Curated Recommendations Seeking the Same Brilliance as Nobody's Kid...

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: Howard Hickman

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

Rachael marries Clarence Breckenridge, whose daughter Billy is only a few years younger than she. Clarence, an alcoholic, is devoted to Billy, but because both father and daughter are indifferent to Rachael, she finally divorces Clarence to wed her old friend, Dr. Warren Gregory. Soon afterward, Rachael learns to her distress that Warren is no longer the home-loving man she had befriended but a social "high-stepper," much like her first husband. Several years pass, during which Billy elopes with worthless pleasure-seeker Joe Pickering, which leads Clarence to kill himself. Meanwhile, Warren develops an attachment to actress Magsie Clay. Magsie admits to Rachael that she loves Warren, and the young wife agrees to a divorce, but Warren, unwilling to leave Rachael and his children permanently, departs for Europe. When their little son Jim is severely injured, Rachael begs Warren to save him, and through this ordeal the couple's love is renewed.

Dir: Alexander Butler

In Alberta, Canada, a Cornish emigrant unmasks a rustler posing as the girl's "blind" father.

Dir: Reggie Morris

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

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Howard Hickman

Ranch owner Jack Kennedy is in need of some cowhands. Young Betty Craig, a friend of Jack's sister Florence, bets her that she can disguise herself as a man and get a job at the ranch, fooling all the cowboys As "Bob Craig", she gets hired, but although Jack and the cowboys aren't fooled by her "disguise", they decide to have some fun with "Bob" and put her through a series of practical jokes to test "Bob's" mettle. However, things don't turn out quite the way the boys expected--and Betty has an even bigger surprise in store for them.

Dir: Howard Hickman

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

Norma Brisbane has a taste for the finer things in life, but learns after her father's suicide that she is penniless. Resolved to recover her fortune in the easiest manner possible, Norma poses as the wife of her silly but wealthy suitor, Cuthbert Van Zelt, and soon she is invited to a number of lavish social affairs. At one such party, Norma steals the Duke of Duffield's family jewels but replaces them upon learning that they are made of paste. Next, she bets the duke that his jewels are fake and thereby wins a large sum of money. The duke persuades Norma to secure some old love letters from the man who is blackmailing him, Emerson Trent. After accomplishing this task, Norma discovers that Trent is not only the man who ruined her father, but the uncle of the man she loves, Oliver Garrett. Impressed by her courage, Trent promises to make amends, and Norma, her financial worries ended, marries Oliver.

Dir: Wilfred Lucas

Brian O'Farrell (Snowy Baker), is an English 'new chum' who takes a job at an Australian cattle station. He is teased by station hands because of his appearance (including spats and a monocle) but he soon impresses them with his skills at riding and boxing. The station manager, John MacDonald (Wilfred Lucas), takes O'Farrell to Sydney to meet his daughter Edith (Kathleen Key) who is working in the slums. Edith is kidnapped by criminals after witnessing a crime but O'Farrell rescues her. It is later revealed he is the owner of the station.

Dir: Edward LeSaint

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Two-Gun Betty perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

When famous opera singer Elinore Duane undergoes an operation on her throat, she has a series of ether-induced visions. In one, she is transported to ancient Rome where she appears as a much-admired woman in love with Paul, a young heretic, and at odds with Lutor, the high priest. To save her love, she poisons Lutor with her ring. After several other visions which involve variations on this love triangle, Elinore awakens to discover that Lutor is actually her doctor, Sascha Jaccard, and that Paul is the son of a friend who has come to visit the recovering prima donna.

Dir: Howard Hickman

When Marquita Shay, the adopted daughter of Canadian farmer John Grayson, reaches womanhood, Grayson enrolls her in a St. Louis boarding school where she meets and marries Humphrey Wells, the son of a wealthy financier. Treated like a servant by her in-laws, Marquita leaves the Humphrey's home to return to Grayson. She discovers that Grayson has committed suicide after falling victim to a phony stock deal perpetrated by Wells senior. Time passes and Marquita travels to New York where she becomes secretary to Baron Brinker who, with Wells, swindled Grayson. She brings Wells and Brinker to their financial ruin and reunites with her husband who renounces his father.

Dir: Howard Hickman

Bob Lang, the superintendent at the Western mining town of Fracas, convenes a meeting to procure a doctor for the community. After a letter is sent to a leading university, Kitty Kelly, a recent medical school graduate, accepts their offer. When the town learns that a woman doctor is coming, they plan to send her right back, but after they see pretty Kitty, all the miners fill her waiting room with ailments linked to mysterious epidemics. Although Kitty is attracted to Bob, she castigates him for drinking. After he seizes her and threatens to hold her in his arms until she forgives him, Kitty, not displeased, makes Bob promise to stop drinking for ninety days. Jerry Williams, a saloon keeper who lives with Lola, a squaw, and their child, lures Kitty to a secluded shack and assaults her. Lola tells Bob, who rescues Kitty and thrashes Williams. When Williams is found dead the next day, Bob is arrested. After Kitty investigates and gets Lola to confess, Kitty and Bob resume their romance.