Rare Cinematic Gems Sharing the Atmosphere of The Eyes of the World: Cult Guide

Dir: Donald Crisp

The most popular man in the lumber camp near Quebec is Jean, the cook, whose flapjacks are celebrated for their delectability. Jean's compassionate nature is aroused when a dejected stranger known as Silent Jack comes to the camp. Discovering Jack crying one day, Jean learns that his wife has left him. To reunite the couple, Jean pretends that he too is married and induces Jack to write an affectionate letter from him which he then presents to Mrs. Jack. The ruse reconciles the couple, but distresses Jean's sweetheart Marie when she learns that Jean already has a wife. Jean finally explains everything satisfactorily to Marie, and after the two are married, they leave for the city to open a flapjack palace financed by the grateful Jack.

Dir: Donald Crisp

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

Posing as a nobleman, Allan Harrowby takes out a policy with Lloyd's to insure that his upcoming marriage will occur, Dick Minot, Lloyd's assistant manager in the U. S., travels to San Marcos, Florida to handle anything that threatens to disrupt the wedding. On the train, Dick falls in love with Cynthia Meyrick, then discovers she is Harrowby's bride-to-be, he subdues his feelings. After a blackmailing valet claims to be Harrowby's older brother, the real brother and heir, George Harrowby, arrives and accuses the valet of stealing his yacht. Cynthia's father forbids the marriage until George, who says his children in Chicago would laugh at him if he called himself "Lord," resigns his title in favor of Allan. Cynthia, however, indignant when she learns of the insurance policy, calls off the wedding and spurns Dick for his part in it. Later, Dick once again meets Cynthia on a train, and love blossoms without trouble.

Dir: Donald Crisp

Newspaper publisher Temple Trask, who answers the "Letters to the Lovelorn" column under the nom-de-plume "Mrs. Carfax," becomes the hit of his college reunion when he revives his female impersonation act. Returning home, Temple meets Billy Wise, another college friend, who wagers one hundred dollars that Temple will not go into a restaurant dressed as a woman. He takes the dare, then sees Helen Scott in the restaurant and, although he is a cynic who does not like women because he knows too much about them, he falls in love. When he notices that Adrian Graw, a crook whom Temple knew when he was a cub reporter, is after Helen's fortune, Temple, impersonating Mrs. Carfax, accompanies Helen and her grandmother, Mrs. Keyes, aboard a steamer to protect them. On the voyage, Helen becomes good friends with Mrs. Carfax and falls in love with Temple. After Mrs. Carfax punches Graw during a struggle for Mrs. Keyes bonds, the police arrest Graw and his accomplice, Rena Varsey. Helen, astonished when Temple removes his wig, falls joyfully into his arms.

Dir: Donald Crisp

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

Giuseppe Franchini lives with his little daughter Francesca and pet bear Bruno on the Italian coast. One day, Giuseppe sees a shipwrecked man offshore and swims to his rescue, but in doing so, he is carried out to sea. Upon his return, he finds that his wife has died of shock at the news of his drowning, and the stranger has taken away the little girl. Years later, Giuseppe travels to America with Bruno where they are arrested for invading an apiary on the Vandergrift estate. Giuseppe is befriended by Vandergrift's daughter Adelaide, but Bruno is sent to jail for his crimes. To pay Bruno's fine, Giuseppe takes a job in a roadhouse owned by John Slade. Here, he learns of Slade's plans to smear Adelaide's fiancé, Craig Winton, the reform candidate for mayor. Giuseppe presents proof of Slade's corruption to Adelaide, who turns it over to her father. When Giuseppe meets Vandergrift, he recognizes him as the man he rescued, but, realizing that Adelaide is happy in her life, he leaves town without letting her know that he is her real father.

Dir: Donald Crisp

Mr. Kendall, a wealthy man who had sent his infant son to a home after the death of his mother at birth, decides that it is time for his son to come home. On his carriage ride to the father he has never seen, however, the boy mysteriously disappears. At the same time, a woman deposits a little boy on the cart of Italian junk man Niccolo Darini, and then disappears. Niccolo becomes strongly attached to the waif, and although his neighbors advise him to take the child to the police, he refuses. Kendall posts a reward notice in the paper for the return of his son, and when Niccolo's rival for the hand of the beautiful Nita Lapi reads the notice, he tells the police of Niccolo's ward. Niccolo is forced to give up his little charge, which breaks his heart. However, the Kendall's rightful heir is found when a beggar, run over by a car, confesses on his death bed that the child with him is really the Kendall boy. Niccolo's beloved ward is then returned to him, along with a check from Kendall for $5,000 dollars. Niccolo's happiness is made complete when Nita agrees to marry him.

Dir: Donald Crisp

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

Marcellini, a successful wine dealer, has a sudden heart attack and dies. His will leaves his entire fortune to his only kin, a husband and wife who operate a small farm. Guido, the husband, agrees against his better judgment to move on to the Marcellino estate. Before he knows it he is up to his neck in marriage troubles, people trying to swindle him out of his inheritance and blackmail.

Dir: Donald Crisp

On the estate of Senora Moreno in Southern California, the senora's adopted daughter Ramona lives. She falls in love with Alessandro, an Indian of noble heritage. When her adoptive mother forbids their marriage, Ramona Alessandro elope, only to find bigotry, misfortune, and finally tragedy wherever they turn.

Dir: Donald Crisp

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

A young woman, disheveled and greatly distressed, stops criminologist Marcel Levington on the street and begs him to find a doctor for a man who is dying inside a nearby house of ill repute. Marcel and his friend, Dr. Rogers, enter the house and find the man, a prominent lawyer, dead, his heart pierced by a hatpin that the doctor recognizes as the one he recently gave his daughter Toinette. Rogers announces that the man has died of heart failure, returns home and demands an explanation from his daughter, who explains that she was lured into the house and attacked by the man. Realizing that Toinette killed the lawyer to defend her honor, Rogers and Marcel agree to protect her. Marcel retrieves Toinette's pocketbook from the proprietor of the house, Mrs. Clifton, who had planned to blackmail the girl, and then returns to Toinette, with whom he has fallen in love.

Dir: Donald Crisp

Chuck McCarthy, an intrepid young ironworker, longs to become an actor, despite the protests of his girl, Molly O'Connors, and his family. In dashing up the frame of a building to catch actress Bijou Lamour's runaway pet monkey, he attracts the attention of the studio managers, who make him a stuntman. For a time Charles is happy executing life-risking feats and strutting around in new clothes, although the company laughs at him behind his back. When leading man Marmaduke X. Caruthers refuses to perform a particularly dangerous stunt in a war film, Chuck doubles for him and is seriously injured. The studio manager, who recognizes in the incident an opportunity to promote his star, quickly wraps Marmaduke in bandages and sends him to the hospital, while Chuck is secretly removed through the back door. The next day, the Filmcraft Company sends Chuck a check for $1,000 to keep quiet about the accident. He and Molly use the money on their honeymoon to Niagara Falls.

Dir: Donald Crisp

Jules Lemaire, a happy-go-lucky French-Canadian lumberman, arrives at the Nemo lumber camp carrying a baby. His love for the child wins him the respect of Joy Farnsworth, the daughter of the camp's foreman, but this arouses the jealousy of Big Jim Burgess, the camp bully. Burgess incites the men to strike when the delivery of their paychecks is delayed because of a storm, whereupon Jules offers to cross the river and retrieve the payroll. Burgess volunteers to accompany Jules, but after their departure, he ties the lumberman up and attempts to torture him into giving up the order of delivery for the money. In the meantime, a stranger appears at the camp and tells Joy that Jules had been caring for his child while he was in England. Joy and the stranger rescue Jules and turn Burgess over to the foreman, after which Joy proposes to the French-Canadian.