Essential Cult Cinema Drawn from the Same DNA as The Good Ship Rock 'n' Rye: Cult Guide

Dir: Fred Hibbard

A burglar constantly gets the "papers" when he is after the pearls, and a spy endlessly gets the pearls while he is after the "papers," and the jealous husband of a flighty wife lives in what he calls a "house full of lovers," consisting of the spy, the burglar, and some detectives, all in hiding, all trying to avoid him and one another.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of African Lions and American Beauties perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

In Youthville, a specialist in everything is seeking patients by running around on the street with a huge sign under his arm with the legend "Doctor" in large letters. A millionaire's daughter is leaving home with her father to attend the fashion domestic science school conducted by Prof. P. Soop. She is forced to leave her beau, a tiddley-winks champion, behind but drops a note out of the train window giving him much courage. He drives behind the train on the track all the way. The ingenue is given her assignment to a bed in the girls dormitory and takes a fit on it at once. There is a chance for the doctor. He arrives and proceeds to look her over when several lions happen to escape from a wharf upon their arrival from Africa and they infest the dormitory. A terrible scramble takes place and there is more excitement than ever when the lions begin to attack the girls. They roll the bed together and save themselves temporarily by making cages of the bed springs. The doctor finds refuge in an ice box and the colored errand boy in a red hot oven. The doctor is overcome by the heat and the colored boy catches a cold in the oven. A wild chase winds up with general happiness and the love sick maiden'-marries the tiddle-winks' champion.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Loose Lions and Fast Lovers perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

The heroine promises to marry the bravest hunter among her men acquaintances.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

Jimmie the hotel clerk was original in the manner of his morning ablutions. His bed was built over a well into which he dumped himself when he felt that it was going to be hard to wake up. But after he was well awake he thought of nothing much but the hotel milkmaid, Esther. So engrossed was he with this fair one that the intrusion of Count Zeeplotinxophsky was regarded as a personal affront and a decided danger to his peace of mind. Esther's equanimity was also somewhat ruffled. She fell in love with the Count's mustache and decided to elope with him. But before he went the Count wanted to be sure of a dowry. The only one in sight, or rather in prospect was in the hotel safe. The clerk, the bellboy and the hotel detective were in the way. The latter was inside the safe holding the receipts in his hands. But he was asleep and even the explosion which wrenched off the safe door did not wake him up. Having secured the booty, and the girl, the Count ran around the block in his racing car and took a room in the same hotel. But the bell boy and the clerk shadowed him and at last drove him out. Jimmie followed him and the bellboy brought up reinforcements in the shape of the female fire department. The Chiefess discovered that the Count was her ex-husband, and all the comedy dropped out of his existence.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Naughty Lions and Wild Men perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Sheriff Jim is an overgrown mother's boy who eats enormous meals and loves a girl named Susan.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

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

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

Weazel Tail Bend was so crooked it couldn't see straight. The sheriff and his deputy had the habits of Jesse James, and he also robbed the country by teaching school. The weekly train was the town's only sport. The engineer knew Weazel Bend- so he didn't even hesitated. They had a nice soft mattress on the station platform to catch the passengers that chanced that way. But one day the town was brightened considerably by the arrival of Miss Betsy Beautiful, whom the School Trustee sent to relieve the sheriff of one of his duties-teaching school. Her sweetheart Hiram Biff, had followed her, how ever, riding on his nerve and the engine rod. "Big Kick Kitchen," was the place where society mixed soft drinks with hard fists. Even the bad guy, Pineapple Pete, didn't look so hard, sipping a soft drink. However, looks are not everything. Pineapple decided to pay the bank an unofficial visit to draw out some cash he had never deposited, but he was interrupted by our friend the Sheriff, who demanded half of the loot. Everything was going lovely, when who should appear but Hiram. He rounded up the crooks in fine shape, grabbed the money with one hand, his girl with the other and they both grabbed the first train going the other way.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

With a tin can tied to Brownie's tail, he follows a flivver and makes the driver think that the car is rattling. This induces him to change the car for a horse and buggy, but Brownie continues to follow until the girl is won by the owner of the dog.