The Definitive Watchlist Seeking the Same Brilliance as Sadie Love:...

Dir: John S. Robertson

Phyllis Ashbrook hosts a party in the Adirondacks for her fiancé Roger Mason and their engaged friends, John Manning and Anita Webb. In a climbing expedition, Phyllis and John are separated from the others by a storm and seek refuge in a cabin. To save her reputation, Phyllis' parents insist that she marry John immediately, after which they may obtain a divorce and marry their respective partners. After the ceremony, John leaves for China to provide grounds for divorce, but upon discovering that he has mistakenly taken his new wife's suitcase, he returns to his apartment, where he finds Phyllis. Anita and Roger arrive and confess their devotion to each other, and when John and Phyllis realize that they, too, are in love, the divorce plans are abandoned.

Dir: John S. Robertson

To prove his theory that environment rather than heredity determines a man's character, Dr. Burnell adopts young Richard, the son of an imprisoned crook Morgan. Upon graduating from college, Richard proposes to Virginia Denton, but several days before the wedding, Morgan appears and threatens to reveal himself as Richard's father unless the young man aids him in a number of robberies. Through Robert Hargraves, Dr. Burnell discovers Richard's part in the crimes and starts to believe that his theory is incorrect. When Morgan decides to rob the Denton home, Richard arranges with Dr. Burnell to trap them in the act, but it is Virginia who discovers the two rifling the safe, and she immediately breaks the engagement. After the police arrive, however, Morgan reveals that Richard is actually Dr. Burnell's son, kidnapped by Morgan at an early age. His name cleared, Richard marries Virginia.

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

Dir: John S. Robertson

The people of Thrums ostracize 12-year-old Grizel and her mother, known as The Painted Lady, until newcomer Tommy Sandys, a highly-imaginative boy, comes to the girl's rescue and they become inseparable friends. Six years later Tommy returns from London, where he has achieved success as an author, and finds that Grizel still loves him. In a sentimental gesture he proposes, but she, realizing that he does not love her, rejects him. In London, Tommy is lionized by Lady Pippinworth, and he follows her to Switzerland. Having lost her mother and believing that Tommy needs her, Grizel comes to him but is overcome by grief to see his love for Lady Pippinworth. Remorseful, Tommy returns home, and after his careful nursing Grizel regains her sanity.

Dir: John S. Robertson

After serving a term in prison for a crime he did not commit, a man exacts revenge upon the two people who framed him.

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

Dir: John S. Robertson

When a girl's lover kills her husband she offers herself to her father-in-law in exchange for his freedom.

Dir: John S. Robertson

Dr. Henry Jekyll experiments with scientific means of revealing the hidden, dark side of man and releases a murderer from within himself.

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

Dir: John S. Robertson

Exotic Russian actress Lisa Parsinova tires of her glamorous life on the New York stage and returns, under her actual identity as Lizzie Parsons, to her small New England hometown. But she is pursued by a young man who is in love with the famed Russian alter ego.

Dir: John S. Robertson

During World War I, Washington, D.C. society girl Nancy Craddock decides to enlist in the Food Administration on the theory that "eggs will win the war."

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

Dir: John S. Robertson

Author Hilary Farrington and his wife Eloise have been married about a year, and although Hilary loves his wife, he has become engrossed in his writing and doesn't realize how lonely his wife has become. Eloise starts spending time in the company of Darrell McKnight, who neglects his own fiancée, Nora Gail. Eloise promises to go west with Darrell if her husband doesn't take her to his bungalow, where he is beginning his new book. Darrell tells Nora that he loves someone else. Nora decides to team up with Hilary to prevent a scandal. When Hilary leaves for his bungalow without asking Eloise to accompany him, she phones Darrell and tells him she will be ready to elope with him in half an hour. While Darrell waits outside the Farrington house, Hilary returns, having forgotten something. Eloise is dressing and does not hear Hilary enter the house. While he is looking for the forgotten item, Nora arrives and tells Hilary the whole story. They agree to work together to make Eloise and Darrell sick of each other. Hilary goes to Eloise's room and feigns surprise when he sees her preparing to leave. Darrell enters the house, and he and Eloise are taken aback when Hilary suggests the pair use his bungalow for their "honeymoon." When the two protest, Hilary convinces them to go by pulling out a gun. Darrell and Eloise encounter another surprise at the bungalow. The chauffeur reports that the car is out of gas, so all three principals have to stay in the bungalow. After a meal in which Hilary keeps reminding Eloise of their own honeymoon, Hilary says he will try to get gas for the car. Just as he is leaving, Nora appears, pretending she is lost and her car has broken down. Now Darrell believes that Hilary and Nora have planned an elopement of their own. Eloise become jealous, and everyone goes off to their rooms except for Hilary, who remains downstairs in the dark. Eloise calls her uncle, who is a Bishop, tells him everything that has happened, and begs him to come to the bungalow to help her get rid of Nora and Darrell. After a series of misadventures during the night, Eloise awakens first, finds Hilary's car, and discovers it has plenty of gas. She drives off and meets the Bishop at the train station. Back at the bungalow, Nora and Darrell have made up and decide to get married as soon as possible. Eloise and the Bishop arrive, and Nora and Darrell get married on the spot. Eloise and Hilary send everyone off in the car, then settle it for their own "second honeymoon."

Dir: John S. Robertson

Barnabetta Dreary's grim life of slaving for her Amish father Barnaby and her two brothers, is surprisingly changed when Barnaby marries Juliet Miller. Known as Erstwhile Susan, she becomes fond of Barnabetta, and because she retains control of her fortune, induces the other Drearys to relieve Barnabetta of some of her drudgery. After Barnaby has a stroke brought on when Susan proposes sending Barnabetta to school, she goes to a prep school where the president, Doctor Barrett, and a trustee, State Senator Jordan, both fall for her newly acquired charm, to the dismay of Jordan's sister who loves Barrett. When the sister interferes with Barnabetta's plan to work in the school after graduation, Barnabetta helps Jordan win his campaign for governor, and after exposing him to her family's crude table manners, Barnabetta accepts Jordan's marriage proposal, while Susan succeeds in reforming Barnaby and his sons.