Hidden Genre Gems for Fans of Racing Romance: Cult Guide

Dir: William Parke

Bruce Wendell, the son of West Virginia coal mine owner James Wendell, graduates from West Point and prepares to lead a fighting unit to the front during World War I. As his father lies dying, however, he convinces Bruce to remain at home and guard the mine. Bruce's fiancée Ann Blair assumes that he is a coward and breaks off their engagement, but her brother Bobbie remains Bruce's loyal friend. Meyer, a German agent, persuades railroad president Parrish to refuse to transport Wendell's coal, but when Bruce adamantly refuses to close the mine, the spy's men decide to blow it up. While Ann is being abducted by Meyer, Bobbie is buried in an explosion at the mine. Bruce rescues Bobbie and then sends a plea to Lieutenant Parrish to rescue Ann. Meyer and his gang are captured and Ann renews her vow of love to Bruce.

Dir: Wilfred Lucas

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

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: Fred J. Balshofer

Multimillionaire Billy Van Dyke, pursued by fortune-hunting women, longs to meet someone who will love him for himself alone. When social climber Mrs. Pugfeather moves to town with her daughter Celia and penniless ward Beatrice, she begins a campaign to marry her shallow daughter to the millionaire. Beatrice is sent to town to hire a chauffeur and when Billy sees her, he immediately falls in love. Donning his chauffeur's uniform, Billy applies for the position and is hired. Beatrice falls in love with him, too, and later, when Billy quits over the Pugfeathers' mistreatment of Beatrice, the girl offers him her meager savings. Realizing that he has finally found a girl who loves him for himself, Billy proposes. Returning home to hear Celia accusing her parents of sheltering a pauper, Beatrice resolves to run away. As she is about to leave, Mr. Pugfeather informs her that she has inherited a fortune from her father. When, after her marriage, Billy informs Beatrice that he is also a multimillionaire, the last laugh is on Mrs. Pugfeather and Celia when they pay a visit to Mr. Van Dyke and discover their former chauffeur and his new bride.

Dir: Fred J. Balshofer

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

When Richard Hudson receives a pair of silk pajamas from a friend in China, he is unaware that they are bewitched and that whoever wears them will be transformed into someone else. Richard puts them on and is transformed into a fierce Chinese warrior, causing his butler Jenkins to quit drinking. The next night, Richard's close friend Jack Billings sends his brother Francis to spend the night, and upon donning the pajamas, Francis becomes Jack's sweetheart, Frances Kirkland, giving Richard a series of shocks. Next, Jack becomes a victim of the pajamas, is locked up as a burglar, and is given a black eye by his own father for "impersonating his son." Complications pile up until Colonel Kirkland, the friend who sent the pajamas, arrives from China and clears up the mystery.

Dir: Fred J. Balshofer

"Broadway Bill" Clayton, a New York playboy and heavy drinker, takes a job at the Maine lumber camp of John Underwood hoping to reform himself and regain the affections of Muriel Latham. Foreman Buck Hardigan, who has been stealing and selling Underwood's maple syrup, suspects that Bill has been sent as a spy and decides to get rid of him. Bill survives several plots on his life and finally defeats Buck in a fight and is elected foreman. His struggle with alcohol is nearly won, but when he reads a newspaper item erroneously stating that Muriel is engaged to another, he decides to drink again. Muriel visits the camp with Underwood, and everything is cleared up after Bill rescues her brother Jack in a snow storm.

Dir: Fred J. Balshofer

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

Dorothy Cruickshank is secretly in love with Captain Westwood, whom her parents have never seen, and they plan to elope. Her father, an old sea captain, has quarreled with a Professor Jogram, following a public denunciation of a book Jogram has written on navigation. Professor Jogram lives with Sir Jasper Thorndyke, who sympathizes with him about the criticism but secretly considers the matter lightly. Dorothy and Captain Westwood elope during a storm, but their chaise is overturned near the home of Sir Jasper, where they apply for shelter and are taken in. Dorothy's parents pursue her, but they, too, meet with an accident and bring up at Sir Jasper's home. Dorothy and Captain Westwood are in their rooms when the girl's parents arrive. Sir Jasper and Cruickshank sit up late, Cruickshank drinking heavily, and his host, learning who he is, as a joke, puts him to bed with Professor Jogram. The next morning Dorothy arises early, and while gathering flowers in the garden, encounters Sir Jasper. Sir Jasper falls in love with her, and gives her a bunch of rosemary which she pins to her gown. At breakfast all are present, save Dorothy, and Sir Jasper takes this opportunity to gain her parents' consent to her marriage with Captain Westwood. A journey to London with a happy wedding is planned. At an inn in London Dorothy goes to the stable to give some sugar to Sir Jasper's favorite mare. The stable catches fire and Dorothy is trapped in the loft. Sir Jasper, who has been showing her much attention, rushes through the flames and rescues her. He is badly burned, and during the days that follow Dorothy insists on attending him. One day Westwood demands to see a page Dorothy has just written in her diary. She refuses, tears out the page and gives it to Sir Jasper. It is an artless confession of her high regard for Sir Jasper and he is elated. He is on the point of confessing his love for her when Professor Jogram stops him. Jogram tells him he is about to ruin the lives of two people he had never seen until a few days before. Realizing the truth of this Sir Jasper places the diary page in a broken panel in the wall, buys the inn and goes away to leave the lovers in happiness. Many years later, while Dorothy and Westwood are happy with their family, Sir Jasper makes a pilgrimage to the inn. He finds the page, together with the rosemary, and muses over them as he remembers Dorothy's little speech when she gave it to him. "Rosemary, that's for remembrance."

Dir: Fred J. Balshofer

On a treasure hunt in the tropics, adventurer Mortimer Gregg discovers beautiful Horse Island, and upon his return to New York, forms a partnership with Christopher Beaumont, allegedly to develop the island's resources. Just before his death, however, Gregg reveals to his assistant manager, David Smith, that the Tropical Products Company was formed for the sole purpose of swindling the stockholders. A highly principled man who believes in the island's potential, David refuses to tamper with the company's financial reports, which so angers Beaumont that he visits Horse Island to deliver David an ultimatum. When the young man learns that he is about to be fired for his persistent honesty, he refuses to allow Beaumont and his daughter Christabel to leave the island. Caught in a tropical storm one afternoon, David and Christabel take refuge in a cave, where they fall in love and, incidentally, uncover a store of pirates' gold. After the Beaumonts have departed for New York, David invests the treasure in Tropical Products stock under Christabel's name, whereupon old Beaumont, finally beaten, agrees to run the company honestly as the partner of his future son-in-law.

Dir: Edgar Jones

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Broadway Bill 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: Fred J. Balshofer

Greek Conniston, after living a life of ease and comfort, is forced by his millionaire father to get a job and earn his own living. While traveling West with his friend Roger Hapgood, Greek meets Argyl Crawford and, entranced by the girl, takes a job on her father's ranch. Greek's defeat of Brayley, the bully of the ranch, gains him the respect of the men. Crawford is about to erect a dam, an enterprise which will reclaim all of the land in the region, and Greek is given the chance to assist the foreman, Bat Truxton. Hapgood in the meantime works for the opposition which is trying to prevent the dam from being completed. Truxton is bought off and Greek takes over the job. He overcomes all obstacles and continues to work for the benefit of Crawford, even against his own father. As a last effort, the opposition blows up the dam, but Greek continues to work night and day, finishes the dam and wins Argyl's hand in marriage.

Dir: Fred J. Balshofer

The Earl of Gilleigh, whose dyspepsia has been severely aggravated by the news that his ill-tempered wife Sophronia is due to arrive from abroad, is startled by the noise of a burglar and enters the room to find his long-lost brother, Warren Ellis, voraciously helping himself to a meal. Warren accepts the Earl's proposal that the two trade identities, and while he remains in Gilleigh, the Earl retreats to his country estate. After meeting Sophronia, however, Warren quickly follows his brother to the country, where he is entranced by a lovely shepherdess named Rosalind. Sophronia also travels to the estate, and mistaking the lovesick Warren for her husband, believes that she has lost the Earl's love. Through her change of disposition, she regains her husband's affections, while Warren wins Rosalind.