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Recommendations
Senior Film Conservator
Exploring the stylistic flair in Broken China is a journey into United States cinema, the thematic layers of this 1926 classic invite a wider exploration of the genre. If Bobby Vernon, Frances Lee, William Blaisdell impressed you, these next recommendations will too.
With Harold Beaudine at the helm, Broken China became to reinvent the tropes of Comedy cinema for a global audience.
Bobby asks permission to marry Betty, but her father, who is Chief of Police, refuses, telling Bobby that she can only marry a policeman and that he has promised her hand to Artie, the new Lieutenant. Just then Artie comes in and tells Bobby he is to announce their engagement that night at the Policeman's Ball. Bobby leaves telling Betty he will see her that night. Bobby, masquerading in a policeman's outfit, arrives at the ball, but is thrown out. As he is walking along, a patrol wagon comes by, filled with police on their way to raid Chinatown. They see Bobby and thinking him an officer, pull him into the wagon. When the patrol reaches Chinatown, the Lieutenant order. Bobby to patrol the street and tells him to stay there. They depart, leaving Bobby all alone and a bit scared. As he sits on a garbage can a little Chinese boy places a big firecracker in it and when it explodes, Bobby lands in an underground Chinese den. Won Lung, a notorious smuggler, is seated in Buddha fashion when Bobby arrives. In his endeavor to see him better, Bobby ignites Won's beard with a candle and when Won discovers it, he starts after Bobby. In the meantime, the Chief of Police, Betty and Artie arrive with the other police. In the den, Won and Bobby are having a fight and the Chinaman is just about to kill Bobby when he knocks him out. Hiding behind Won, he directs the Chinamen to get out of the den. The ground opens and one by one they land in the patrol wagon. Finally, Bobby arrives with Won Lung and the police recognize him as the smuggler. The Chief of Police congratulates Bobby and gives him his daughter and his blessing. As they embrace the street opens and they disappear down below.
Based on the unique stylistic flair of Broken China, our vault has identified these titles as the most compelling follow-up experiences for fans of Comedy cinema:
Dir: Eduardo Notari
A crime drama in the Gennariello-series. The police detective in Naples that is confronted with modern gangsters and crime events.
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Dir: Mason N. Litson
Edgar and his chum try to amass a fortune in one day by cornering the fan market on a hot afternoon when the circus comes to the small town where they are spending their vacation.
Dir: Unknown Director
The Judge needs a present for his wife's birthday, so Harry suggests a new corset. They go to the shop, but he's so embarrassed to ask the saleslady he hides in a phone booth.Harry goes in, but finds a GUY wearing one, and runs out.They both dress as women to get back in, but Mrs. Rummy gets there and chases him out.
Dir: Lloyd Ingraham
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.
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Dir: Reggie Morris
A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.
Dir: Vernon Stallings
Krazy Kat is held in jail and Ignatz finally bails him out after encountering "guilt".
Dir: Jerome Storm
Ne'er-do-well Homer Cavender ventures to the city from Mainsville in an effort to find fame and fortune. Both elude him, and after clerking for two years, Homer returns home for a vacation. Impressed by his flashy clothes, the townspeople assume that Homer has achieved success. Attempting to win Rachel Prouty from his rival, Arthur Machim, Homer continues the deception by announcing that his employer, Kort and Bailly, has dispatched him to enroll stockholders for a proposed new plant to be built in Mainsville. Machim discovers the sham and denounces Homer as a crook. Meanwhile, Homer returns to New York, convinces his employers of the merits of his plan and comes home triumphant, with a proposal for both the new plant and for Rachel's hand in marriage.
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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.
View DetailsAnalysis relative to Broken China
| Film Title | Atmosphere | Complexity | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 'A mala nova | Surreal | Layered | 92% Match |
| Get-Rich-Quick Edgar | Tense | Abstract | 95% Match |
| The Land of Opportunity | Gritty | Layered | 87% Match |
| A Fitting Gift | Surreal | Layered | 96% Match |
| Mary's Ankle | Surreal | High | 86% Match |
This guide was algorithmically generated using the cinematic metadata of Harold Beaudine's archive. Last updated: 6/18/2026.
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