Hand-Picked Alternatives for Fans of A Close Shave: Cult Guide

Dir: Charley Chase

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: Lloyd Ingraham

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Mary's Ankle 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: Gilbert Pratt

Two playful young ladies make the acquaintance of two idle sons, who follow them, persistently forcing their way into a dancing academy, much against the dancing master's will. One of them gets a bright idea, and with the help of two pieces of mirror and a long pipe making a periscope, watch the dancing lessons. They are much interested in the dance of the seven veils, when the dancing master spies the periscope. He comes down, scares Monte away, and takes his place beside the unsuspecting Joe. Joe finally evades him, the two again resume their persistently in forcing their way into the place, assuming two suits of armor, being brought to the academy. Queer things follow rapidly on top of one another, winding up with the two running, as the picture fades.

Dir: Ralph Ince

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

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Gilbert Pratt

Jimmy is compelled to retreat when he tries to flirt without a license. He annoys the park policeman who chases him, He comes upon Stella Flip, seeking her run-a-way dog, He helps her hunt for the dog, finally resting on a bench, Jimmy is surprised suddenly by the dog jumping upon the bench with friendliness to him. He falls asleep on the bench and dreams the following. Mr. Jipper, more of a robber than the usual hotel proprietor, is caught in a safety first trap, when he tries to pick Willie Hold's pocket, and Willie, who is a salesman for the Safety First Trans tries to sell him a trap, Jimmy arrives with the dog, meets Stella and returns the dog to her. He is trying to make a hit with Stella, when the proprietor interferes, and has him kicked out, Jimmy, nothing daunted, finds his way back, as a bell hop. After causing considerable trouble, he finally lands in the crook's den, and the proprietor, who is also the leader of the gang, makes him a member of it. During the course of his operations as one of the gang, Jimmy is forced to operate on an audience in the hotel room, which was borrowed to display some of the latest creations and shapes. Caught in the act by the policeman, Jimmy makes his escape, seeking safety behind the curtains of the stage. When the curtain goes up he has assumed the disguise of a nifty bathing suit - and again as Madame Peekaboo, when the cop and proprietor discover him. There is a wild chase, Jimmy finally wakes up, the policeman rapping him with his club, and finds the dog next to him. He grabs up the dog, and runs with it, as the policeman looks after him, scratching his head in perplexity.

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: Edgar Jones

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

Dir: Gilbert Pratt

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

Earl and Joe get jobs in a barber's shop, Earl as a bootblack and Joe as an expert with the razor. Of course, the manicure girls figure in the lively party, and it's a safe bet that all the customers who visit this particular barber shop while Earl shines shoes and Joe shaves faces are going to get everything the shop has to offer but service.

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: Gilbert Pratt

Honorable Mike O'Flannigan; duke of Dublin, and the Honorable Patrik O'Toole, count of Cork, touring the country, receive an invitation from their friend. Barney, to pay his two nieces a visit while in their town. Finding that her demand for rent meets with no response, the landlady collects her boarders clothes, Monty and Rock, two of the non-paying boarders, finding their clothes gone, steal the suits from two dummies which the second-handed clothes dealer had nought from a thief who had stolen them from the two Irish men, Pat and Mike, Dressed like "Beau Brummels" but without a cent to their name, the two, Monty and Rock, pose as the count and the duke, and call on the two nieces. Invited by the two girls to go to the cafe, the two accept with great willingness, it so happens that the two Irishmen go to the same cafe. Finding the bill, far, far above their expectations, and not being able to pay it, Joe manages to get the money from a "drunk", and is seen by the waiter who takes it from him, Monty seeing what is going on, picks the waiter's pocket, putting a salt cellar in its place. The ''drunk's" dog takes it from Monty's pocket and returns it to his master. Waiter discovering..how he has been fooled, chases them out. Meanwhile, Mike and Pat have discovered the girls, recognize them and go over to them, Monte and Rock return, and there is much comedy in their discovering the real duke and count, Mike and Pat start "some thing". In avoiding the count and duke, Monty and Rock come face to face with the landlady and the second-handed clothes dealer, who have suspended business for pleasure, and in the melee that follows, every one is hitting some one else, Monty manages to creep out, and is taking the girls out to the car to safety, where they meet Rock already in the car. Just as they are about to drive away, Mike and Pat who have "cleaned up" the crowd, come out, and start in pursuit of the car, which speeds away, the four looking out through the window of the hood at Mike and Pat, both angry, vengeful men.