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Recommendations
Senior Film Conservator
In the vast archive of cult cinema, The Midnight Burglar stands as a stylistic flair beacon, the narrative complexity found here is a rare find in the 1918 landscape. From hidden underground hits to established classics, these are our top picks.
Few films from 1918 manage to capture to explore the darker corners of the human condition with stylistic flair.
Marylee Depue's father, John Cromwell Depue, refuses to improve the unsanitary living conditions in his tenements, although many of the tenants have become ill. John's wife Emily, who is involved in charity work only because it is fashionable among her friends, takes Marylee on an excursion through the tenements, where the child sees genuine suffering for the first time in her life. At a ball given by her mother, Marylee dresses as a slum child and collects money for the poor, and later that night she steals away to the tenement to visit Jones, whose wife has contracted typhoid. Determined to help the sick woman, Marylee steals a large basket of food from her own house and gives it to Jones, but he takes her back home when she becomes ill. Overjoyed to learn that Marylee's sickness was brought on by eating too many cakes with jam, John and Emily vow to lower the rents and clean up the tenements.
The influence of Robert Ensminger in The Midnight Burglar can be felt in the way modern cult films handle stylistic flair. From the specific lighting choices to the pacing, this 1918 release set a high bar for atmospheric immersion.
Based on the unique stylistic flair of The Midnight Burglar, our vault has identified these titles as the most compelling follow-up experiences for fans of cult cinema:
Dir: Robert Ensminger
Diantha Ebberly travels with her parents to the edge of the Sahara to meet her longtime betrothed, Herbert Medford, whom she has never seen. She is rescued from a swarm of beggars by an "Arab," then meets him again when she slips out at night in native dress. They fall in love, but Diantha is abducted by Sheik Amud, then returned safely home by the "Arab." The next morning Diantha discovers her fiancé and lover to be one and the same.
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Dir: Robert Ensminger
A doctor dreams that he has shot and killed a local gambler. Awakened by a sudden noise, he discovers that the gambler is lying on his living-room floor, shot to death. Unnerved, he flees to Canada, but the RCMP finds out he's there and sets out to track him down.
Dir: Robert Ensminger
Story of Western life. The action centers about a fight to put through a single track from a mine in Alaska to the coast. If not completed within certain time heroine loses title to property. Young engineer aids in successful fight.
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Dir: Robert Ensminger
Carlos Medina, leader of a Latin American revolution, is visiting Jasper Folansbee, a backer of the revolutionists, and is wooing Folansbee's daughter, Miriam. As a result of striking Muggsy, a street urchin, with her automobile, Miriam meets Eddie Manning, a mysterious American who frequents a Spanish bar, and offers him employment as her chauffeur. Eddie has learned from Inez, a Spanish dancer, that Medina has only his own gain in mind; he stations Muggsy to watch Medina's yacht and is imprisoned in the bar. Rescued by Muggsy in time to pursue the fleeing Medina, Eddie reveals himself to be a Secret Service agent, exposes the South American as a swindler of both his people and Folansbee, and rescues a grateful Miriam.
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Dir: Robert Ensminger
Dicky Maloney, an Irish newcomer to a Central American town, wins the hearts of the people and the love of Pasa Ortiz with his charm and daring deeds against the army. He finally reveals himself as the son of a deposed president, successfully leads a revolution, and becomes president himself.
Dir: Robert Ensminger
James Parkington, Finding that his wife Lida is more absorbed in neosymbolist lecturer Swetson than in him, James Parkington resolves to feign suicide to secure her happiness. Although Parkington has willed his estate to Lida, Maria Fortescue, his aunt, lays claim to the estate upon his "death." Learning that Maria has inherited the estate, Swetson turns his attentions to her. Parkington, eager to know the results of his scheme, comes out of seclusion in disguise and visits the home, where he is recognized by his dog. He overhears a discussion of a second will, restores the original will, and when discovered by Maria and Swetson, orders them from the house. Swetson reveals that he is married to Maria, and Parkington and Lida are reconciled.
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Dir: Robert Ensminger
Little Bab Fanning, who has always wanted a brother, befriends young Tom Wellsley, who has run away from his wealthy but stern father, Daniel Wellsley, in search of adventure. Tom becomes a newsboy, but the other "newsies," resentful of the wealthy boy's intrusion, plant some stolen fruit in his pockets, and he is sent to the House of Correction. Bab's effort to secure his release proves unsuccessful, and he escapes with a gang of tough boys who subsequently decide to rob his father's house. Refusing to join them, Tom finds work on a farm. Meanwhile, Bab, in search of her friend, goes to the Wellsley home, where she is forced by the boy crooks to break in. Inside, she forgets the gang and befriends Tom's brooding father, and together they find Tom and convince him to return home.
View DetailsAnalysis relative to The Midnight Burglar
| Film Title | Atmosphere | Complexity | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| One Stolen Night | Gothic | Abstract | 95% Match |
| Bring Him In | Gothic | Linear | 89% Match |
| Breaking Through | Surreal | High | 93% Match |
| You Never Know | Gritty | High | 90% Match |
| Fortune's Mask | Gothic | Linear | 95% Match |
This guide was algorithmically generated using the cinematic metadata of Robert Ensminger's archive. Last updated: 5/14/2026.
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