Hidden Genre Gems for Fans of Shadows of Her Pest: Cult Guide

Dir: Henry Lehrman

Gale gets into movies and plays the hero in a Western melodrama in which Patricia and Rosemary rival each other to be his leading lady. There are some good comedy touches as Nate, the fighter's manager, suddenly becomes a dude. The number ends with a thrilling prize fight in which Gale is the winner, thus insuring his popularity in the film he has made.

Dir: Henry Lehrman

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

A barge fight between Gale and the heavyweight, Red Mack, is broken up by the police.

Dir: Henry Lehrman

A beautiful day in Spring, and Miss May Time is beholding strange sights. Along comes gay young Billie Paste, son of a wealthy bill poster, and much stuck on himself, to meet his love, May Time. While. they are talking, an emigration of fleas from May's pet poodle, "Shimmie," causes a hasty retirement into the shrubbery, and a hurried disrobing by May, to rid herself of the offenders. And then- horrors. May turns to find her clothes gone, and in their stead the raiment of a man. Thus clothed she experiences many troubles and annoyances at the hands of a Mysterious Stranger, who is imbued with the spirit of Spring - until he is dragged into the lake in the nick of time by an obliging swan. Meanwhile, the wealthy bill poster has treacherously pasted Shimmie behind the Oriental dancer's poster, with the result that La Belle Fatima executed some remarkably Oriental movements on the billboard, shocking the passing populace, whenever "Shimmie" moves about. And then, in the midst of her troubles, Miss May Time wakes up - it was all a dream and Billy Paste proves to be none other than Montague Moon, May's own, wide awake sweetheart, while the wealthy bill poster turns out to be the hall boy in May's home, who keeps the guests in good spirits, with a hose full of hootch. Unable to use the family bath tub, because one of the lady house guests had taken up a permanent abode therein, much to the joy of the hall boy, who seems to have entree every where, May finally appeals to dear Montague, and he builds her a Russian bath on the floor above. Thither stealthily creeps the hall boy and the Mysterious Stranger, bent on beating May to it with a cooling plunge. But curses, the first dive proves the water to be glass. Troubles are but beginning for the hall boy and his mysterious friend. A quiet sleep is rudely interrupted by a nice warm fire in the middle of the bed, which greatly disturbs their dreams. In a panic, all rush for the fire extinguishers, and then the evils of bootlegging become apparent. The extinguishers are filled with inflammable hootch. Up to the roof they dash for help, but alas. The hall boy finds him self being borne swiftly to the edge of the roof on the stream of a fire hose, while the unlucky Stranger has mounted a ladder which is toppling precariously over into the canyon of the street. With the building burning around them, all appears to be lost.

Dir: Henry Lehrman

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

The action of the comedy concerns the arrival of Mrs. Newlywed's large and strong-minded family on "a short visit of five or six months." Besides the threats of his pugnacious father-in-law and the destructive habits of his i nephews, Mr. Newlywed's miseries are still further increased by an uninvited cousin, a vaudeville performer, who brings a performing seal with him in a portmanteau. A disappearing bed, which can be pushed out of sight into a rubbish shed, figures prominently in the plot, which terminates in a wild comic mix-up.

Dir: Henry Lehrman

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Henry Lehrman

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

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Henry Lehrman

The servant girl of a wealthy young man helps him fend off criminals who are trying to steal his property.

Dir: Henry Lehrman

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

Richard Boyd, a wealthy idler who has inherited the Boyd Shipping Company, decides to prove himself to his fiancée, Pauline. A fleet of ships on which the company has an option is coveted by Oriental merchant-tycoon J. Young. Aided by Andrew Dunn, general manager of the Boyd concern, Young has Boyd and Pauline shanghaied; and Sam, his Negro valet, follows. Following a spectacular shipwreck, the couple are rescued; there is a race between a hydroplane and a motorboat; but after a series of exploits in Young's stronghold, Richard, aided by Sam, gets the ships and the girl.

Dir: Henry Lehrman

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Henry Lehrman

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.