at his coat lapel, he could hardly resist, and the baby's wish is granted.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

Jimmie the hotel clerk was original in the manner of his morning ablutions. His bed was built over a well into which he dumped himself when he felt that it was going to be hard to wake up. But after he was well awake he thought of nothing much but the hotel milkmaid, Esther. So engrossed was he with this fair one that the intrusion of Count Zeeplotinxophsky was regarded as a personal affront and a decided danger to his peace of mind. Esther's equanimity was also somewhat ruffled. She fell in love with the Count's mustache and decided to elope with him. But before he went the Count wanted to be sure of a dowry. The only one in sight, or rather in prospect was in the hotel safe. The clerk, the bellboy and the hotel detective were in the way. The latter was inside the safe holding the receipts in his hands. But he was asleep and even the explosion which wrenched off the safe door did not wake him up. Having secured the booty, and the girl, the Count ran around the block in his racing car and took a room in the same hotel. But the bell boy and the clerk shadowed him and at last drove him out. Jimmie followed him and the bellboy brought up reinforcements in the shape of the female fire department. The Chiefess discovered that the Count was her ex-husband, and all the comedy dropped out of his existence.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

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

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

We'll call the lady Milt for short because she impersonates a young sailor lad. Milt's captain was a baseball fiend and had to have his ball games on board. For a target he used an ebony head, but the target was held in place by the first mate who had a whip in hand. Milt was a regular jazz baby. He shimmied and jazzed and played his ukulele all day long. Landing Day arrives and Milt is as signed to tie up the ship at the dock. The captain, as all sailors do, had a sweetheart in every town. In this particular town, Edith Roberts was his sweety. But she had more than one suitor. There were three, four and five hanging around her door at all times, and dad kept his shotgun busy chasing them. She falls in love with a dude and they elope; but little do they know they escape on an enemy's ship. Her sweetheart's rival was no one else but the captain and when he discovers who is on board, the fun begins. The sweetheart is thrown into prison, and the girl is put on K. P. Milt was the chief chef and Edith was made his assistant. While Milt has his back turned, Edith puts some gun-powder in the cake dough, and blows poor Milt to smithereens. She helps her lover to escape and they both jump overboard. They are picked up by a cruiser and the guns are trained on the pirate ship. The boat sinks with all the bad men, but Milt manages to escape in a rowboat. He takes off his civvy clothes and swears never to leave the jungle again.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

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

Old "Pop" Walker owned a farm, two babies, a wonderful dog and other interesting things. Bud the grandson, and Merta the granddaughter made things pretty lively for "Pop." Their dog "Brownie " see sawed for them all day long. When the postman came Brownie jumped off the see-saw and sent the two or them spinning through the air. "Brownie" always up to mischief, steals the food from "Pop," Bud is accused of it and is given a severe spanking. A letter arrives for "Pop" advising him that he has been made the sole proprietor of the "Lily White Cafe," owing to the death of his uncle John Barleycorn. They pack up and venture forth to take possession of the Cafe. There the girls shimmy and dance for old "Pop." He makes Bud the cook. Merta attempts to sing for the audience, but they all run out. The manager orders her under the sink with her pipes. The manager and head waiter plan to rob "Pop" of the money they have taken in. Brownie overhears the plot and steals the money from the Manager. The Manager and the head waiter go outside thinking they have the money, and throw bombs into the cafe to blow it up. Brownie runs after the bombs and puts them underneath the box on which the two thieves are sitting. The bombs explode and knock the two crooks into smithereens. Brownie brings the money to "Pop" and a happy ending follows.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

Chocolate Drop was out of work and when he sees a sign on one of the circus tents reading "'Lion Feeder" wanted - he applies. He is given the job, but when he sees the lions, and they playfully try to snap his hand off, chew his hat up, and a few other pranks, he hot foots it to the nearest river and in he goes. Jimmy, the Village Peeper, is caught flirting with the Queen of the circus, through the tent flaps. The watcher of the circus wallops him and sends him spinning. He lands in front of the manager of the circus. The manager asks him if he is looking for a job, to which he answers in the affirmative. He is given the job of a clown and all around helper. He waters the elephants, feeds the lions, imitates a rope walker and everything that's possible he is, and does. A little side show takes place when the peanut man gets in the way of the angry mob when the gates are opened. A three cornered jealousy springs up between the manager, the lion tamer and Jimmy. They all are madly in love with the Queen of the Circus. To get even with the lion tamer, Jimmy lets the lions out of their cages. Then the fun begins. The lions are starved and make one bee line for the audiences. Several of the lions go into the various tents, where the freaks are having their show. One [man]'s eyes go back on him when he sees the lions and refuse to turn back, they become crossed. His feet, however, are his friends, and they sure do make some speed in getting away from the lions. The lion tamer, Jimmy and the Queen try to wrap themselves up in one of the tents to escape the lions, but leave it to the Hons to get into anything. We see the lion emerge from the tent with all kinds of clothing draped around hint, and when all is quiet, the lion having gone further looking for trouble, we see the three "chicken " hearts come up out of the ground.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.