Rare Cinematic Gems Sharing the Atmosphere of Shore Leave: Cult Guide

Dir: Reggie Morris

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: John S. Robertson

While traveling to meet her sweetheart, Richard Carr, in the capital of the Grand Duchy of Bonaluria, Peggy Dare's train compartment door is thrust open and a little boy is thrown at her feet. Peggy is so taken with the child, who tells her that his name is Manouche, that she looks after him. She foils an attempt to kill Manouche, before arriving in Bonaluria where she learns from Richard that the boy is really the Grand Duke. Peggy and Manouche are then separated as Peggy goes to live with Richard's mother and the boy returns to court. However, the power hungry Prince Henri, who is madly in love with Peggy, abducts the little duke and holds him ransom for Peggy's affections. For the sake of the child, Peggy agrees to go away with the prince and accompanies him to the castle. Carr, believing that Peggy has betrayed him, follows and is imprisoned by the prince. They are all rescued when the Royal Guards, summoned by Peggy, arrive and arrest the prince. Carr then apologizes to Peggy for his suspicions, and together they sail for America.

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

Dir: Maurice Campbell

Carver Endicott, a young sophisticate, is rejected by his fiancée for being too foppish and dull. When she feigns an interest in his father, Carver attempts to disgrace his family name by working as a farmhand and later as a busboy in a hotel. However, the newspapers only praise him for his self-sacrificing principles; and finding that he cannot bring shame to the family through menial labor, he takes up with a notorious actress. But when this maneuver also fails, he returns to his former fiancée, who has no further complaint about his being an inexperienced dullard.

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.

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

Dir: John S. Robertson

The eldest daughter of a poor preacher, Penelope Penn leaves her country home to seek her fortune in the big city. Taking a room in a boarding-house at 39 East, Penelope futilely searches for work as an actress until she secretly accepts a minor part in the chorus. Napoleon Gibbs, Jr., Penelope's fellow boarder, defends her good name against the criticism of other boarders who are scandalized by the girl's late hours. Penelope, having understudied the leading lady of the show, finally gets an opportunity to fill her role and scores a complete triumph. Napoleon, eager to congratulate her, waits backstage where he sees the stage manager escorting his new star home. When she arrives back at the boarding-house, Penelope explains to the crestfallen Napoleon that she has no interest in her stage manager. Napoleon then seizes upon the opportunity to propose, and is accepted.

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.

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

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.

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 39 East perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: John S. Robertson

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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."