Cinematic Discoveries Following the Footsteps of Indiscreet Corinne: Cult Guide

Dir: John Francis Dillon

Gentleman crook Boston Blackie answers a want ad for an expert safe cracker placed by Doris Macon, who claims a moral right to the safe's contents. She hires Blackie, and they break into the house where the safe is kept. Blackie blows up the safe just as owner Captain von Hoffmeier returns home. Doris disappears with papers from inside the safe, while Blackie takes phonograph records, which, when played with a special needle, reveal secrets that implicate von Hoffmeier as a German political spy. Doris is actually the girl friend of a secret service man who has followed them to the house. Blackie's talents are praised, and he goes to work for the government.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

A young lady, who "hates the law" rises from the tenements to society. Financial reverses lead her to commit a series of burglaries as "The Bird". She becomes involved with the detective investigating the burglaries. After she confesses and pays for her crimes, they marry.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Love's Prisoner perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

Nancy Worthing, who comes home from boarding school to find that her parents have no time for her, pawns some of her mother's jewels to buy the clothes necessary for entering society. She persuades her father's chauffeur, Phil Ballou, to take her to a notorious cabaret, where a shooting occurs. In the confusion, Phil is arrested as the assailant, and when Nancy's parents learn of the missing jewels, they bring further charges against him. At the trial, Phil reveals that he is the son of wealthy parents who simply wished to earn his own living, and Nancy clears his name by confessing all. Phil and Nancy, united by their ordeals, begin a romance.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

A London laundress attempts to rise above her station in order to capture the love of a wealthy young man, thus missing out on the truer love of one of her own class.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Nancy Comes Home perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

A terrible toothache causes Jack Robin to stop his automobile in front of the home of Dorothy Mason. Noticing a flat tire, Jack attaches his automatic pump and forgets about it as he listens enthralled to Dorothy's singing. When the sound of the burst tire brings Dorothy running out, Jack feigns injury so he can be nursed by her. After he leaves the house, and Dorothy's father discovers some important invention plans missing, Harlan Graves, Dorothy's suitor, suggests that Jack stole them. Jack, suspecting Graves, breaks into Graves' home to clear himself and meets a real burglar, "Spider" Kelly, who adopts Jack as his guide. They blow up a safe at a house party where Jack suspects the plans to be hidden. The papers are found, Graves is arrested and Spider, disappointed that Jack made such a mess in blowing the safe, goes off, leaving Dorothy and Jack happily alone.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

Diana Rosson, a wealthy and beautiful woman, drives to her country home to escape the unwelcome attentions of her many suitors, particularly Trotwell, her guardian's favorite. Arriving in the middle of a raging storm, Diana rushes into the house only to be attacked by robbers. Passing by the house, Dick Webster hears her cries and rescues her, and the two quickly become friends. Diana falls in love with Dick, but his hatred of the rich prevents him from returning her affections. Anxious to win him, Diana tells Dick that she has a twin sister who insists on earning her own living. Dick agrees to deliver a message to the sister and promptly falls in love with the demure young woman, unaware that she actually is Diana. They marry, but when Horace Sciven falsely accuses Diana of stealing a violin, she is taken to the police station, where her husband discovers her true identity. Realizing that her deception was prompted by love, Dick forgives his young wife.

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

Dir: John Francis Dillon

Daphne Trowbridge, an impulsive and obstinate but nonetheless kindhearted young woman, lives with her aunt and uncle on their country estate. Daphne falls in love with Tom Dunstan, but when she learns that Mrs. Trowbridge favors the young man, she deserts him, whereupon he departs for the woods brokenhearted. Because her aunt dislikes Gerald, Daphne accepts his proposal, but on the day of the wedding, she discovers that Mrs. Trowbridge has liked him from the beginning. Furious at her aunt's scheming, Daphne hires the first man she meets, who happens to be a heavily bearded lumberman, to marry her and then leave. Later, however, her hired husband abducts her to his cabin in the woods, where he eventually succeeds in taming her. After he rescues her from two lecherous lumberjacks, Daphne discovers that her husband is Tom, whom she had loved all along.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

Jerrold Jarvis Jones, a lowly shipping clerk, falls asleep on his office stool and has a dream: He is an aggressive, carefully groomed man of the world who welcomes adventure when an attractive girl addresses him as Tourvaine and takes him on an automobile ride. He is taken to a meeting of a secret criminal society known as "Children of the Night" and is mistaken for a new leader who was to arrive from abroad, a role he assumes until exposed. In a series of fights with the crooks, he rescues Sylvia (in real life a secretary in his office) and mingles in the world of high society. Awakening from his dream, he is fired with ambition and astonishes everyone by walking out with the stenographer.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Burglar by Proxy perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

When Sally McTurk's husband is murdered, her brother Ken Thornton goes into hiding and winds up in a small mountain community, using a phony name. He's taken in by a local family, the Harpers. A mutual attraction soon develops between Thornton and the family's daughter, Dorothy, but a local bully who has designs of his own on Dorothy sets out to have Ken killed. He survives the attempt, but his past comes back to haunt him.

Dir: John Francis Dillon

Brewster, the bean king, has an option of renewal on a certain bean canning plant owned by Ellis. Ellis does not desire to renew and hires Wingate, a shyster lawyer, to help him. Brewster has to send Betty to renew the contract. Later he sends his lawyer to help her and Ellis' man persuades her that he is a plotter. There follows plot and counter-plot, but all-innocently Betty carries the day.