Hidden Genre Gems for Fans of The Little Patriot: Cult Guide

Dir: William Bertram

A former Annapolis cadet is thrown out of the Naval Academy for cheating on an exam. Of course he was framed, but he must enlist in the Navy to clear himself. Meanwhile he and his sweetheart search for a buried treasure on Lost Island, which everyone is after.

Dir: William Bertram

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Dolly Does Her Bit perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dolly lives with her aunt, who is a seamstress. The child is sent home from school because she has been naughty, and finds her aunt in the act of making a Red Cross costume for a huge mechanical doll. The doll can walk and talk and excites Dolly's interest intensely. Some of her playmates come and run away with the doll, which is later smashed by a runaway horse. Dolly then dresses in the Red Cross costume, hides in the big box, and is taken to the rich woman's home. She reveals her secret to the daughter, a little girl who is sick. The fairy story touches thrown in here are very fine and will appeal to the imagination of small observers. Dolly carries out her deception successfully at the Red Cross bazaar, but later is kidnapped by a gang who have been raiding the house of the wealthy woman. Dolly assists in rounding up the gang.

Dir: William Bertram

Blossom Ruggles, the fiercely independent daughter of Arizona cattleman Hank Ruggles, loves neighboring rancher Asa Harris. To pique Asa, however, she flirts with mining engineer Frank Stimpson, who unknown to her, has deceived pretty half-wit Amelia Young. While riding the range, Blossom is attacked by a Mexican bandit, but manages to overpower him, and deliver him to Asa and the cowboys, who throw him from a cliff. Later, the bandit is found unconscious by the sheriff and taken to jail. Learning of the half-wit's plight, Blossom mounts a posse, apprehends Frank, and forces him at gunpoint to marry Amelia. After the ceremony, Asa and Blossom are also wed.

Dir: William Bertram

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

Episode 1: "The Woman Alone" Horace Kennedy, a successful lawyer, is drifting from his attentive and loyal wife, Mary, for no apparent reason, save that she is fading and he is losing interest in her. On the charge made by Margaret Warner, a struggling magazine writer, Kennedy disbars Attorney Doyle, contending that as a man must protect the honor of his wife and home, so must we guard our courts from prowling jackals. Because of his masterly handling of the disbarment case, a magazine requests Kennedy to write twelve articles dealing with the subject. Mary, his wife, persuades him against his wishes, to write these articles, suggesting that she will take his dictation on the typewriter. She proves an inefficient helper and the first night on which they work she falls and sprains her wrist, making it necessary for Kennedy to look elsewhere for assistance. Margaret, living in a cheap boarding-house is poor, as her short story manuscripts are returned day after day by the magazines. Desiring to help her Kennedy engages her for the work. Doyle, forced out of his profession, continues his work in the field of crooked-stock jobbing, taking the hard-earned savings of the poor for bogus mining stock. The last night of their joint work, Kennedy accompanies Margaret home, but on their way they are caught in an accident. Kennedy escapes injury, but Margaret faints. Calling to her to speak to him, Kennedy, with Margaret in his arms, rushes to a physician. Is the girl he is beginning to love to be thus taken from him?

Dir: William Bertram

Mrs. Jasper Reading, an old woman whose concern for wealth has turned her heart to stone, turns her eldest son out of the house for no apparent reason and orders her youngest son Will to assume the management of her estate. Not without trepidation, Will installs his wife and little daughter Marie in his mother's house, but the old woman soon expresses her disapproval of both of them. Just as Mrs. Reading's heart is beginning to soften toward the charming little girl, Luther Parrish, who wishes to gain control of the Reading estate, convinces Will that his wife has betrayed him. Heartbroken, she departs with Marie, but Mrs. Reading soon misses the child and visits her to ask for forgiveness. Meanwhile, Will discovers Luther's dishonesty, and the entire family is reunited.

Dir: William Bertram

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

A rancher stands up for an employee unjustly accused of cattle rustling.

Dir: William Bertram

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: William Bertram

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

Dolly McKenzie's mother fancies herself a gifted painter and goes to the city to live a Bohemian life style. Meanwhile, Dolly's father John, facing an imminent strike in the factory he runs, sends the child, together with her little friend, Ebenezer Eczema Abraham White, and his mother, to his brother Howard's farm. The children soon bring chaos to "Peaceful Acres" with their pranks, but on one of their escapades, they become lost in the woods. Even the striking employees join in the search party, but it is Dolly's mother, coincidentally in the country for a weekend party, who finally finds the frightened children. The negligent mother willingly returns to her family, and John, grateful to his men for their help, promises to settle the labor dispute the next morning.

Dir: William Bertram

Nada Mayhew persuades her sick father to spend a few months in the mountains, where they are mistakenly suspected as being federal agents by bootleggers Bob Clark and Jim Hendricks. Using a map that Nada found, she and her father set out in search of a hidden vein of silver, but they must make a wild ride to Ghost City to escape the gang, who also wish to find the silver. When surveyor Dick Carroll finds Nada in his cabin, Nada assumes that he is one of the gang and ties him up. Jim Hendricks arrives and captures Nada. Realizing her mistake, Nada gnaws at Dick's bonds while Hendricks searches for the map, accidentally drinks poison, and causes a fire in his agony. All three escape. Dick overcomes Hendricks, and Nada and Dick start out in search of the vein.

Dir: William Bertram

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.