Must-Watch List Comparable to the Style of Dactylo se marie: Cult G...

Dir: Joe May

An elderly gentleman, a professor and savant, living in quiet retirement, is greatly mystified and annoyed by a nightly visitor, who flits through his study and rummages around his desk. In his growing embarrassment the professor appeals to the police, who make a thorough search of the professor's apartments, but fail to discover even the faintest clue to the solution of the mystery. Thereupon the professor appeals to the master detective, to the brilliant and profound Stuart Webb, who can fathom the motives of men and follow the devious paths of the criminal. At first, however, Webb is puzzled as much as the police were. After much thinking he hits upon a novel plan which he hopes will bring good results. He installs a motion picture camera in the professor's haunted chamber and by a most ingenious device arranges the machinery such a way that the slightest touch of the desk sets off a flashlight and puts the camera into action at the same time. The plan succeeds to this extent. The detective now has a picture of the strange intruder. The latter is revealed by the film as a man with a big beard. Rightly concluding that the man of mystery would want to change his appearance as quickly as possible after being caught by the camera and would therefore go to the first barber shop to effect the change, Webb and his assistant are ready. The mysterious intruder sits down in a chair and when he is lathered and Webb holds the razor poised above his head, Webb's assistant slips the handcuffs on him. Now, the veil of the mystery lifts rapidly. The midnight visitor, it turns out, was not after the professor's desk at all; he was the agent of a foreign government in search of important plans. These plans were in the possession of a famous military engineer, who lived on the floor above the professor. There were secret passages in the old house and in the confusion of the winding steps the thief had mistaken the professor's study for the room of the engineer. The discovery that the whole house was mined, so to speak, with parallel stairs and shafts is brought home to the spectator with unique and startling effect.

Dir: Joe May

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

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Unknown Director

The Judge needs a present for his wife's birthday, so Harry suggests a new corset. They go to the shop, but he's so embarrassed to ask the saleslady he hides in a phone booth.Harry goes in, but finds a GUY wearing one, and runs out.They both dress as women to get back in, but Mrs. Rummy gets there and chases him out.

Dir: Richard Smith

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

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: Joe May

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Joe May

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

Hilde Warren, a famous actress, is impregnated by a convicted murderer and becomes plagued by visions of an extremely gaunt and sepulchral Death. Upon discovering her child is the image of its criminal father, Hilde must decide whether to allow it to live or to kill it and risk the embrace of Death himself.

Dir: Joe May

Lavinia Morland marries a rich banker in order to obtain money to care for a sick artist with whom she is in love. A woman tells the banker of this state of affairs and he hires a disreputable and bogus count to compromise his wife so that he may obtain a divorce. She kills her husband when she finds he has trapped her, but her story told in court procures her release.

Dir: Joe May

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Stuart Webbs: Das Panzergewölbe perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Joe May

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Joe May

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.