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Recommendations
Senior Film Conservator
The cult sensibilities displayed in A Lion Special are unparalleled, the emotional payoff of the 1919 classic is what fans crave in similar titles. Our criteria for this list were simple: only the most artistic bravery and relevant titles.
The cultural footprint of A Lion Special in United States to define the very concept of artistic bravery in modern film.
Down on the farm old Pop Hebenezer had his troubles keeping his two daughters from spooning with his hired help. Luke loved Lucy, the younger daughter, and Billy loved Sally, the older one. The girls were serving their sweethearts with food but they forgot the food and made love. In the meantime the animal family, consisting of a goat, a donkey, a dog and a pig, were hungry, too. The dog spied the tray of food on the table, jumped through the window, grabbed the food and, ran away. Charlie, the oriental cook, the greatest little K. P. that ever was. He happened to pass outside of the window where the lovers were deeply engrossed, when they suddenly discovered the loss of their food, and blamed Charlie. They threw a pail of water over him for revenge. Pop invented a Nutt motor that would make anything on wheels stand as permanent as rock. The girls are keen about this, invention and all have a hand in perfecting it. When Pop looks around for his help he discovers Luke and Lucy on top of the barn on a see-saw. They had assigned the goat to beat the carpet and water the lawn, the donkey to put the hay in the loft, and the dog to mow the lawn. Sally and Billy camouflaged themselves like trees and were having a wild time all by their lonesome. Pop chases the lovers back to work and all is peaceful again. Two crooks are on their way to steal Pop's new invention, but the chief of police advises Pop of their arrival. The daughters put a lion in the case where the Nutt motor originally was, and the crooks steal this case and are very much surprised to find a not too loving lion staring them in the face. An uproarious chase follows, wherein the lion scares nearly everybody half to death.
The influence of James D. Davis in A Lion Special can be felt in the way modern cult films handle artistic bravery. From the specific lighting choices to the pacing, this 1919 release set a high bar for atmospheric immersion.
Based on the unique artistic bravery of A Lion Special, our vault has identified these titles as the most compelling follow-up experiences for fans of cult cinema:
Dir: James D. Davis
An office boy is in love with his employer's daughter. A stolen necklace, a masquerade ball, and chase scenes at the close are some of the ingredients.
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Dir: James D. Davis
A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.
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Dir: James D. Davis
Paul is about to be married but loses his clothes.
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Dir: James D. Davis
The girl of very superstitious Paul insists on getting married on Friday the 13th. His rival tries to prevent the marriage at all cost.
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Dir: James D. Davis
Paul is trying to elope with a girl whose father offers vigorous opposition. A rival suitor, who is a giant in stature, is also an impediment in the pathway of the swain and "his girl," but opposition to the runaway is finally overcome when the girl in the case sets fire to the house in which she is held captive and in the ensuing complication of events escapes with her Romeo.
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Dir: James D. Davis
Paul's career as a shoeshine man is interrupted when he is mistaken for an escaped convict, but after the Station Master gives him a job at the train station he proves his worth.
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Dir: James D. Davis
A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.
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Dir: James D. Davis
Two men who seek the same girl are switched back and forth in the wedding ceremony.
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Dir: James D. Davis
On the usual thread of romance in this kind of Mack Sennett comedy, are hung a series of amusing situations, and one of the most original is where one of the "fighting gentlemen" attempts to keep the tail of the cow he is milking still by tying it to his suspenders. When the cow takes fright and decides to make her getaway it is easy to imagine what happens. This, however, is only the outcome of another funny incident in which the dog and a couple of his grown-up playmates are engaged in a game of "blind man's buff" and he who happens to be chosen "it" gets in the way of an old-fashioned swing in motion. He is knocked into the midst of several hives of bees, and his mad rush to escape the stings of the insects sets several other comedy properties in motion. An old automobile, a team of horses in a runaway dash, driven by a tiny baby boy, and various persons on bicycles and otherwise propelled enter the chase. Another amusing and original incident is where Louise Fazenda, in a perfectly modest bathing suit, is fished from the stream by the hook of a young man's fishing pole. - Moving Picture World, 12 June 1920.
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Dir: James D. Davis
A boxer offers $50 to anyone who can stay in the ring with him for an entire minute. Larry, through a series of mix-ups--including hitting the boxer in the face with a tomato--winds up in the ring with him but, with the aid of some strategically placed horseshoes, manages to knock the boxer out. When he comes to and finds out what happened, the outraged boxer sets out after Larry,
View DetailsAnalysis relative to A Lion Special
| Film Title | Atmosphere | Complexity | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pearls and Girls | Gothic | Layered | 97% Match |
| Romance and Dynamite | Gothic | High | 89% Match |
| The Bride-to-Be | Tense | Layered | 88% Match |
| Friday, the Thirteenth | Gritty | High | 87% Match |
| Rough on Romeo | Surreal | Dense | 92% Match |
This guide was algorithmically generated using the cinematic metadata of James D. Davis's archive. Last updated: 6/26/2026.
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