The Essential Watchlist that Capture the Essence of The Return of Eve: Cult Guide

Dir: Arthur Berthelet

Helen Steele, who has theatrical aspirations, has been told by Sidney Parker that, owing to her lack of stage experience he cannot entertain her proposition of giving her the leading part in his new production, "The Siren." Believing that she can get Parker to consent if she is persuasive enough, Helen has her fiancé, Henry Tracey, invite the theatrical manager to the party to be given by John W. Cannell so that she may work upon him. At the affair Helen manages to obtain Parker's consent to give her a trial it she is successful in having Jack Craigen, a friend of Cannell, who has been living in Patagonia for a long time and who is a woman hater, propose to her. Helen works her wiles upon the adamant Craigen and finally elicits a proposal from him. The guests in the next room, who have been listening, come out at the critical moment, and congratulate her. Craigen demands an explanation, and he is told that it is all a joke. He refuses to accept the incident in such a light, however, and makes preparations to leave for his home in the mountains. At this juncture. Tracey, who had been called out of town on important business before the commencement of the party, returns. When told of Helen's episode with Craigen he becomes very angry and upbraids her. Tracey then goes in search of Craigen, whom he does not know, and mistaking Keen Fitzpatrick, a reporter, who has been waiting in the next room for an interview with Craigen on Patagonia, for the man he is in search of, he starts to pour a scathing indictment upon him. The guests hear the tirade and inform Tracey of the identity of the man to whom he is speaking. Meanwhile Craigen, having packed his belongings, is leaving in his auto. As he is passing the back entrance, Helen jumps in front of his auto and tells him that, inasmuch as he does not know anything about women he should adopt the Patagonian savage method and carry her off to his home where he could study her. He puts her suggestion into effect and Helen is carried off in the auto to his home in the woods, where he brutally orders her about. She attempts to escape, and Craigen chains her to the floor. While he leaves her for a moment to put his car into the garage, "Boney," an escaped lunatic, makes his way into the cabin. He styles himself Napoleon Bonaparte, and raves about his armies. As he is swinging his sword about the room, Craigen appears, and by diplomacy succeeds in getting "Boney" upstairs to review his armies where he is locked in a room. Craigen returns to Helen. His back is turned to her and she knocks him unconscious with the telephone. Taking the keys from his pocket, she releases herself and escapes into the woods. Craigen recovers his senses and, finding the note Helen left informing him that she feels sorry for her action and has gone for help, fears for her safety, and goes out in search of her. During his absence Fitzpatrick, who was trailing, arrives. On searching through the house for Craigen, he comes upon "Boney," whom he takes to be the man he is searching for. He demands to know where the girl is, but "Boney" only raves about his armies. The two are just on the point of clashing when Craigen returns. He reveals his identity to the reporter, and tells him that Helen has fled into the woods. The asylum keepers trace "Boney" to Craigen's home, and take him away. Tracey, who has also been following, arrives at the cabin and confronts Craigen with a revolver. He demands Helen or his life. Craigen manages to convince Tracey, after an argument, that Helen has fled into the woods. Helen has seen Tracey's car going in the direction of Craigen's home, and fearing trouble, makes her way back. She arrives just after Tracey has left. The other members of the house party arrive to take Helen back, but she refuses to leave Craigen.

Dir: Arthur Berthelet

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Penny of Top Hill Trail perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Penny arrives by airplane in the neighborhood of the Kingdon ranch. Her behavior is thought suspicious, and she is put in jail, where Kurt Walters, foreman of the ranch and deputy sheriff, recognizes her as a girl his friend Jo met in Chicago who confessed to being a thief. When he enters the cell to talk with Penny, he finds a visitor and orders her to leave, taking Penny, who has promised to go straight, to Mrs. Kingdon. Penny begins to tantalize him and complicates his life with her pranks. But he continues to fall more and more in love with her. A crisis develops when a mysterious stranger and the other girl who was in Penny's cell arrive. It is then revealed that Penny is not a thief but a motion picture star hiding from a manager who wants her to renew her contract. She prefers the golden sand to the silver screen and remains on the ranch with Kurt.

Dir: Arthur Berthelet

The story of six affairs of the heart, drawn from controversial feminist author Mary MacLane's. None of MacLane's affairs - with "the bank clerk," "the prize-fighter," "the husband of another," and so on - last, and in each of them MacLane emerges dominant. Re-enactments of the love affairs are interspersed with MacLane addressing the camera (while smoking), and talking contemplatively with her maid on the meaning and prospects of love.

Dir: Arthur Berthelet

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Men Who Have Made Love to Me perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Jim Ogden, secretly engaged to Madge Hemmingway, wealthy heiress, becomes sensitive over his lack of money and breaks the engagement. In a moment of pique she marries Count Van Tuyle. After six months she returns from Europe, minus her husband. Trying to forget her error, she goes to the country. Richard Coombs is the nearest neighbor of Madge's aunt, and he finds it necessary for his wife and himself to hasten to the city. A chaperon is needed immediately for their four daughters. By necessity they are forced to take Madge, who is still the runaway Countess Van Tuyle. Jim Ogden is on a canoe trip through the lakes and stops at the Coombs camp. This is the crowning embarrassment for the chaperon. Up to the time the cook, butler and chauffeur have quit and each one of the girls has opened a summer flirtation. However, Ogden persuades Madge to take a canoe ride. Their craft strikes a rock and the two are marooned on a little barren Island. Meanwhile the Count has followed his wife to America and with Madge's mother arrives at the camp. Becoming suspicious, he goes up the lake the next morning and finds his wife with Ogden. Madge escapes in his boat and leaves the two men to fight it out. Mrs. Coombs returns to find her four daughters engaged, the chaperon a sorry sight after her night on the lake and half of her servants gone. However, Mrs. Hemmingway solves everything and promises that she will effect a settlement with the Count to enable her daughter to marry Ogden.

Dir: Arthur Berthelet

Uncle Woolwich, an eccentric millionaire, wills that his fortune be divided between his nephews, Barry Owen and Walter Woolwich, in proportion to the amount of money that each shall have saved at the time of their uncle's death. Walter, a broker, is prospering while Barry, a reporter, is penniless. With his three-legged dog Pod, Barry starts out to make his fortune. Along the way, he meets Faith Fanshawe, whose car has broken down. Faith gives Barry fifty cents for repairing the machine, and he keeps the money in remembrance of the beautiful girl. Next, Barry meets Jeffery Jarvis, a writer, who gives him shelter. Barry tells the writer his story and Jarvis takes him to his country club. Here Barry again meets Faith and rescues her from drowning. Their friendship grows into love, but Barry is too poor to propose marriage. This situation is remedied when Uncle Woolwich dies at the time when Walter is swamped by the market and is half a million dollars in debt. By the terms of the will, Barry inherits a fortune, and with his new found wealth, marries Faith.

Dir: Arthur Berthelet

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

Young Teddy Bimms craves the good life and finds plenty of intrigue and danger when she falls in love with a jewel thief, who is masquerading as a prince. Ultimately, the young girl reveals his true identity and rescues the grateful prince, who promptly proposes marriage.

Dir: Arthur Berthelet

Little Betty has a luxurious home, an army of servants and the costliest of toys. But she hasn't what a child wants most of all, other children to play with. The result is that she runs away and joins a group of children from the ghetto district on the beach. In play she exchanges clothing with a little boy. That evening Betty doesn't return home. Her maiden aunt, an over-zealous guardian, is frantic. She notifies the police. The same evening the father of the boy, who has lost his position and is facing starvation, decides to turn burglar. He steals into the home of Betty's father. The household is awakened and the intruder captured. At that moment the police arrive with the boy whom they have mistaken for Betty on account of the little girl's clothing which he wears. All are utterly bewildered. The denouement comes with Betty's entrance at this juncture, garbed in the boy's clothes. She likes the boy and on her plea he and his father are liberated. The experience teaches Betty's father that his little girl should have more than his wealth can afford her; that is, other children to play with.

Dir: Arthur Berthelet

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

When a couple of swindlers hold young Alice Faulkner against her will in order to discover the whereabouts of letters which could spell scandal for the royal family, Sherlock Holmes is on the case.

Dir: Arthur Berthelet

Forced by the death of her mother to care for her three brothers and sisters, little Mona Fairfax is known to farmers of her district as Young Mother Hubbard. The children's step-father, heavily in debt and tired of the burden imposed by the little family, abandons his farm, leaving the children, penniless, to shift for themselves. The following day Daniel Banning, a wealthy "country gentleman" and owner of the Fairfax farm, calls to collect back rent. He finds Mona and her children panic-stricken over a note left by their step-father, telling of his decision to leave. Banning turns a deaf ear to Mona's pleas that she be allowed to remain on the farm with her wards. He notifies the Children's Welfare Society. Directors of the society go to the farm, load them into an automobile, and take them to the society's headquarters. At headquarters the chairman calls for volunteers to take the children into their homes. A square-jawed woman, a miserly old man, a brutal fellow, with bull-dog features, and a ponderous, harsh, mannish looking women, each agree to take a child. When it dawns upon Mona and her brothers and sisters that they are to be separated they break into tears and beg piteously to be allowed to remain together. Their pleas are ignored. Finally Mona begs that they be allowed to spend a last night together on the Fairfax farm. The request finally is granted. That night Mona hitches the family horse to a rickety old wagon and the children set out to escape. They fall asleep and the horse stops near Banning's house. The housekeeper takes them in during the master's absence. When Banning returns he is furious. Mona offers him a wisp of flowers, which he scorns. Finally, however, the child's smile wins his heart and he cuddles her. Later when agents of the welfare society try to take the children, Banning drives them from his place, declaring he will adopt Young Mother Hubbard and her entire family.

Dir: Arthur Berthelet

Rev. Paul Manson, pastor of St. Mark's Church, is ordered to the country for his health. While he is sojourning in a lumber camp with Wilks, his guide, he reads of his "sudden death" in his home-town newspaper. Rev. Manson has longed to clean up the slums of his city, and decides to return incognito and do so. Upon his return he is met by a street urchin, Sid Farley, who recognizes him as his missing father, Joe Farley. Rev. Manson is recognized by the boy's mother, Mary, also, as her husband, and he does not deny it. Under the guise of Joe Farley, Rev. Manson begins the work of uplifting the slum district. Though he does not live at Mary's home, declaring he is tired of her, Manson gradually recognizes her good impulses and falls in love with her. Manson has just triumphed over an evil political ring in the slums when he is recognized by Mrs. Sewell Wright as the supposedly dead Rev. Manson. But having attained his ambition in the slums he remains there, marrying Mary.