The Auteur's Selection In the Shadow of Lots of Nerve: Cult Guide

Dir: Unknown Director

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Noel M. Smith

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

Introduced in a very novel way, we find the villain wooing the heroine, much against her own and father's will. Trapped and captured by the villain and his confederates, the father is bound and gagged until such time as he give in to the villain's demands. The hero arrives, ignores the villain and becomes a target for his anger. Being forced to drink with the villain, the hero does so, and surprises the villain by spitting explosives. His bluff does not hold good for long, and again the villain and he are at war, Finally, with the aid of a bear, they sign an armistice, and the villain goes to his work of studying figures. Hero unintentionally interferes with this, and the armistice is all off. Finally on the "bull-fight " holiday, a temporary truce is reached, and everything goes well, with the hero and the girl, until the hero is called upon to kill the bull, which he does, to the surprise of the villain, who gives orders that the bomb should be set right way to kill the father. The hero and heroine after a thrilling fight with the villain and his confederates, rush to the father's rescue, The three escape from the shack and take refuge on the hero's sea-craft - while the villains, rushing the shack, arrive inside in time to be blown to pieces with it.

Dir: Lloyd Ingraham

While walking along the street one day, Arthur P. Hampton, an impoverished young doctor, and his chums, Stub Masters and Johnny Stokes, are persuaded to part with their last remaining funds by tag day solicitor Mary Jane Smith, with whom the doctor promptly falls in love. Doc's friends then hit upon a get-rich-quick scheme. Knowing that his Uncle George has promised a large sum of money upon his nephew's marriage, they persuade Doc to send out fake wedding invitations naming Mary Jane as the blushing bride. Uncle George, elated at the good news, writes to Mary Jane's aunt, Angelica Burns, an old sweetheart, to invite Mary Jane and Angelica to be his guests on an ocean voyage. Meanwhile, Mary Jane pays a visit to the doctor's office and, upon seeing the wedding invitations, becomes so flustered that she trips and sprains her ankle. Doc comes to her rescue and then begs her to pose as his wife. She agrees, but at ship-side, Stub and Johnnie confess all to Uncle George, who flies into a rage until Doc announces that he and Mary Jane have chosen a wedding at sea.

Dir: Edgar Jones

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

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

Dir: Noel M. Smith

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Maurice Campbell

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

Carver Endicott, a young sophisticate, is rejected by his fiancée for being too foppish and dull. When she feigns an interest in his father, Carver attempts to disgrace his family name by working as a farmhand and later as a busboy in a hotel. However, the newspapers only praise him for his self-sacrificing principles; and finding that he cannot bring shame to the family through menial labor, he takes up with a notorious actress. But when this maneuver also fails, he returns to his former fiancée, who has no further complaint about his being an inexperienced dullard.

Dir: Noel M. Smith

Jimmy trips through the rain and mud, until he comes upon Dr. Nerve, who is coaxing his "canon hall express", in the form of a two-seater, to move on, Jimmy meets Kellie, the nifty nurse and flirts with her. He is chased from the hospital by Dr. Nerve. Wishing to be near the nurse, he tries to wreck himself, finally enters the hospital through the aid of one of the doctor's tools. Unable to cover the expense of his examination, he is forced to work it out. His novel way of treating the patients, and the final break with the doctor make a very humorous story. In the automobile chase that ensues, the police join in, and the picture fades out on the ambulance carrying Jimmy, after his collision with the other two cars.

Dir: Reggie Morris

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Let Fido Do It perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Vernon Stallings

Krazy Kat is held in jail and Ignatz finally bails him out after encountering "guilt".

Dir: Hal Roach

An American book salesman (Lloyd) is persuaded to go to the kingdom of Thermosa to impersonate the Prince. He is greeted by a peasants' revolt before the real prince shows up to claim his throne and princess. The revolution succeeds, and the American is elected president of the new republic.