The Definitive Watchlist For Devotees of The Phantom Buster: Cult G...

Dir: Edward LeSaint

When famous opera singer Elinore Duane undergoes an operation on her throat, she has a series of ether-induced visions. In one, she is transported to ancient Rome where she appears as a much-admired woman in love with Paul, a young heretic, and at odds with Lutor, the high priest. To save her love, she poisons Lutor with her ring. After several other visions which involve variations on this love triangle, Elinore awakens to discover that Lutor is actually her doctor, Sascha Jaccard, and that Paul is the son of a friend who has come to visit the recovering prima donna.

Dir: William Bertram

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Who Is Number One? perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Alexander Butler

In Alberta, Canada, a Cornish emigrant unmasks a rustler posing as the girl's "blind" father.

Dir: William Bertram

Instilled with the spirit of patriotism after her teacher reads to her the story of Joan of Arc, Marie Yarbell goes home, persuades her father to enlist and then organizes a "military company" comprised of her playmates. Wealthy old Nathan Mulhouser, who is financing the development of a torpedo, is so touched by the children's patriotism that he buys them a flag. Marie's mother rents out a vacant room to Hertz, a stranger, who instructs her to see that no one enters his room because he is working on an important invention for the government. Curious, Marie follows Hertz as he leaves the house carrying a suitcase. He goes to a building that houses Mulhouser's laboratory, tosses in a bomb and runs away. Marie disposes of the bomb in time, but is stunned by the explosion. Mulhouser finds Marie in a state of shock and takes her to his home. Meanwhile, Mr. Yarbell has returned home at his wife's alarm and finds Marie's soldiers holding the spies prisoner. Mulhouser finally ascertains Marie's identity, discovering that she is his granddaughter, and all ends happily.

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

Dir: Wilfred Lucas

Brian O'Farrell (Snowy Baker), is an English 'new chum' who takes a job at an Australian cattle station. He is teased by station hands because of his appearance (including spats and a monocle) but he soon impresses them with his skills at riding and boxing. The station manager, John MacDonald (Wilfred Lucas), takes O'Farrell to Sydney to meet his daughter Edith (Kathleen Key) who is working in the slums. Edith is kidnapped by criminals after witnessing a crime but O'Farrell rescues her. It is later revealed he is the owner of the station.

Dir: William Bertram

When Charles Lind is stricken blind, his brother John takes charge of his business affairs, while his little niece Marie reads his mail to him each day so that he may recite his replies into a Dictaphone. After John confesses that he has lost a great deal of Charles' money on the stock market, the two quarrel, and John nearly strangles his brother. Later, a shot rings out, and John is seen crouching by Charles' lifeless body. Following John's arrest, the detectives guarding Marie's house recognize Briggs, the butler, as a wanted criminal, and when he attempts to escape, they shoot him. Marie, in playing with her uncle's Dictaphone, discovers that his murderer's voice was captured on the recording. Played at the dying butler's bedside, the recording leads to Briggs's confession and John's release from prison.

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

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: Edgar Jones

A mail-order bride arrives at a Maine lumber camp but doesn't like her prospective husband.

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

Dir: Bruno Ziener

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: William Bertram

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?