Hidden Genre Gems for Fans of The Antics of Ann: Cult Guide

Dir: Edward Dillon

While vacationing with his father Edward at a Palm Beach hotel, George Welston becomes smitten with Eve Pendleton, the daughter of Edward's business rival Judson. After George prevents Pendleton from getting an option on a deal by racing in his car with his father's $100,000 deposit, Pendleton favors Eve's other suitor, Arthur Trask, whose gentlemanly manner conceals his intent to rob Eve and her wealthy friends. When George sees Trask climb into Eve's window, he follows and is apprehended by a detective, who reluctantly releases George in response to Eve's pleas. Later, Trask binds, gags and robs society belle Marian Trevor. After Trask's dropped cigarette starts a fire, George rescues Marian, who upon reviving, accuses him of theft, arson and abduction. George's father puts up $100,000 needed for an important deal for George's bail, then George chases Trask, who has stolen the $600,000 which Pendleton put up for the same deal. After a fight, George apprehends Trask and races to court before the bail money is forfeited. Pendleton and Welston become partners, while George and Eve marry.

Dir: Edward Dillon

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

Anita Gray is the spoiled daughter of a millionaire. Returning home from a party, her car breaks down and she is picked up by a stranger, who sells her his car for a diamond bracelet. The car has been stolen and the police arrest her, but she escapes and takes refuge on a freighter bound for China. She has no money and has to work her way there. Her father learns of her destination and hires Hamlin to bring her safely home. Meanwhile, she has taken a job as a croupier at the dice table in a casino. Datto recognizes her and kidnaps her for ransom. But Hamlin is looking for her.

Dir: Edward Dillon

Agatha Kent inherits a southern mansion from her maiden aunt, Agatha. When she advertises for boarders, Burton Forbes, who is blind and alone in the world, recalls his visits to Aunt Agatha as a boy and rents a room. Assuming the roles of her aunt and an Irish maid, young Agatha looks after her guest, who is distressed over a broken engagement. His gratitude for her kindness ripens into love, which she reciprocates, unaware that his sight has returned. A lucky turn on the stock market results in the restoration of Burton's fortune, and when his former fiancée asks to resume their engagement, he rejects her for Agatha.

Dir: Edward Dillon

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

A follies girl is courted by the son of an aristocratic family. The presence of this rough and ready showgirl in such sedate surroundings creates amusing situations. She brings with her to the household a sympathetic pet--a goldfish--to which she confides her troubles. When her wealthy suitor is called away on business, she learns of his younger brother, who, though he appears to be absorbed in his books, is more her type. She transforms him into her ideal and alienates the elder brother; her own wit brings about a happy ending in her prospective marriage to the younger brother.

Dir: Edward Dillon

Her education in a French convent school completed, plain Justine Spencer returns to New York. There she is shocked to discover that her mother Dodo is a flamboyant musical comedy actress with many male admirers. Dodo, on the other hand, is dismayed to find Justine priggish and dowdy. One of Dodo's suitors is Billy Ferris, who, in a fit of jealousy, murders her and slays himself. Out of pity, Cosmo Spotiswood, another admirer of Dodo, marries Justine, but soon tires of his platonic marriage and leaves for Europe. Upon his return, Cosmo finds Justine transformed. Under the tutelage of Dodo's maid Loti, she has bobbed her hair and donned fashionable apparel. Thus changed, Justine is surrounded by suitors. Stung by jealousy, Cosmo falls in love with his sophisticated wife.

Dir: Edward Dillon

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

New York police sergeant Jim Dark is determined that his daughter, Jenny, will be shielded from any knowledge of evil. Consequently, she lives in a dream world, imagining herself to be a descendant of Saint Jeanne d'Arc, but has a loyal friend in reporter Pep Mullins. Her school friend, Adele, also raised by overly protective parents, is ejected from her home when she becomes inebriated after spending an evening with a disreputable young man. Later, Jenny falls into the hands of a crooked Frenchman, posing as a wounded veteran, who absconds with $250,000 intended for war orphans. Jim tracks the criminal to a rendezvous with his daughter and rescues her with the aid of Pep, who makes Jenny his wife.

Dir: Edward Dillon

The theft of a sacred diamond band from a Hindu shrine starts the action. Count Kotschkoff, who has stolen the band, soon finds that the Mystic Seer and the Mystic Doer are hot on his trail. To thwart them, he asks the Widow Marrimore to keep the jewels for him. She wears the band as a garter, and at a dance it drops off and is picked up by Alonz Evergreen, a middle-aged actor who still aspires to be the juvenile. He does no work and lives on the daily touches he is able to obtain from his hardworking son. Evergreen, who believes that he's in love with the widow, reads an advertisement for the return of the jewels. He aims to increase his favor with the widow by sending back the band. He has wrapped it up in an affectionate note when his son's fiancée enters the office on her way home from a shopping tour. When she departs she takes all the bundles in sight. Alonzo discovers his loss and goes in mad pursuit. In her home the young woman has decided that her beloved is untrue, and has sent back the diamond band and her engagement ring. A distracted lover soon reaches the house to find his father engaged in a frantic attempt to verify his suspicion that the young woman is wearing a costly garter. The gems regained, Evergreen races to the hotel where the widow lives. The Mystic Seer and the Mystic Doer are on his track, but he eludes them and delivers the band. When the Seer and Doer break in and explain their errand the widow goes to the hiding place, but the jewels are gone. The Count has recovered them. The widow is taken to the shrine and tied, to a stake and threatened with death. The stake is near a cage in which a lion is confined. Slowly the gate is lifted and the lion is about to dart out when Alonzo arrives and releases his adored one. There is a thrilling chase and Leo, the lion, finally stalks the widow to a bath room. There Alonzo rescues her under the nose of the beast, the count is captured and the band recovered.

Dir: Edward Dillon

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

Born on Friday the thirteenth with thirteen letters in his name, Reginald Jones has been plagued with bad luck his entire life. Attempting to escape his jinx, Reginald attends a chauffeur's ball, where, after he helps a girl whose companion is berating her, the girl hits Reginald for interfering. After Reginald loses at matching coins, is sold out in the stock market, and is fleeced of his money in a badger game, he loses his inheritance of $999,998.60 when he gets arrested for fighting, and misses his aunt's funeral. Reginald then boards a schooner and meets millionaire Professor Lattimore and his daughter Helen, supposedly there to look for buried treasure. After falling in love with Helen, Reginald discovers the ship captain's plot to hold Lattimore for ransom. Reginald fights off all the crew members and forces the wireless operator to signal a U. S. Destroyer, which arrives and saves them. Reginald and Helen marry.

Dir: Edward Dillon

His mind unbalanced by much reading about knight errantry and lack of sleep and food, Don Quixote decides to sally forth and right the wrongs of the world. The muddle-minded old idealist takes with him Sancho Panza, his stable man, who from then on vainly tries to dissuade his master from embarking upon all sorts of rash adventures. Notable among them is the episode of the windmills, which the Don thinks are devils, even after he has charged them and been carried around and around and dropped unconscious on the ground. When he recovers, Dorothea tells him of her affair with Don Fernando, which has forced her to leave home to avoid disgrace. He determines first of all to right the young woman's wrong and goes on to an inn, which he imagines is a castle. The maid-of-of-all-work he dubs the fairest lady in all Spain. One night at the inn is enough. The proprietor throws him and his man out the next morning. While riding along the road they meet several prisoners and their guards on the way to the galleys. Without hesitation the Don spurs his ancient steed, Rosinante, among them, and puts the guards to rout. It develops that one of the prisoners is Cardenio, who has been guilty of loving Lucinda against her father's will. Don Quixote offers to intercede in his behalf and together they start back. Cardenio goes ahead and arrives as his beloved is about to become the wife of Don Fernando. Thinking she has been faithless he seeks to end his life with the poison of an adder. The Don, arriving later, invades mansion and halts the wedding just in time. "How about Dorothea?" he asks, and Fernando cowers. Then the Don seeks Cardenio and brings him back to his lady. But Don Fernando is not so easily defeated. With his retainers he kidnaps Lucinda. A pursuit follows and there is much matching of steel when the two parties meet. Don Quixote, who has gone his way, incidentally rescuing Dorothea from a cruel master for whom she has been tending goats, arrives in the midst of the melee. He has become more insane on his favorite subject and every time he comes upon a prostrate form he rushes forward and claims the honor of slaying the villain. As the encounter becomes hotter a blunderbuss is brought into play and the Don is shot in the breast. While he is dragging himself to the inn of the fair Dulcinea, the scoundrel Don Fernando has been attacked by Cardenio. At length the latter is victorious and the body of Fernando crashes into a ravine. Dorothea, who has seen the struggle, goes to it as the others repair to the inn. There is a happy reunion between Lucinda and Cardenio and permission to wed is freely granted. Into this happy group staggers the Don. His faithful Sancho Panza and Dulcinea help him to the stable, discover the hole through his armor and try to staunch the wound. But all efforts fail. To the accompaniment of the merry making above the lovable old character expires in the straw and the devoted pair beside him grieves.

Dir: Edward Dillon

"The Frisky Mrs. Johnson" is a 1920 silent film comedy starring Billie Burke. It was produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed through Paramount Pictures. It is based on a 1903 Broadway stage play by Clyde Fitch. On the stage Burke's part was played by Amelia Bingham. Burke's next-to-last silent film, it is a lost film.