Essential Cult Cinema Drawn from the Same DNA as Cocky Cock Roach: ...

Dir: Charley Chase

A young married couple volunteer to take charge of several orphans after the asylum has burned down. Of course they find their hands full with their troublesome charges.

Dir: Hal Roach

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

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: Vernon Stallings

Krazy Kat is held in jail and Ignatz finally bails him out after encountering "guilt".

Dir: Victor Heerman

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

The night of the Policeman's Benefit is at hand and all the coppers with their wives are in the audience. On the stage is a magician. Everything goes well until he asks for the officers' watches. Presumably he will turn them into eggs or something. He has a charming confederate and both enter compartments. When they don't reappear, the curtains are lifted and the fakirs are absent. They escaped through a trap in the stage. Then the chase is on.

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: Edgar Jones

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Chicken à la Cabaret perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A mail-order bride arrives at a Maine lumber camp but doesn't like her prospective husband.

Dir: Frederick J. Ireland

An unemployed cook takes her shot at working for an upper class family. When none of their fancy guests show up to a party, she and the butler impersonate them.

Dir: Lasse Ring

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

Mr and Mrs Stockholm visit the Paul U. Bergström (PUB) department store to buy a new wardrobe for a journey. They visit different departments, where the future Greta Garbo (Gustafson at the time) is one the models showing outfits for Mrs Stockholm.

Dir: Malcolm St. Clair

A dancing instructor gets involved with a newly rich family.

Dir: Claude Friese-Greene

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.