Editor's Top Picks Sharing the Atmosphere of Toonerville Tactics: C...

Dir: Ira M. Lowry

In World War I China, Princess Tsu, who leads a secret group dedicated to eradicating German influence in China, learns that the Chinese viceroy, in order to further his own ambitions, has organized an army to help Germany win Russia. She steals their written agreement and smuggles it to American agent Robert Kenyon, with whom she has fallen in love. The princess' jealous fiancé, Prince Kang, tells her that Robert is betrothed to an American girl and, bent on revenge, she informs German agent Von Richtman that Robert possesses the secret papers. In Washington, Von Richtman sends his henchmen to apprehend Robert before he can reach the Secretary of State, but Princess Tsu, whose love of country has triumphed over her personal concerns, foils the plot. Aware of her great love for Prince Kang, she returns to China and marries him.

Dir: Ira M. Lowry

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

The Earl of Dunhaven, who disinherited his son for marrying an American, tries, on his deathbed, to leave his estate to his nephew, the Honorable Guy Wyndham. To stop him, the Dunhaven solicitor, John Grahame, travels to America and finds the earl's grandson, Jim Dunn, a Wyoming cowpuncher. Because Jim wants a home for his motherless nephew Sam, they go to England with Grahame, taking papers which prove, because the earl has since died, that Jim is his legitimate heir. Jim's Western ways irritate his newly-found, chilly relatives. Finding himself more at home with the servants, he teaches them American customs and songs, thus shocking his aunt, Lady Caroline Croxton. After falling in love with Lady Croxton's secretary, Phyllis Barton, who warns him about a plot to rid him of his inheritance, Jim establishes his right, but tires of British life, and leaves for America with Phyllis and Sam, after renting the estate to his relatives.

Dir: Ralph Ince

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Eduardo Notari

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

A crime drama in the Gennariello-series. The police detective in Naples that is confronted with modern gangsters and crime events.

Dir: Ira M. Lowry

U.S. Marshal "High Pockets" Henderson discovers the body of Bud Blythe near the town of Farewell. After leaving his fingerprints on a photograph of Blythe's sister Joy, who traveled West with Blythe to start a ranch, High Pockets informs the sheriff. As Joy packs to go East, cattle thief Max Manon enters her home. After Joy forces him out, she goes to town, where Max's partners, Jim Stute and Bull Bellows, try to get her to drink. Recognizing her from the photograph, High Pockets intercedes and takes her to a hotel. When Manon climbs to her window, High Pockets lassoes him and drags him down. After High Pockets convinces Joy to stay and gets her work at the general store, the sheriff tries to arrest High Pockets for Blythe's murder because of the fingerprints, but High Pockets imprisons the sheriff and his aides. When Blythe's twin brother arrives, High Pockets makes Manon's sweetheart believe that the brother is Blythe's ghost. She screams that Manon was the murderer. High pockets stops Manon's escape, rounds up the others, and marries Joy.

Dir: Maurice Campbell

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

Carver Endicott, a young sophisticate, is rejected by his fiancée for being too foppish and dull. When she feigns an interest in his father, Carver attempts to disgrace his family name by working as a farmhand and later as a busboy in a hotel. However, the newspapers only praise him for his self-sacrificing principles; and finding that he cannot bring shame to the family through menial labor, he takes up with a notorious actress. But when this maneuver also fails, he returns to his former fiancée, who has no further complaint about his being an inexperienced dullard.

Dir: Unknown Director

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Charley Chase

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

A young married couple volunteer to take charge of several orphans after the asylum has burned down. Of course they find their hands full with their troublesome charges.

Dir: Unknown Director

The Judge needs a present for his wife's birthday, so Harry suggests a new corset. They go to the shop, but he's so embarrassed to ask the saleslady he hides in a phone booth.Harry goes in, but finds a GUY wearing one, and runs out.They both dress as women to get back in, but Mrs. Rummy gets there and chases him out.

Dir: Ira M. Lowry

After Sandy Burke rescues orphaned seven-year-old Dolly Morgan from Jim Diggs, who gunned down her father, he gives her to the Widow Mackey to rear. Learning that the widow's mortgage soon is due to Digg's partner, Lafe Hinton, Sandy goes to rancher Jeff Kirby for a job, but is mistaken for desperado Slim Dillon, and captured by Kirby's daughter Molly. After Sandy proves his innocence, he masquerades as Dillon and robs a stagecoach to help the widow. Sandy wins the mortgage money playing poker with Hinton. Kirby hires Sandy to stop the thieves rustling his prize steers. Sandy suspects Diggs and Hinton, and after he rescues Molly from Diggs, he finds a letter from a packing firm which proves his suspicions. Diggs recaptures Molly, and Sandy, pursuing, falls into Diggs' trap. As Diggs prepares to brand Sandy's bare back, Molly's pleas give Sandy the opportunity to pry loose. After capturing Diggs, Sandy, who loves Molly but thinks that she loves another, says goodbye. Molly then takes his revolvers and orders him to put his hands up and around her.