The Auteur's Selection In the Shadow of Love and Lather: Cult Guide

Dir: Gilbert Pratt

At a powder mill, the formula for an all-destroying explosive is sought by enemies of the mill owners, and the chase for this provides a riot of fun.

Dir: Gilbert Pratt

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: Gilbert Pratt

Harold and Snub, traveling on a tandem bicycle, encounter wading women in distress, bank robbers, and police who believe them to be the robbers.

Dir: Gilbert Pratt

Honorable Mike O'Flannigan; duke of Dublin, and the Honorable Patrik O'Toole, count of Cork, touring the country, receive an invitation from their friend. Barney, to pay his two nieces a visit while in their town. Finding that her demand for rent meets with no response, the landlady collects her boarders clothes, Monty and Rock, two of the non-paying boarders, finding their clothes gone, steal the suits from two dummies which the second-handed clothes dealer had nought from a thief who had stolen them from the two Irish men, Pat and Mike, Dressed like "Beau Brummels" but without a cent to their name, the two, Monty and Rock, pose as the count and the duke, and call on the two nieces. Invited by the two girls to go to the cafe, the two accept with great willingness, it so happens that the two Irishmen go to the same cafe. Finding the bill, far, far above their expectations, and not being able to pay it, Joe manages to get the money from a "drunk", and is seen by the waiter who takes it from him, Monty seeing what is going on, picks the waiter's pocket, putting a salt cellar in its place. The ''drunk's" dog takes it from Monty's pocket and returns it to his master. Waiter discovering..how he has been fooled, chases them out. Meanwhile, Mike and Pat have discovered the girls, recognize them and go over to them, Monte and Rock return, and there is much comedy in their discovering the real duke and count, Mike and Pat start "some thing". In avoiding the count and duke, Monty and Rock come face to face with the landlady and the second-handed clothes dealer, who have suspended business for pleasure, and in the melee that follows, every one is hitting some one else, Monty manages to creep out, and is taking the girls out to the car to safety, where they meet Rock already in the car. Just as they are about to drive away, Mike and Pat who have "cleaned up" the crowd, come out, and start in pursuit of the car, which speeds away, the four looking out through the window of the hood at Mike and Pat, both angry, vengeful men.

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

Dir: Gilbert Pratt

Rhubarb enters a bullfighting contest and becomes a local and then a national hero in the Madrid arena. Conflict arises when his lover finds out that he is flirting with alluring Filet de Sole before facing the toughest bull of Spain.

Dir: Gilbert Pratt

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: Gilbert Pratt

The story follows the arrival of an immigrant girl, her kidnapping by a band of crooks and her ultimate rescue by her sweetheart, who is forced to deface the station building in order to obtain service from the local police force.

Dir: Gilbert Pratt

Al is a lazy school-boy with an ape, Napoleon, for his room mate and companion. Their home is outfitted with rather novel labor-savings devices. When Al goes to school, he cuts up with the usual school boy stunts with Napoleon to help.

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

Dir: Gilbert Pratt

Two playful young ladies make the acquaintance of two idle sons, who follow them, persistently forcing their way into a dancing academy, much against the dancing master's will. One of them gets a bright idea, and with the help of two pieces of mirror and a long pipe making a periscope, watch the dancing lessons. They are much interested in the dance of the seven veils, when the dancing master spies the periscope. He comes down, scares Monte away, and takes his place beside the unsuspecting Joe. Joe finally evades him, the two again resume their persistently in forcing their way into the place, assuming two suits of armor, being brought to the academy. Queer things follow rapidly on top of one another, winding up with the two running, as the picture fades.

Dir: Gilbert Pratt

The daughter of a member of a duck hunting club is in love with one man, while her father chooses another. Finally the father strives to bring the affair to a proper and just ending by promising his daughter to the one who can bring in the elusive game.