The Recommended Vault Parallel to the Artistry of Watch My Smoke: Cult Guide

Dir: Reggie Morris

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Unknown Director

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

The village youths are rivals for the hand of the local belle. Their battles lead them to the village store, where chaos soon reigns, terminating in the place being blown up, leaving Bobby a happy victor.

Dir: Robert Thornby

Mary Willard takes over her father's railroad after his death. Her major competitor is a ruthless crook named Harvey Judson. She arranges for Judson to be kidnapped and taken to an isolated spot deep in the forest and turned loose to fend for himself. She accompanies the kidnappers to the wild and Judson, not knowing who she is, begins to fall in love with her. Complications ensue.

Dir: George Marshall

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

When Dad Petzel is swindled out of the Busy Bee mine, his partner, Duke Farley, ventures East to capture the crooks. Meanwhile, Summers, one of the grafters, learns that Farley's other mine, the Worm, has struck gold and determines to take control of it, too. Using Meta Cooper, an innocent girl to whom Farley is attracted, Summers frames the cowboy for the Mann Act, hoping to force him into selling the mine, but Farley thwarts Summer's plan when he marries Meta instead. Undaunted, Summers hires a sea captain to shanghai Farley. At sea, Farley discovers that Petzel and the rest of the cowboys on their ranch had come East looking for him and were shanghaied by the same captain. Together, they take over the ship and return to land in time to save Meta and arrest Summers.

Dir: Edgar Jones

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

Dir: Vernon Stallings

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

Krazy Kat is held in jail and Ignatz finally bails him out after encountering "guilt".

Dir: Maurice Campbell

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: Lloyd Ingraham

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

While walking along the street one day, Arthur P. Hampton, an impoverished young doctor, and his chums, Stub Masters and Johnny Stokes, are persuaded to part with their last remaining funds by tag day solicitor Mary Jane Smith, with whom the doctor promptly falls in love. Doc's friends then hit upon a get-rich-quick scheme. Knowing that his Uncle George has promised a large sum of money upon his nephew's marriage, they persuade Doc to send out fake wedding invitations naming Mary Jane as the blushing bride. Uncle George, elated at the good news, writes to Mary Jane's aunt, Angelica Burns, an old sweetheart, to invite Mary Jane and Angelica to be his guests on an ocean voyage. Meanwhile, Mary Jane pays a visit to the doctor's office and, upon seeing the wedding invitations, becomes so flustered that she trips and sprains her ankle. Doc comes to her rescue and then begs her to pose as his wife. She agrees, but at ship-side, Stub and Johnnie confess all to Uncle George, who flies into a rage until Doc announces that he and Mary Jane have chosen a wedding at sea.

Dir: Hal Roach

An American book salesman (Lloyd) is persuaded to go to the kingdom of Thermosa to impersonate the Prince. He is greeted by a peasants' revolt before the real prince shows up to claim his throne and princess. The revolution succeeds, and the American is elected president of the new republic.

Dir: Henry Edwards

A millionaire bets £25,000 that he can earn his own living for six months.