Underground Favorites Mirroring the Impact of Man Hunt: Cult Guide

Dir: Charles Raymond

A magician helps outwit a Chinaman's gang.

Dir: Karl Mueller-Hagens

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Die Banditen von Asnières perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Unknown Director

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Unknown Director

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

The story is that of two clever crooks who are operating at a fashionable seaside resort, with the help of a highly trained and uncannily intelligent chimpanzee. Valuable jewels are constantly disappearing and the detectives are unable to obtain a clue. Finally, after an especially daring robbery, a clue is found that leads to the discovery of the thieves. The simian leads the detectives a chase that calls for some acrobatic stunts on the part of the chasers. The end of this is the capture of the chimpanzee, recovery of the jewels and the arrest of the crooks.

Dir: Harry L. Franklin

Audacious Jeanne works in a book bindery, is given a diary written by one Thomas Dodd to bind. The diary portrays Dodd as a scoundrel who fathered a girl by a woman he never married, and Dodd's family as a nest of vipers. Jeanne decides it is her duty to save this corrupt family and presents herself to Dodd as his illegitimate daughter. In fact, Dodd is a meek old man whose scandalous diary was pure fantasy, and the only hostile member of the family is Dodd's greedy brother Jerry, who was the only sympathetic character in Dodd's diary. Jeanne falls in love with Dodd's nephew Kent, though she dutifully urges him to marry Hazel Jenkins, a woman whom Jeanne believes Kent has wronged. Finally Sarah Ross, the alleged mother of Dodd's child, ends Jeanne's suspicions by denying that she had ever had a daughter. After foiling Jerry's plan to usurp the family fortune, Jeanne confesses her charade and accepts Kent's love. Dodd likewise admits that his diary is a fake and proposes to Sarah.

Dir: Tom Collins

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

Tex clears an innocent man who has been found guilty of murdering a man who was molesting his sweetheart. One of the 'Tex' detective series.

Dir: David Wall

John Bromley Jr., an inveterate gambler, becomes so overwhelmed with debt that he is forced to steal from his wealthy father's safe. The night of the robbery he breaks into his father's house with Harvey Knowles, the gambler to whom he is indebted. The next morning, Bromley Sr. is found murdered and Tex, a noted criminologist, is brought in to solve the crime. At first, John Jr. is accused, then the guilt shifts to Bromley's other son Bruce, who had just been fired by his father. Also under suspicion is Frances Belmore, a woman of ill repute who had attempted to ensnare Bromley. Finally, all three are cleared when Tex discovers that the butler did it while attempting to abscond with the contents of the safe.

Dir: Maurice Tourneur

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

A thief known as The Hawk has stolen the treasured Garter from the British Museum. One of the men pursuing the thief is mistakenly thought to be The Hawk himself, and so must seek his quarry while himself being hunted.

Dir: Frank Lloyd

Laura Bruce is married to John Bruce, police commissioner. She discovers her husband is enjoying a drunken revel with another woman, and vows she will obtain a divorce. After doing so she weds Paul Ramsey. His employer, Dick Turner, a libertine, offers his a responsible position in the west, and she faces a long separation. Ramsey later learns that Turner is interested in his wife and engages a man to protect her, who happens to be her former husband. She finds this out, but does not know he is bent on vengeance. She is inveigled to go to Turner's apartment, where she meets Turner's former "flame." One of them leaves the apartment which is "Room 13." Returning from the West, Ramsey is taken to an adjoining room by Bruce, and listens to a conversation in "Room 13" between a man and a woman. He is convinced it is his wife's voice. Maddened he rushes to the room and batters down the door. He confronts Turner and shoots him. At the trial Ramsey will go free if his wife confesses she was in the room She does and he is acquitted. A reconciliation follows. - Moving Picture World 1920

Dir: Tom Collins

Tex, a famous detective, recounts the story of how he went into the crime business: While visiting his old friend, Jack Nelson, a dispute breaks out between Nelson and his butler. Later that night, Nelson is murdered, and the next morning the murder weapon, a knife, is discovered next to the body. Edna, the victim's wife, seizes the knife, and Tex, fearing that she is about to kill herself, throws the weapon out the window. Interpreting Tex's actions as incriminating, the police arrest him, and he is sentenced to prison. Two years later, a fire breaks out at the penitentiary, and Tex's bravery in saving the warden's wife and child wins him a pardon. Determining to solve Nelson's murder, Tex searches for the butler but discovers him to be innocent. Summoned to Edna's deathbed, Tex hears her confess to the crime, thus causing him to devote his life to solving crimes and saving innocents from being convicted on circumstantial evidence.