Masterpiece Selection Resonating with the Themes of Detective Craig's Coup: Cult Guide

Dir: Donald MacKenzie

Peter Lobert lets his reckless carelessness plunge him heavily into debt just once too often, and is sent away by his indignant father, to seek his fortune as best he may. Bagley, the faithful old family servitor, casts his lot with his young master. That night, at the Royal Arms, Peter's favorite café, he tells his boon companions of his misfortune. The picture of an American heiress gives him an inspiration, and he declares his intention of going to America, masquerading as a prince, and winning the hand of the Yankee newly-rich. And so they set out, Peter and Bagley. As a prince, it doesn't take Peter long to gain entrance to the McCabe home, and as a lover it doesn't take him long to gain admission to Nellie McCabe's heart. They are married, much against the wishes of Pat McCabe, who doesn't put his faith in princes, and who orders Peter, now that he has her to take care of her. This hasn't been Peter's idea at all, but since it has come to a showdown, he tells her of his poverty, and she, though disillusioned, sticks bravely by him. Peter and Bagley get a job in McCabe's factory, unknown to McCabe. The latter has trouble with his help, who are incited to strike and riot by Jim Walsh, a walking delegate. Here are some tremendous scenes, in which Walsh's factory is set afire, a troop of cavalry rushed to the rescue, and old Bagley saved by Peter, who keeps the mob back by holding a lighted cigarette over a keg of dynamite. Bagley is dumbfounded when he learns the identity of his rescuer, but Peter explains it all when he says he simply couldn't let his baby's grandfather get hurt. There is a touching reconciliation at the end.

Dir: Donald MacKenzie

The story deals with a young man who performs an unusual service for Great Britain under the auspices of "The Younger Sons," an organization of the younger sons of British nobles. He is ordered to marry an American girl, because by so doing he automatically annuls an old grant of hers to a throne in Canada. His instructions are to open a packet on a certain day, and when he does, just after his marriage, he learns that unwittingly he has carried out his orders.

Dir: Donald MacKenzie

Quarrier's rival Robert Lester schemes to have the engineer imprisoned, but the government pardons him so he can oversee a project vital to the country's growth. On the job, Quarrier once again meets Lester, who has tricked Alberta Bradley into selling him the land which is to be used for the project. Alberta still feels as if the land is her own, and threatens to kill the first of Quarrier's workers to swing a pick into it. Quarrier himself begins digging, and while she is unable to kill him, she vows to hate him forever. Gradually, their relationship softens, and the two come to love each other, with Alberta acknowledging the worth of Quarrier's project. Then, working together, they expose Lester to government authorities, since he has been plotting to keep all of the project's profits for himself.

Dir: Donald MacKenzie

Leander Lamb, entomologist and matrimonial martyr, hunts the savage butterfly. He is flirtatiously inclined, but does not know "how." Leander's one solace is the "widow next door," her daily plunge in the old swimming hole interesting him unduly. This leads to a chase with Mary Miranda Lamb, his lawful wedded wife, in the role of chaser. In his effort to outdistance her, he lands in an institution for the mentally depressed, where the foes of depression wish to disfigure his none too beautiful skull. He escapes, and falls into the clutches of the beautiful "widow next door," who, to aid her friend, Allen Townsend in marrying Phyllis Atwood, Leander's niece, wishes to compromise him. The widow, posing as "Charity giving away her clothes," starts Leander on a "butterfly" chase which is interrupted by the arrival of Mary. Leander arrayed in a night-gown, candlestick in hand, proceeds to give the most realistic "sleepy walker's escapade" that Mary ever witnessed. A note from the widow, which Leander had forgotten on the dresser, proves the somnambulist's undoing. He evens up matters with Mary, when his old college chum, Blackwell, relates a most disgraceful story of Mary's maiden days. He sentences her to the "wrongdoers' rest," the stocks, the fate he had often met for too ardent "butterfly" chasing. Mary in the stocks is more manageable, and matters are straightened for the best interests of all.

Dir: Donald MacKenzie

The story deals with a divorced war-correspondent who divides his time between dodging alimony-hunting divorced wives and various creditors. As a means of relief from his financial troubles he makes love to a brewer's widow, proposes, and is accepted. War breaks out between Turkey and Greece and he seizes the opportunity to dodge his trouble and a fiancée who does not appeal to him to go out as a war correspondent to Greece. It happens that a young American millionaire at the same time is sailing for Africa to hunt big game. On the same steamer are two charming girls who are going to the front as Red Cross nurses. One of them turns out to be the war correspondent's last wife; the millionaire immediately falls in love with the other. Arriving in Greece, the war correspondent finds dodging his former wife too strenuous and resigns his position. The millionaire offers to take his name and act as correspondent for him. From then on there are all sorts of comical misunderstandings and situations. Scene after scene is a riot of laughter up to the very end where misunderstandings are cleared up, the millionaire is accepted by the Red Cross nurse, and the war correspondent reunited with his former wife.

Dir: Donald MacKenzie

A young newspaperwoman travels to a South Seas island to search for buried treasure.