The Definitive Watchlist Seeking the Same Brilliance as The World's Great Snare: Cult Guide

Dir: Joseph Kaufman

Based on the 1913 play The Land of Promise by W. Somerset Maugham about Nora Marsh and her life which ends in a farm.

Dir: Joseph Kaufman

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

At the outbreak of World War I, American Ruth Sherwood is stranded in the Belgian village of Beaupre. After Olga Karnovitch, a Russian spy eager to leave because of the advancing Germans, steals Ruth's passport, Ruth is taken into custody by the Germans. Among them she recognizes Eugene, formerly a head waiter in New York, who intercedes on Ruth's behalf, saving her from a death sentence. Later, when Wilfred Ferrers, a fellow American staying at Ruth's hotel, is sentenced to death because the Germans believe him to be a Russian spy, Ruth intervenes by attesting that he is her fiancé. The sentimental German general then orders the burgomaster to marry the pair immediately. Soon after, Ruth's fiancé Jack Martin arrives and reproaches Ruth for her actions. His insensitivity forces Ruth to realize that her love for Martin has died. As Ferrers and Ruth make a thrilling escape from the occupied village, both discover that they really love each other.

Dir: Joseph Kaufman

Shirley Kaye is the vivacious daughter of Egerton Kaye, president of the great Union Central Railroad. The latter holds his position through his descent from "Pirate" Kaye, who founded the line, rather than through any executive ability of his own. Shirley is queen of the most exclusive Long Island set, and as clever as she is lovely to look at. From the West comes T.J. Magen, a rough but lion-hearted financier, who buys the house next door to the Kayes. Magen cares little for society, and the elaborate household which their wealth forces them to support is a constant worry to his simple and unassuming wife. But the daughter, "Daisy," yearns, with all her heart to break into the society and swim where Shirley Kaye reigns supreme. T.J. and his younger associate, John Rowson, who, incidentally, hates all women, especially Easterners, secure a majority of the proxies of Union Central shareholders. Believing that new blood would improve the finances of the U.C, they determine to oust Egerton Kaye, the figure-head president, at the next directors' meeting. With breaking heart Kaye tells his daughter of the impending blow, which means not alone the loss of his position but also the loss of the family interest in the road. Shirley, angered at the conspiracy, rises supremely to the emergency. She uses her wiles on T.J., dickers with him for his daughter's social position and agrees to give Daisy her heart's desire if he will ally himself with the Kaye interests. She wins the allegiance of Magen, but Rowson, believing her to be a cold-blooded seeker after money and social position, abruptly severs his connections with the venture and leaves for the west. In the end Shirley goes after him and proves herself as capable in love piracy as in the realm of high finance.

Dir: Joseph Kaufman

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

Nanette raised in Canada has been peaceful despite the fact that her father is the leader of a band of whiskey bootleggers. Then, however, when Baptiste, a half-breed member of the gang, kills his wife, Constable Thomas O'Brien of the mounted police arrives not only to investigate the murder, but the gang's smuggling activities as well. Nanette and Thomas become friends and then fall in love, but because she is unaware of the precise nature of the crime that Baptiste committed, she helps him get away from the authorities. When she finds out that he is a murderer, however, she agrees to help Thomas capture him, first making sure that her father and the rest of the criminals will be safe from prosecution. After he catches Baptiste and prepares to take him to prison, Thomas promises to return to Nanette and marry her.

Dir: Joseph Kaufman

Because a Pullman porter falls to eject him from his berth in the morning, Bob Blake, a traveling salesman, is carried past his station on Christmas morning, and finds himself in Grand Cross. The most interesting sight to that town is the pretty face that smiles at Blake through the window of the telegraph office at the station. Blake is rotund, jovial and trustworthy in appearance, and it is not long before he melts the natural reserve of Beth Elliott. During the course of an impromptu luncheon in the station, Blake learns that Beth's old home is to be sold for taxes on the following day. He later gathers the information from Beth's friend, Mrs. Babbitt, that the girl has been allowing a Mrs. Stratton to live in the house without paying her any rent ever since the woman had her little store sold over her head by Martin Drury, the local capitalist. By this time Blake has become deeply interested in Beth and through the medium of a poker game and many applications of "Scotch tea," learns that Royce, a henchman of Drury's, is going to buy in the Elliott place because Drury has a tip that the railroad is going to want the property and that it can be sold for a high price. His antagonism to Royce is heightened by a spice of jealousy for Royce makes love to Beth openly. Discovering that Royce is to start to drive for the county seat very early in the morning, Blake has one of his friends put him to bed, and then gets into the rig in his place. Royce, awakening from the effects of too much "tea," makes a violent dash for the livery stable and finds a small car there which he appropriates and starts in pursuit of Blake. There is a wild race in which the car is overturned and Blake succeeds in reaching the courthouse in time to pay up the taxes in Beth's name. Beaten at this game, Royce returns at once and tells Beth that her drummer friend has attempted to steal her property from her, and then persuades her to sell the property to him for $5,000. The girl accepts the check and then Blake dashes in to explain the whole affair, and tears up the check. But Royce has one more trump card; he gets Beth out to the Elliott place alone, and locking the doors, declares that he will not let her go until she accepts the check. After a desperate struggle with Royce, Blake succeeds in freeing the girl and all ends happily.

Dir: Joseph Kaufman

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

Three sisters, all raised as boys, have trouble fitting into male-dominated society.

Dir: Joseph Kaufman

An arrogant young man leaves his Ohio home to make it big on Broadway in New York City when he inherits the family business and $1-million. However, things don't go quite according to his plans. After he blows most of the money, he returns to Ohio to try to sell the family business to raise more money, but complications ensue.

Dir: Joseph Kaufman

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

When composer Anselm Kardos leaves his alcoholic wife, he gives his daughter Lily an unfinished love ode entitled "The Song of Songs" and warns her to keep her artistic temperament in check. Lily becomes a salesgirl for an import dealer and travels to Palm Beach and Atlantic City, where her beauty attracts the attention of many wealthy men. Finally, Lily agrees to marry Senator Calkins, a powerful but unscrupulous man who earlier had betrayed the love of Ann Merkle, his housekeeper. Impersonating Lily on the phone, the jealous Ann invites Calkins' neighbor, Dick Laird, to visit Lily in her room, and when the senator finds him there, he divorces her. Bewildered, Lily remains Laird's mistress until she falls in love with musician Stephen Bennett. Aware of her past, Stephen proposes, much to the dismay of his uncle Phineas, who resolves to break up the romance. After Phineas plies Lily with champagne so that the idealistic young man may see her in an intoxicated state, Stephen boards a train for the West. Soon, however, he returns to save Lily from suicide by marrying her.

Dir: Joseph Kaufman

Inventor Dan Hilyer needs money to go West in order to market his new patent, his wife Madge secretly gets a loan from her former sweetheart, Arthur Crewe. Then, with her husband gone, Madge again receives financial support from Arthur when she is about to have her baby. Shortly after Dan returns, he learns of Arthur's help and suspects his wife of having given far too much in return for the money. Dan is on the verge of demanding a separation when Arthur, having heard that his loan has caused the problem, comes to Dan and vouches for Madge's perfectly upright behavior, which then leads to the couple's reconciliation.