Essential Cult Cinema Drawn from the Same DNA as Bred in Old Kentucky: Cult Guide

Dir: Edward Dillon

Dodo Warren, an ingenuous young bride, decides to take her three rejected suitors - Bobo Brown, Tommy Belden, and Dr. Elliott - along with her and her husband Herb on their honeymoon. Herb's protests fall on deaf ears, and soon all five are comfortably ensconced in a Florida resort. Herb finds Dodo in what appears to be a compromising position with Dr. Elliott, but her heartfelt explanation convinces him of her innocence. A year later, Dodo tries to rescue Angie Martin, who has quarreled with her fiancé Bobo and therefore plans to attend a party with George Haywood. After calling Dr. Elliott, Dodo asks Bobo to accompany her to the party, which Angie fails to attend, and later that evening, the well-meaning young wife is locked into Haywood's apartment. Following a new round of explanations, Dodo promises never to look at another man again.

Dir: Edward Dillon

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

The theft of a sacred diamond band from a Hindu shrine starts the action. Count Kotschkoff, who has stolen the band, soon finds that the Mystic Seer and the Mystic Doer are hot on his trail. To thwart them, he asks the Widow Marrimore to keep the jewels for him. She wears the band as a garter, and at a dance it drops off and is picked up by Alonz Evergreen, a middle-aged actor who still aspires to be the juvenile. He does no work and lives on the daily touches he is able to obtain from his hardworking son. Evergreen, who believes that he's in love with the widow, reads an advertisement for the return of the jewels. He aims to increase his favor with the widow by sending back the band. He has wrapped it up in an affectionate note when his son's fiancée enters the office on her way home from a shopping tour. When she departs she takes all the bundles in sight. Alonzo discovers his loss and goes in mad pursuit. In her home the young woman has decided that her beloved is untrue, and has sent back the diamond band and her engagement ring. A distracted lover soon reaches the house to find his father engaged in a frantic attempt to verify his suspicion that the young woman is wearing a costly garter. The gems regained, Evergreen races to the hotel where the widow lives. The Mystic Seer and the Mystic Doer are on his track, but he eludes them and delivers the band. When the Seer and Doer break in and explain their errand the widow goes to the hiding place, but the jewels are gone. The Count has recovered them. The widow is taken to the shrine and tied, to a stake and threatened with death. The stake is near a cage in which a lion is confined. Slowly the gate is lifted and the lion is about to dart out when Alonzo arrives and releases his adored one. There is a thrilling chase and Leo, the lion, finally stalks the widow to a bath room. There Alonzo rescues her under the nose of the beast, the count is captured and the band recovered.

Dir: Edward LeSaint

When famous opera singer Elinore Duane undergoes an operation on her throat, she has a series of ether-induced visions. In one, she is transported to ancient Rome where she appears as a much-admired woman in love with Paul, a young heretic, and at odds with Lutor, the high priest. To save her love, she poisons Lutor with her ring. After several other visions which involve variations on this love triangle, Elinore awakens to discover that Lutor is actually her doctor, Sascha Jaccard, and that Paul is the son of a friend who has come to visit the recovering prima donna.

Dir: Edward Dillon

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

While vacationing with his father Edward at a Palm Beach hotel, George Welston becomes smitten with Eve Pendleton, the daughter of Edward's business rival Judson. After George prevents Pendleton from getting an option on a deal by racing in his car with his father's $100,000 deposit, Pendleton favors Eve's other suitor, Arthur Trask, whose gentlemanly manner conceals his intent to rob Eve and her wealthy friends. When George sees Trask climb into Eve's window, he follows and is apprehended by a detective, who reluctantly releases George in response to Eve's pleas. Later, Trask binds, gags and robs society belle Marian Trevor. After Trask's dropped cigarette starts a fire, George rescues Marian, who upon reviving, accuses him of theft, arson and abduction. George's father puts up $100,000 needed for an important deal for George's bail, then George chases Trask, who has stolen the $600,000 which Pendleton put up for the same deal. After a fight, George apprehends Trask and races to court before the bail money is forfeited. Pendleton and Welston become partners, while George and Eve marry.

Dir: Edward Dillon

His mind unbalanced by much reading about knight errantry and lack of sleep and food, Don Quixote decides to sally forth and right the wrongs of the world. The muddle-minded old idealist takes with him Sancho Panza, his stable man, who from then on vainly tries to dissuade his master from embarking upon all sorts of rash adventures. Notable among them is the episode of the windmills, which the Don thinks are devils, even after he has charged them and been carried around and around and dropped unconscious on the ground. When he recovers, Dorothea tells him of her affair with Don Fernando, which has forced her to leave home to avoid disgrace. He determines first of all to right the young woman's wrong and goes on to an inn, which he imagines is a castle. The maid-of-of-all-work he dubs the fairest lady in all Spain. One night at the inn is enough. The proprietor throws him and his man out the next morning. While riding along the road they meet several prisoners and their guards on the way to the galleys. Without hesitation the Don spurs his ancient steed, Rosinante, among them, and puts the guards to rout. It develops that one of the prisoners is Cardenio, who has been guilty of loving Lucinda against her father's will. Don Quixote offers to intercede in his behalf and together they start back. Cardenio goes ahead and arrives as his beloved is about to become the wife of Don Fernando. Thinking she has been faithless he seeks to end his life with the poison of an adder. The Don, arriving later, invades mansion and halts the wedding just in time. "How about Dorothea?" he asks, and Fernando cowers. Then the Don seeks Cardenio and brings him back to his lady. But Don Fernando is not so easily defeated. With his retainers he kidnaps Lucinda. A pursuit follows and there is much matching of steel when the two parties meet. Don Quixote, who has gone his way, incidentally rescuing Dorothea from a cruel master for whom she has been tending goats, arrives in the midst of the melee. He has become more insane on his favorite subject and every time he comes upon a prostrate form he rushes forward and claims the honor of slaying the villain. As the encounter becomes hotter a blunderbuss is brought into play and the Don is shot in the breast. While he is dragging himself to the inn of the fair Dulcinea, the scoundrel Don Fernando has been attacked by Cardenio. At length the latter is victorious and the body of Fernando crashes into a ravine. Dorothea, who has seen the struggle, goes to it as the others repair to the inn. There is a happy reunion between Lucinda and Cardenio and permission to wed is freely granted. Into this happy group staggers the Don. His faithful Sancho Panza and Dulcinea help him to the stable, discover the hole through his armor and try to staunch the wound. But all efforts fail. To the accompaniment of the merry making above the lovable old character expires in the straw and the devoted pair beside him grieves.

Dir: Bruno Ziener

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

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Edward Dillon

In a mock fraternity initiation, a group of Yale students haze Paul Browning for tattling. When he learns that the leader of the group, oarsman Buck Simmons, is also winning the favor of Aida Courtlandt, the dean's niece, the jealous Browning and gambler Burton Hampdon, to whom Browning owes money, attempt to disgrace Buck so he will not be allowed to participate in the upcoming Yale-Harvard race. After they fail to lure Buck to bed with a girl, Browning takes Aida to a roadhouse so that Buck will have to break training rules to go there. When the coach, suspicious about the roadhouse incident, finds a letter planted on Buck about a deal for him to throw the race, he suspends Buck, but with Aida's influence, the dean straightens matters out. After Yale wins a close race, Browning shoots at Buck, who then trounces him. Proclaimed captain of the next year's team, Buck becomes engaged to Aida.

Dir: Edward Dillon

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

Professional thief Joe Grim is killing time in New York City's Central Park before he robs the Wall Street subtreasury. He spots pretty young Laura White on a runaway horse. He manages to rescue her. Falling for her, he tries to steal a photo of her but is discovered and held at gunpoint by Laura's friend Countess Briand--who, unbeknownst to Laura, is actually the head of a German spy ring, among whose members if Laura's fiance Karl Richter. The countess convinces Joe to steal plane for a new airplane by telling Joe that they're papers that are being used to blackmail Laura. But things don't go exactly as planned.

Dir: Alexander Butler

In Alberta, Canada, a Cornish emigrant unmasks a rustler posing as the girl's "blind" father.

Dir: Edward Dillon

Traveling on a Pullman train are two strangers who, except for a difference in hair color, bear a striking resemblance to each other. Horace Barney, the heir to a fortune, is on his way to a mental sanitarium, accompanied by his unscrupulous guardian Maurice Claypool and Claypool's accomplices, Dr. Wallace and Thomas Farrel. Jack Trevor, an automobile salesman, is substituted for Barney when the train crashes and Barney is killed. When Trevor awakens from his unconscious state, he finds himself in a mansion and addressed as Barney. He falls in love with Helen Townsend, Barney's cousin who is next in line for the inheritance. Trevor realizes the fraud and sets out to save the estate for Helen. Claypool, who wants to marry Helen, tries to declare Trevor insane and commit him to an institution. A series of fights, chases, and misunderstandings ensue, but Trevor finally forces a confession from Claypool and wins both Helen and the fortune.