Hand-Picked Alternatives for Fans of Fire Bugs: Cult Guide

Dir: Henry Edwards

A millionaire bets £25,000 that he can earn his own living for six months.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

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

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

We'll call the lady Milt for short because she impersonates a young sailor lad. Milt's captain was a baseball fiend and had to have his ball games on board. For a target he used an ebony head, but the target was held in place by the first mate who had a whip in hand. Milt was a regular jazz baby. He shimmied and jazzed and played his ukulele all day long. Landing Day arrives and Milt is as signed to tie up the ship at the dock. The captain, as all sailors do, had a sweetheart in every town. In this particular town, Edith Roberts was his sweety. But she had more than one suitor. There were three, four and five hanging around her door at all times, and dad kept his shotgun busy chasing them. She falls in love with a dude and they elope; but little do they know they escape on an enemy's ship. Her sweetheart's rival was no one else but the captain and when he discovers who is on board, the fun begins. The sweetheart is thrown into prison, and the girl is put on K. P. Milt was the chief chef and Edith was made his assistant. While Milt has his back turned, Edith puts some gun-powder in the cake dough, and blows poor Milt to smithereens. She helps her lover to escape and they both jump overboard. They are picked up by a cruiser and the guns are trained on the pirate ship. The boat sinks with all the bad men, but Milt manages to escape in a rowboat. He takes off his civvy clothes and swears never to leave the jungle again.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Good Ship Rock 'n' Rye perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

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: Reggie Morris

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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.

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

Dir: Eduardo Notari

A crime drama in the Gennariello-series. The police detective in Naples that is confronted with modern gangsters and crime events.

Dir: Fred Hibbard

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

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.

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: Edgar Jones

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