Hidden Genre Gems for Fans of Confessions of a Wife: Cult Guide

Dir: Albert H. Kelley

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Una nueva y gloriosa nación perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

When Madge Joy loses her position with a cheap road show because her place is taken by a stage struck girl who can put up enough money to keep the troupe going, she misses the night train out of Buckeye Junction and crawls upon a load of hay and falls asleep. In the morning a handsome young farmer hitches his horses to the load, and Madge rolls off. She is rendered unconscious, and when she comes to she is in the Deep living room. "Ma" Deep takes to her at once, but the old farmer, a very religious man, looks at her sternly. Madge feels she had better keep still about being an actress. She says she is a runaway orphan, and becomes a member of the family. Robert Deep falls in love with her and tells her of his great secret. He has written a play in seventeen acts. Madge reads it and pronounces it the worst ever. She has already confided to him that she is an actress. Robert wants her to elope with him, but she puts him off. That night the girl who took her place with the show comes home. She is Susan Deep. Her father is furious when he finds out his daughter has been on the stage. Madge tells him that she is herself an actress, and that she will go away with Robert unless he makes up with his daughter. The farmer agrees, and Madge keeps her word. She goes to New York and becomes famous as a star. One day Robert comes to see her. He says he now has a play he knows is right. The two start to read it, but find each other more interesting.

Dir: Albert H. Kelley

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

Lured to New York with false promises of having her play produced, Lila Lake is forced to accept a secretarial position with Mrs. Julia Hewitt, a dashing young widow secretly married to Jimmy Duval, son of Alice Duval, a prominent society leader. Alice seeks the aid of young lawyer Philip Thorne, who hires detectives to follow Julia; the latter, however, has left town with Jimmy, and Lila has agreed to impersonate her. Thorne, who has previously met Lila, and is unaware of her situation, rescues her from the detectives, and through a misunderstanding they are both arrested and are subsequently disillusioned with each other. Jimmy, however, achieves a reconciliation between his wife and mother, and when Thorne discovers his mistake, he is happily united with Lila.

Dir: Albert H. Kelley

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

In early 1800s colonial Argentina, Belgrano leads a revolt against the oppressive Spanish authorities, and his poorly trained and badly equipped army inflicts a series of stunning defeats on the superior Spanish and loyalist forces. Monica, Belgrano's sweetheart, is the daughter of a prominent loyalist but is also a spy for Belgrano, sending him valuable information until she is caught and sentenced to be beheaded. Belgrano must gather his forces to rescue Monica before she goes under the headsman's axe.

Dir: Albert H. Kelley

Despite the fact that he has a beautiful wife who loves him and a good home, gold-digger Lillian Loring discovers that Ralph Hedman is a pushover for her winsome wiles and ways. Ralph's wife, Alice, becomes suspicious when she sees them together at lunch one day. He asks for a divorce but Alice says she wants to keep the marriage going for at least a year, for appearances sake, and says she will agree to a divorce then if he still wants it. Alive stays home alone for three months while Ralph is living it up as a full member of the Jazz Age. He gets sick and Alice invites Lillian to come over and help get him well. Lillian decides that lots of saxophone playing and wild dancing is the best cure. Alice takes all she can stand, leaves a note for Ralph and departs the premises. Ralph also takes his own departure, after leaving a note for Alice. Lillian keeps on partying. Alice and Ralph, driving their respective cars into an intersection, have a collision. They regain consciousness and find themselves together on the same bed in a near-by farm house. Ralph decides he no longer wants a divorce. Lillian decides she will a Marine Captain.

Dir: Albert H. Kelley

Daphne Carrol, once a "plain Jane," returns from Paris a "polished" flapper, and finding that her love for Custis Lee, her sister's brother-in-law, is not reciprocated, sets out to win him. His brother, Jack Lee, managing editor of the local newspaper, orders a conspicuous report of Daphne's return, but through an error her picture appears over a news item citing the escape from an insane asylum of Sally Long, bent on revenge on her husband. Daphne gains entrance to Custis' house and poses as Sally, disclaiming him as her husband. Fearful of his life, he humors her until he can engage a nurse to watch her. Daphne enjoys the joke until she discovers that her nurse is actually Sally--and Sally's husband tries to rob the Custis home. In the merry mix-up Daphne faints in Custis' arms and is forced to declare that she is his wife; after the complications are resolved, they decide to make the arrangement legal.