Cinematic Discoveries Following the Footsteps of The Messenger: Cult Guide

Dir: Arvid E. Gillstrom

Lee and Fred are the best of pals. Their wives are the best of comrades. The two families live in the same rooms, the same house, and share fifty-fifty on all the furniture. One day they have a quarrel, at least the wives do, and the two families split. One-half of the house belongs to one family, and one to the other. This continues for some time, even going as far as cutting the Ford in half. One fine day after the two husbands get all smashed up they go to their homes, and they find their wives embracing each other. This is too much, and they leave for Reno.

Dir: Arvid E. Gillstrom

Baby Peggy as the mischievous child of doting and fussy parents.

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

Dir: Arvid E. Gillstrom

After making all the mischief that she can, Baby Peggy runs away from home. All this because of jealousy. A new baby brother has made his appearance in her home and is taking away a good deal of attention from her. Out in the cruel world she is captured by a junk dealer and set to work. She manages to fill her wagon with junk by going into the yards at night and meowing like a cat. Windows are thrown open and all kinds of things are thrown at her. At the end she escapes and returns home.

Dir: Arvid E. Gillstrom

After a busy day of playing pranks on their father's servants and guests, Harry Williams' daughters Jane and Katherine tumble into bed and fall asleep. Having seen a film depicting World War I fighting in Europe, little Jane dreams that two armies, consisting entirely of mechanical dolls, are advancing against each other in battle. While Trik leads the German troops, who are guilty of committing a score of atrocities, Trak heads the Allied army, which ultimately wins the war. In the end, Jane awakens with a start to find that it has all been a dream.

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

Dir: Arvid E. Gillstrom

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Arvid E. Gillstrom

Buddy, a homeless orphan, is the life of the old orphanage where Sadie and Ella are both in love with him. Ella tries her best to take Buddy away from Sadie. The time comes when Buddy leaves the orphanage and the two brokenhearted girls are left behind. While Buddy is making his way through life as a very fine caddy on the neighboring golf links, Ella and Sadie are adopted by respectable families. It is while Buddy is in the act of stealing a pie that he again meets Ella, but fate is kind to him and he once more finds Sadie, who wins over her foster-mother to adopt Buddy also.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Tell It to the Marines perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Arvid E. Gillstrom

Peggy and her father are thrown out on the street by a heartless landlord. They go to the park and find a nice, hard bench to lie on. Pal, their dog, tramps along with them. The park officer does everything in his power to get Peggy and her father to move away, but Peggy is always frustrating his heartless plans. In the park two robbers are looking over their spoils. Peggy, who has been dodging the cop, chances upon them. They throw the spoils over in the comer of a bush when they see the officer, and Peggy picks up the bag and walks off with it. The cop follows the crooks, who are following Peggy - and before they know it they all have walked into the station-house. The crooks are arrested, the jewels are found and Peggy receives a worthy reward.

Dir: Arvid E. Gillstrom

Harry is the farmer's helper, while Johnny is the helper to the helper. Johnny has with him some bottles of "Pepo." A few drops of this wonderful liquid puts speed into anything. They drop some into the sheriff's motorcycle and it dashes away. A few drops in the chicken feed and the hens drop their eggs all over the place. At the barn dance Johnny pours some "Pepo" into the ice cream and the old ladies start flirting with the young men and the old boys shine up to the girls. Then they play leap frog and Harry and the farmer's daughter elope.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Meet Betty's Husband perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Arvid E. Gillstrom

When their father is reported missing at the front during World War I, Jane and Katherine are stamped and sent by parcel post across the country to their Aunt Lucille Forrest in New Jersey. The two girls manage to smuggle their dog into the mail bag as well. Aunt Lucille is in love with Lt. Tom Hayes, but she is angry with him after he resigns his commission at the start of the war. She does not know that Tom is in the Secret Service, and she becomes jealous of a female spy whom Tom is trailing. Jane and Katherine's mischievous pranks finally assist in capturing the spy and the secret plans, and getting Aunt Lucille back together with Tom.

Dir: Arvid E. Gillstrom

Andrew Sheldon is so busy perfecting a new explosive for the United States' effort in the Great War that he fails to realize that his butler, cook, housekeeper, and chauffeur are all German spies. However, his two mischievous daughters Katherine and Jane make life difficult for the spies by throwing pies at the Kaiser's picture and clipping the butler's long, Prussian-style mustache while he sleeps. When Andrew's wife announces that she is pregnant, he tells the girls that he has written a letter requesting a baby brother for them, whereupon they decide to steal the letter, convinced that two children are enough for their family. Breaking into Andrew's laboratory, they take the "letter," actually the secret formula, but after Andrew reveals that his plans are missing, the butler enters the laboratory and seizes the invention itself. Following an automobile chase and then a battle staged in rowboats on the Hudson River, the butler is apprehended by U.S. agents. Although he is the proud father of a new baby boy, Andrew gratefully blesses the impish little girls who saved his formula.