Underground Favorites Mirroring the Impact of The Dodgers: Cult Guide

Dir: Eddie Lyons

Mr. Ups likes the gay life and Mr. Downs is a "stay-at-home." One night when Ups is out sporting and Downs is home in bed, Ups arrives at the entrance of the apartment house at the same time with Downs' wife. Ups' wife, who is at home, hears the cat ransacking the milk cans in the kitchen and thinks a burglar is in the house. Then Mr. Ups and Mrs. Downs arrive and the chase starts. Up and down the dumbwaiter goes Downs and Mrs. Ups, looking for the burglar, one in his bathrobe the other in her pajamas. The mystery is solved and the two couples become the best of friends.

Dir: Eddie Lyons

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

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Eddie Lyons

The troubles of two quarreling couples, the Blacks and the Whites. They get divorces, and Mr. Black weds Mrs. White and Mr. White weds Mrs. Black.

Dir: Eddie Lyons

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Mum's the Word perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

John Smith learns in order to inherit two million dollars from his wealthy aunt, he divorce his wife Lucille, a former vaudeville performer. In order to qualify for his inheritance, John devises the idea of divorcing his wife and then remarrying her. To establish grounds for the divorce, John registers at a hotel with Fannie, the janitor's wife. Their neighbors in the adjoining room are Britton Hughes and his bride Peggy, who are being pursued by the bride's father. The arrival of Fannie's husband precipitates a panic in the two apartments, during which time, John and Peggy are thrown together. At that moment, Lucille arrives and believes that John is guilty of a real affair. Several complications arise until John's aunt appears and tells her nephew that the will was all a test of his love for Lucille, and when the runaway bride and groom are forgiven, all ends happily.

Dir: Eddie Lyons

Lee is a tailor's apprentice who follows his customer, Eddie, to a social affair. Lee measures up the guests for new clothes. Both he and Eddie lose their trousers and do some tall dodging about among the guests as a result.

Dir: Eddie Lyons

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

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Eddie Lyons

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Eddie Lyons

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

Eddie has a wife and baby. Lee plays his well known role of janitor, who finds himself with the baby, a dog and a parrot on his hands, after a mix-up in the apartment house, but eventually gets them in the hands of their proper owners.

Dir: Eddie Lyons

Eddie and his bride manage to escape the hazing of the wedding guests, but is later caught by Lee, the hick detective, who has received a fake wire offering $1,000 reward for Eddie's capture as a dangerous criminal. He locates Eddie on the trail and handcuffs himself to him. Lee releases Eddie so the latter can wire his friends, and the bridegroom misses his train. He hurries by taxi to the jail, where Lee has taken the bride in lieu of Eddie. Eddie and his bride are locked up together, but are later released upon receipt of an explanatory telegram from their practical joking friends.

Dir: Eddie Lyons

Eddie is about to be married, and while he is facing the altar with his prospective bride, Charlotte, Lee, the rejected suitor, bursts into a fit of weeping. He is ejected, but returns and time and time again attempts to break up the ceremony so that he can make the girl his wife. After being tossed out for attempting in different ways to put an end to the wedding, Eddie, Lee, Charlotte and the preacher are escorted to jail. Lee has to look on while the matrimonial knot is tied.