Curated Recommendations Similar Cinematic Experiences to Fast Life:...

Dir: Harry A. Pollard

When a young bride, newly entered into society, discovers she is pregnant, she consults an old friend on the most effective means of abortion. The friend gives her a potent drug, and that night the woman locks herself in her room, presses the potion bottle to her lips, falls across her bed and begins to dream. In her dream, her husband finds out about her abortion and demands a divorce. Years pass and the woman, now decrepit and alone, is visited by the ghost of her "Child-That-Might-Have-Been." The ghost takes her on a spiritual journey where she sees her husband, who is remarried and happy with his own family, hundreds of smiling babies wrapped in flowers in Babyland, and finally her own death and damnation. At her demise, she wakes from her nightmare, joyful to find the drug untouched, and rushes to tell her husband about her impending motherhood.

Dir: Reggie Morris

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: Harry A. Pollard

Peggy Brockman's idyllic life with her oil-magnate father is disrupted when he remarries and arrives home with his bride and her two snobbish daughters. The new Mrs. Brockman reads that Lord George Raleigh is anchored off shore in his yacht, and regarding him as a possible conquest for one of her daughters, issues him an invitation to a garden party. In quest of his seclusion, his Lordship sends his butler Wiggins to attend in his place. Peggy is banned from the party, and in revenge, sneaks aboard the yacht where she meets the real lord who is enchanted by her. For her prank, Peggy is banished to college and the lord enrolls also. One night by mistake, Peggy climbs into the boys' dormitory and finds herself in Raleigh's room. To prevent a scandal, they elope, but on the way from the justice's house are arrested and thrown in jail. Peggy's horrified family arrives just in time to witness Lord Raleigh disclose his true identity and announce that Peggy is his bride.

Dir: Harry A. Pollard

Leander Potts, a burlesque manager, has brought his Frivolous Frolickers to Greenville for a one-night stand at the Opera House. But there are bigger things ahead for Leander in Greenville. The natives have mistaken him for the Potum of Swat, a sturdy centenarian, who with his daughters, ranging in age from 70 to 85 years, is to give a lecture on how to live a thousand years. Leander and his burlesquers are given a royal welcome, and then and there he decides to assume the identity of the real Potum.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Girl Who Couldn't Grow Up perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Richard Smith

Two female candidates for Chief of Police live across the hall from each other, and their political rivalry follows them home, leading to plenty of hi-jinks.

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.

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

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.

Dir: Harry A. Pollard

Motherless Phyllis Ladd runs the household of her father John, a railroad president, who loves her but dreads the day that she will marry and leave. To make her social debut, Phyllis leaves her hometown of Carthage and accepts the invitation of Mrs. Fenshaw, a Washington social matron, to live with her. Phyllis soon tires of the stuffy life and boring suitors and returns. At a matinee road-show performance, Phyllis becomes infatuated with actor Cyril Adair. When she invites him for tea, the vain actor accepts, hoping to seduce her. After more meetings, Cyril's discarded lover informs Ladd, who demands that the romance cease. Phyllis elopes with Cyril, who, touched by her devotion, marries her. Although their life is plagued by Cyril's alcoholism, firings and inability to get new roles because Ladd influences theater managers to reject him, Phyllis patiently tries to bring out the best in her husband. When Phyllis and Cyril refuse Ladd's bribes to end the marriage, Ladd relents, backs a show in which Cyril is to star and is reconciled with the couple.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Lunatics in Politics perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Harry A. Pollard

Miss Jackie Holbrook is the daughter of wealthy Californians. She is noted for her frolicsome nature, and is the favored of all but Captain Robert Crowne, U.S.A., whose ship is anchored off Coronado awaiting further orders. Jackie decides to make Crowne fall in love with her, and her opportunity comes when she hears of a new sailor going to ship with Crowne to the Isle of Vergania, to quell a native uprising. The girl dons sailor clothes and sails with the ship. She is the butt of Big Bill Blount's jokes and jeers because of her effeminacy, and causes the others on board much laughter. When they arrive at Vergania she is one of those chosen to go into the interior and is the one that saves Crowne's life. Her identity is discovered to the delight of the sailors, and Crowne asks her to marry him immediately.

Dir: Maurice Elvey

A lady marries a horse trainer but withholds herself until her crippled brother is cured.