Rare Cinematic Gems Exploring the Legacy of Little Miss Hoover: Cul...

Dir: John S. Robertson

Prudence, a young society woman and aviatrix, is forbidden to continue flying by her fiancé Hewitt and her father. In defiance, she stages her own kidnapping, but Hewitt discovers the ruse and arranges a real abduction to teach her a lesson. His plan backfires, and the kidnappers rob him and capture Prudence. In order to save herself, Prudence pretends to join the gang. In an attempted robbery of Hewitt's house, the police surprise the thieves, but Prudence escapes to her own house where she is reunited with her family and fiancé. Hewitt and her father, in their relief at Prudence's homecoming, relent and allow her to continue her aeronautical pursuits.

Dir: John S. Robertson

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

After serving a term in prison for a crime he did not commit, a man exacts revenge upon the two people who framed him.

Dir: John S. Robertson

A boy called "Mascot," presumably the son of smuggler Captain Stark, is raised by Mr. Deane, the British military governor of Kingston after the boy's ship is captured. Years later in London, Mascot, now known as Stanley Deane, is the lawyer for the radical organization of mill employees called "The Well." Stanley falls in love with mill owner Amos Buckingham's daughter Alice, whom he knew when they were children. But Buckingham hates Stanley for his aid to the workmen and turns Alice against him by telling of his mysterious parentage. The workmen plan to blow up the Buckingham mansion and kill its master who, unknown to anyone, has disguised himself and gained admittance to The Well to study the real condition of the men. Stanley saves Alice, but after the explosion, a charred body supposed to be that of Buckingham is found and Stanley and all in The Well are arrested for murder. When Buckingham, still in disguise as a member of The Well is convicted, he discloses that the explosion was accidental and that the body was one he had used in his experiments. After Buckingham takes the blame for the bitterness of his workmen, everyone is acquitted. Stanley then discovers that his father is really a Boston banker and, freed of the aspersions cast upon his name, is welcomed by Buckingham as his son-in-law.

Dir: John S. Robertson

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

To prove his theory that environment rather than heredity determines a man's character, Dr. Burnell adopts young Richard, the son of an imprisoned crook Morgan. Upon graduating from college, Richard proposes to Virginia Denton, but several days before the wedding, Morgan appears and threatens to reveal himself as Richard's father unless the young man aids him in a number of robberies. Through Robert Hargraves, Dr. Burnell discovers Richard's part in the crimes and starts to believe that his theory is incorrect. When Morgan decides to rob the Denton home, Richard arranges with Dr. Burnell to trap them in the act, but it is Virginia who discovers the two rifling the safe, and she immediately breaks the engagement. After the police arrive, however, Morgan reveals that Richard is actually Dr. Burnell's son, kidnapped by Morgan at an early age. His name cleared, Richard marries Virginia.

Dir: John S. Robertson

Author Hilary Farrington and his wife Eloise have been married about a year, and although Hilary loves his wife, he has become engrossed in his writing and doesn't realize how lonely his wife has become. Eloise starts spending time in the company of Darrell McKnight, who neglects his own fiancée, Nora Gail. Eloise promises to go west with Darrell if her husband doesn't take her to his bungalow, where he is beginning his new book. Darrell tells Nora that he loves someone else. Nora decides to team up with Hilary to prevent a scandal. When Hilary leaves for his bungalow without asking Eloise to accompany him, she phones Darrell and tells him she will be ready to elope with him in half an hour. While Darrell waits outside the Farrington house, Hilary returns, having forgotten something. Eloise is dressing and does not hear Hilary enter the house. While he is looking for the forgotten item, Nora arrives and tells Hilary the whole story. They agree to work together to make Eloise and Darrell sick of each other. Hilary goes to Eloise's room and feigns surprise when he sees her preparing to leave. Darrell enters the house, and he and Eloise are taken aback when Hilary suggests the pair use his bungalow for their "honeymoon." When the two protest, Hilary convinces them to go by pulling out a gun. Darrell and Eloise encounter another surprise at the bungalow. The chauffeur reports that the car is out of gas, so all three principals have to stay in the bungalow. After a meal in which Hilary keeps reminding Eloise of their own honeymoon, Hilary says he will try to get gas for the car. Just as he is leaving, Nora appears, pretending she is lost and her car has broken down. Now Darrell believes that Hilary and Nora have planned an elopement of their own. Eloise become jealous, and everyone goes off to their rooms except for Hilary, who remains downstairs in the dark. Eloise calls her uncle, who is a Bishop, tells him everything that has happened, and begs him to come to the bungalow to help her get rid of Nora and Darrell. After a series of misadventures during the night, Eloise awakens first, finds Hilary's car, and discovers it has plenty of gas. She drives off and meets the Bishop at the train station. Back at the bungalow, Nora and Darrell have made up and decide to get married as soon as possible. Eloise and the Bishop arrive, and Nora and Darrell get married on the spot. Eloise and Hilary send everyone off in the car, then settle it for their own "second honeymoon."

Dir: John S. Robertson

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

Barnabetta Dreary's grim life of slaving for her Amish father Barnaby and her two brothers, is surprisingly changed when Barnaby marries Juliet Miller. Known as Erstwhile Susan, she becomes fond of Barnabetta, and because she retains control of her fortune, induces the other Drearys to relieve Barnabetta of some of her drudgery. After Barnaby has a stroke brought on when Susan proposes sending Barnabetta to school, she goes to a prep school where the president, Doctor Barrett, and a trustee, State Senator Jordan, both fall for her newly acquired charm, to the dismay of Jordan's sister who loves Barrett. When the sister interferes with Barnabetta's plan to work in the school after graduation, Barnabetta helps Jordan win his campaign for governor, and after exposing him to her family's crude table manners, Barnabetta accepts Jordan's marriage proposal, while Susan succeeds in reforming Barnaby and his sons.

Dir: John S. Robertson

Dr. Henry Jekyll experiments with scientific means of revealing the hidden, dark side of man and releases a murderer from within himself.

Dir: John S. Robertson

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

During World War I, beautiful and patriotic Leslie Selden is courted by two ardent admirers: Jack Wynn, a young man not yet taken by the draft, and Dr. Wolff, a Danish scientist who is actually a German agent. When Jack learns that Wolff is masterminding a plot to bomb several munitions factories and destroy the water system in New York City, he goes to the spy's home and confronts him. Wolff locks him up, then forges a note to Leslie claiming that the young man has run away to escape the draft. Her suspicions aroused, Leslie alerts the authorities and plants a dictograph in Wolff's house, through which she learns of the scheduled bombings. Accompanied by the police, she arrives at Wolff's residence just in time to prevent Jack's murder and the destruction of the city.

Dir: John S. Robertson

Exotic Russian actress Lisa Parsinova tires of her glamorous life on the New York stage and returns, under her actual identity as Lizzie Parsons, to her small New England hometown. But she is pursued by a young man who is in love with the famed Russian alter ego.

Dir: John S. Robertson

Gossip spreads quickly throughout a small New England village when Betty Taradine extravagantly entertains wounded Colonel Preedy, billeted at her home. After a bank official suggests that Betty, deeply in debt, raise money on the life insurance policy of her husband, who left years earlier because of her extravagances, Betty sends herself a telegram announcing her husband's death. Preedy's aide, Captain Peter Rymill, in reality Betty's husband, arrives, and falling in love with her again, agrees to keep his identity secret. Although Betty flirts with Preedy to irritate Peter, Preedy really loves Betty's friend, Penelope Moon. One night, Preedy sneaks into Betty's bedroom to steal Penelope's picture, and hides in the closet when Peter enters seeking reconciliation. Peter then hides under the bed when Reverend Ambrose Liptrott, who loves Betty, and his spinster sister Tabitha, arrive to investigate rumors. After Peter and Preedy explain themselves, Preedy confesses his love to Penelope, and Peter and Betty are reunited.