The Definitive Watchlist Seeking the Same Brilliance as The Fightin...

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.

Dir: John S. Robertson

A young man with little means wants to marry a rich girl, and thinks up a scheme to get rich.

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

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.

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.

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

Dir: John S. Robertson

During World War I, Washington, D.C. society girl Nancy Craddock decides to enlist in the Food Administration on the theory that "eggs will win the war."

Dir: John S. Robertson

A boy called "Mascot," presumably the son of smuggler Captain Stark, is raised by Mr. Deane, the British military governor of Kingston after the boy's ship is captured. Years later in London, Mascot, now known as Stanley Deane, is the lawyer for the radical organization of mill employees called "The Well." Stanley falls in love with mill owner Amos Buckingham's daughter Alice, whom he knew when they were children. But Buckingham hates Stanley for his aid to the workmen and turns Alice against him by telling of his mysterious parentage. The workmen plan to blow up the Buckingham mansion and kill its master who, unknown to anyone, has disguised himself and gained admittance to The Well to study the real condition of the men. Stanley saves Alice, but after the explosion, a charred body supposed to be that of Buckingham is found and Stanley and all in The Well are arrested for murder. When Buckingham, still in disguise as a member of The Well is convicted, he discloses that the explosion was accidental and that the body was one he had used in his experiments. After Buckingham takes the blame for the bitterness of his workmen, everyone is acquitted. Stanley then discovers that his father is really a Boston banker and, freed of the aspersions cast upon his name, is welcomed by Buckingham as his son-in-law.

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

During World War I, beautiful and patriotic Leslie Selden is courted by two ardent admirers: Jack Wynn, a young man not yet taken by the draft, and Dr. Wolff, a Danish scientist who is actually a German agent. When Jack learns that Wolff is masterminding a plot to bomb several munitions factories and destroy the water system in New York City, he goes to the spy's home and confronts him. Wolff locks him up, then forges a note to Leslie claiming that the young man has run away to escape the draft. Her suspicions aroused, Leslie alerts the authorities and plants a dictograph in Wolff's house, through which she learns of the scheduled bombings. Accompanied by the police, she arrives at Wolff's residence just in time to prevent Jack's murder and the destruction of the city.

Dir: John S. Robertson

After serving a term in prison for a crime he did not commit, a man exacts revenge upon the two people who framed him.

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

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.

Dir: John S. Robertson

Gossip spreads quickly throughout a small New England village when Betty Taradine extravagantly entertains wounded Colonel Preedy, billeted at her home. After a bank official suggests that Betty, deeply in debt, raise money on the life insurance policy of her husband, who left years earlier because of her extravagances, Betty sends herself a telegram announcing her husband's death. Preedy's aide, Captain Peter Rymill, in reality Betty's husband, arrives, and falling in love with her again, agrees to keep his identity secret. Although Betty flirts with Preedy to irritate Peter, Preedy really loves Betty's friend, Penelope Moon. One night, Preedy sneaks into Betty's bedroom to steal Penelope's picture, and hides in the closet when Peter enters seeking reconciliation. Peter then hides under the bed when Reverend Ambrose Liptrott, who loves Betty, and his spinster sister Tabitha, arrive to investigate rumors. After Peter and Preedy explain themselves, Preedy confesses his love to Penelope, and Peter and Betty are reunited.