Masterpiece Selection that Capture the Essence of The Dub: Cult Guide

Dir: James Cruze

A young man infiltrates the underworld by pretending to be a convicted burglar. While undercover, he meets a young woman who turns out to be no more a part of gangland than he, but with similar reasons for disguising herself.

Dir: James Cruze

Reckless heir of an influential San Francisco family, Perry Danton must prove his worth by taking a job with the family lawyer before he is entrusted with the Danton fortune. When Perry's fiancée Camilla mistakes criminal Slim Attucks for Perry, Attucks realizes that he can take advantage of the resemblance and concocts an elaborate plan, installing his cohorts in positions close to the Dantons. He then has Perry shanghaied onto a steamer bound for Honolulu. Taking over Perry's job and fiancée, Attucks soon becomes so familiar with Perry's affairs that Perry can make no one believe his story when he returns. After enlisting the aid of the editor of a major newspaper, Perry confronts his double in the lawyer's office, where a test is administered that supports Attucks' claim, thanks to Perry's feeble knowledge of his own affairs. Perry is spotted by a banker whom Attucks had previously robbed and is subsequently arrested, but a reporter who believes Perry's story arranges for his release and for yet another confrontation, this time in Perry's home. All the evidence points against Perry until his dog recognizes his true master, exposing Attucks' charade. Camilla tells Perry that she has known of the deception for some time, but that she would not speak up until Perry had proved true to the Danton motto: "Always Audacious."

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

Dir: James Cruze

Well to do laundryman Franklin Pinney finds himself uninvited to a party his yacht club is throwing for a visiting Prince. However he does meet him , hiding from a band of anarchists who have mistakenly bagged another man in his place. To help his sweetheart's secret service father, Pinney and the Prince help capture the bad guys.

Dir: James Cruze

When Captain Dieppe, an American agent of French descent, refuses to divulge confidential information he gathered for a small Italian principality until they pay him, he is pursued by secret service agent Guilamo Sevier to Fieramondi in Northern Italy. Dieppe agrees to help the lonely Count Fieramondi convince his wife to return from her isolated wing of their castle. The countess, after convincing her cousin Lucia to take her place in the castle, goes to Rome to raise money to pay Paul Sharpe, who is blackmailing her because of her gambling debts. Dieppe falls in love with Lucia, whom he thinks is the countess, and after he fights Sharpe and steals the evidence of the debts, he sacrifices his own love by preparing a reconciliation between the count and the countess. After Dieppe obtains his money from Sevier, the real identities are revealed. Finally the count and countess are reunited, while Dieppe and Lucia maintain their romance.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Dollar-a-Year Man perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: James Cruze

Railroad magnate Gordon Rogers agrees to allow his daughter, Helen, to marry wealthy idler Billy Deering, Jr., but only if the latter can hold the same job for one month. Billy is hired for an array of jobs, including office clerk and xylophone player, but always quits just before being fired. He then finds work in a restaurant where he is required to dress as a knight in armor and pose as a statue. On one occasion, Gordon, Helen, and Billy's romantic rival, Tom, enter the restaurant, and Billy is nearly fired when Helen recognizes him. Meanwhile, Gordon plans to merge one of his railroads with a company that is in a dispute with Tom's uncle, an unprincipled financier. Acting on the promise of a generous cash reward, Tom is determined to steal documents relating to the merger. Billy manages to stay at his job for thirty days, and in the process, exposes Tom's scheme, winning Gordon's consent to marry Helen.

Dir: James Cruze

Young Jack Wright offers his hand in marriage to the winner of a lottery, but after committing to the winner falls in love with another woman.

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

Dir: James Cruze

Heeding the pleas of Bobbie Brown, Jimmie Jones packs his trunk full of liquor to present to his desperate friend and hops on a train. Upon his arrival, Jones discovers that his cargo has been purloined in transit, and while attempting to replenish his supplies by bargaining with the local bootlegger, is detected by the local sheriff. To escape arrest, Jones impersonates reformer Anthony Goodley but his ruse takes him out of the frying pan and places him in the fire when some troublemakers decide to disrupt his lecture on the evils of tobacco. Matters are further complicated when Goodley's old maid fiancée begins to focus her attentions on the disguised Jones. After several harrowing brushes with the crowd, Jones escapes with his fiancée, Cissy Smith, leaving the real Goodley behind to face the music.

Dir: James Cruze

An inventor travels to the South Seas, where there is buried treasure belonging to a girl. The girl's father is being held captive by cannibals until she returns a pearl that belongs to one of their idols.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of You're Fired perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: James Cruze

Young scientist Anthony Osgood is engaged to Persis Meade, who has postponed their marriage several times after becoming interested in an overseas hero through Red Cross correspondence. Meanwhile, gambler Lorenzo Pascal stumbles upon the hero's suitcase and goes to Persis' home impersonating him. When Anthony calls and finds his fiancée in another man's arms, Persis explains that he lacks pep. This sends him to dancer Jeanette Adair for help in making him over. Under Jeanette's tutelage, Anthony embarks upon a career of jazz parties and succeeds in changing his image. Discovering that her hero is a fraud, Persis tries to go back to Anthony but she is too late, for he has fallen in love with Jeanette.

Dir: James Cruze

About a boob who put his town on the map by selling fake oil stock. For Gus didn't know an oil well from an oil stove, so the two crooks had easy pickings. Until the well started to spout.