Must-Watch List in the Vein of African Lions and American Beauties: Cult Guide

Dir: Fred Hibbard

With a tin can tied to Brownie's tail, he follows a flivver and makes the driver think that the car is rattling. This induces him to change the car for a horse and buggy, but Brownie continues to follow until the girl is won by the owner of the dog.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Oh, What a Knight perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Sheriff Jim is an overgrown mother's boy who eats enormous meals and loves a girl named Susan.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

A burglar constantly gets the "papers" when he is after the pearls, and a spy endlessly gets the pearls while he is after the "papers," and the jealous husband of a flighty wife lives in what he calls a "house full of lovers," consisting of the spy, the burglar, and some detectives, all in hiding, all trying to avoid him and one another.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

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

Merta and Bud were two great big grown up kinds, claiming as their parents, a four-foot Daddy, and a three-foot Ma. However, they do not escape spankings, etc., from their Dad, who was a near relative of Simon Legree. Buddy catches Dad making love to the nurses and then the fun begins! The nurse had a better half, like all nurses. The better half invites Dad and Bud to come to his beauty parlor to be improved upon. They go there, are given some nice gentle massages by the chief bully, Blue, the colored heavyweight champion of the town. When they get through with the treatments, they don't know whether they are on the head or feet. Like all country towns there was a circus, and while Mert and Bud are chasing each other in and out of the tents, they accidentally chase through the lion's cage and leave the door open. The lions escape and some of them find their way into the Beauty Parlor, where several damsels are indulging in the Fountain of Youth, etc. A little colored boy, the mascot of the Parlors, tries to escape the lions and hides in a filing cabinet, but Mr. Lion manages to open the drawer. Picky escapes through the transom of the door, but not before another lion has discovered him. He is chased for miles and miles by the wicked lions. He gives them the slip and is calmly eating pumpkin pie when his Dad, Blue, arrives. All ends in a happy peaceful way; the lions fall into the tank in the beauty parlor and sink to the regions below.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

The heroine promises to marry the bravest hunter among her men acquaintances.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

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

Weazel Tail Bend was so crooked it couldn't see straight. The sheriff and his deputy had the habits of Jesse James, and he also robbed the country by teaching school. The weekly train was the town's only sport. The engineer knew Weazel Bend- so he didn't even hesitated. They had a nice soft mattress on the station platform to catch the passengers that chanced that way. But one day the town was brightened considerably by the arrival of Miss Betsy Beautiful, whom the School Trustee sent to relieve the sheriff of one of his duties-teaching school. Her sweetheart Hiram Biff, had followed her, how ever, riding on his nerve and the engine rod. "Big Kick Kitchen," was the place where society mixed soft drinks with hard fists. Even the bad guy, Pineapple Pete, didn't look so hard, sipping a soft drink. However, looks are not everything. Pineapple decided to pay the bank an unofficial visit to draw out some cash he had never deposited, but he was interrupted by our friend the Sheriff, who demanded half of the loot. Everything was going lovely, when who should appear but Hiram. He rounded up the crooks in fine shape, grabbed the money with one hand, his girl with the other and they both grabbed the first train going the other way.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

Chocolate Drop was out of work and when he sees a sign on one of the circus tents reading "'Lion Feeder" wanted - he applies. He is given the job, but when he sees the lions, and they playfully try to snap his hand off, chew his hat up, and a few other pranks, he hot foots it to the nearest river and in he goes. Jimmy, the Village Peeper, is caught flirting with the Queen of the circus, through the tent flaps. The watcher of the circus wallops him and sends him spinning. He lands in front of the manager of the circus. The manager asks him if he is looking for a job, to which he answers in the affirmative. He is given the job of a clown and all around helper. He waters the elephants, feeds the lions, imitates a rope walker and everything that's possible he is, and does. A little side show takes place when the peanut man gets in the way of the angry mob when the gates are opened. A three cornered jealousy springs up between the manager, the lion tamer and Jimmy. They all are madly in love with the Queen of the Circus. To get even with the lion tamer, Jimmy lets the lions out of their cages. Then the fun begins. The lions are starved and make one bee line for the audiences. Several of the lions go into the various tents, where the freaks are having their show. One [man]'s eyes go back on him when he sees the lions and refuse to turn back, they become crossed. His feet, however, are his friends, and they sure do make some speed in getting away from the lions. The lion tamer, Jimmy and the Queen try to wrap themselves up in one of the tents to escape the lions, but leave it to the Hons to get into anything. We see the lion emerge from the tent with all kinds of clothing draped around hint, and when all is quiet, the lion having gone further looking for trouble, we see the three "chicken " hearts come up out of the ground.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Naughty Lions and Wild Men perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

The picture opens with Brownie in a tuxedo, eating an elaborate meal and finishing with the proper use of his finger bowl. It is all a dream, however, as he is but the assistant to an itinerant glazier who ties a stone to Brownie's tail and has him break show windows for his master to repair. The glazier combines business with a clothes cleaner and Brownie with his mud-smeared tail, rubs up against people and brings in plenty of business.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

Dr. Cutup paid so much attention to sport that his bank-roll was getting low and he was forced to devise an unusual means for getting business. Baseball was his great diversion and when the Female Giants hove into sight he deserted business for the ball grounds. But his wife and baby needed money so he hired Mrs. Joe Martin to carry out his pet scheme of filling the office with business. He made Mrs. Joe Martin dress up as office boy and sent her out for a dozen bananas. "Eat them and shatter the peels right in front of my door". The scheme was successful beyond even his expectations and the accidents which happened on banana paved side-walk brought a golden trickle into his till. Highly satisfied with the business Dr. Cutup put on his hat and decided to go out for an evening's entertainment, when kerflop. he went broke on his own business scheme.