Teddy at the Throttle (1917)

"Gloria" (Gloria Swanson) and "Bobbie" (Bobby Vernon) live next door to each other and have the same, rapscallion guardian in "Henry Black" (Wallace Beery) who is systematically fleecing the youngsters so that he and his equally rotten sister May Emory can live the life of Riley. Their number might be up, though, when a codicil to a will is found suggesting that unless "Bobbie" marries "Gloria" - all his loot will go to her, and that could leave our dodgy executor exposed... If you are looking for a break-neck comedy adventure then look no further. It's got a cracking storm scene, Beery is superb as the cheating fraudster and, not for the first time, Swanson and Vernon work excellently together. She even get's tied to the railroad tracks - what more could one ask for? Well, actually there is the eponymous schnauzer "Teddy" for good measure, too... It's short enough not to have to repeat the comedic devices, and so keeps fresh and engaging for all of twenty minutes.