Editor's Top Picks Following the Footsteps of Live Wires: Cult Guide

Dir: Richard Smith

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: Reggie Morris

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: J.A. Howe

A swift moving, hilarious comedy of love, politics and war, showing how two assistants to an inventor save his formula for destroying the enemy by feeding them with explosive peanuts, from foreign emissaries.

Dir: J.A. Howe

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: J.A. Howe

At a Red Cross entertainment where pretty girls' kisses are sold to the highest bidder, one of the young women whose kisses are being sold becomes unbalanced, and forgetting that she is already married, promises her hand to two rival suitors, each of whom is to meet her at the depot with a minister. In the mix-up, the number of ministers invited to perform the ceremony increases, and in their eagerness to be in at the finish they take to bicycles in pursuit as the two lovers try to elude each other. Finally the husband of the young woman appears on the scene and puts an end to his wife's flirtations.

Dir: J.A. Howe

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

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: Edgar Jones

A mail-order bride arrives at a Maine lumber camp but doesn't like her prospective husband.

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

Dir: J.A. Howe

Monty and Rock, at the beach, meet many girls, but fight over the one girl, and seek the aid of a movie press agent, to settle the dispute, but instead of helping he tells them she belongs to his company. He appoints them both judges of the baby parade, and tells them whom he wants to win; and at the parade, which is the big event of the season, they award it to the one the judge wanted even though the vote is for another. The people chase them, and after much chasing they come upon the agent and the actress, and ask who wins the girl. The agent tells them that the policeman wins the girl. And hands her over to him. The boys disguise themselves to fool the cops, come upon the movie company and try several different times to get admitted, but each time they are barred out. Hearing the director ask for two messengers, the two disguise them selves as such, but again arrive too late. In their effort to get in they are again defeated, but receive a telegram to be delivered which they read, finding that two French comedians are detained. They dress up as the French actors, and arrive at the studio, where they are greeted with much ceremony, They are talking when the two real French actors arrive. After the confusion and chasing, in which the two manage by many tricks and jumps to elude the pursuers, they find the manager willing to make a contract with them to act in comedies. They accept. Finis.

Dir: J.A. Howe

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.