Recommendations
Senior Film Conservator

If you found yourself captivated by the artistic bravery of Hands Up! (1926), the quest for comparable cinema becomes a journey through the fringes of film history. Below, we've gathered a list of films that every fan of Clarence G. Badger's work should explore.
Hands Up! remains a monumental achievement to create a hauntingly beautiful cinematic landscape.
A southern spy during the Civil War, he must try to capture a shipment of gold. His task is complicated by the two sisters, the Indians and a firing squad.
Hands Up! was a significant production in United States, showcasing the immense talent of Sam Appel, Charles K. French, Virginia Lee Corbin. It continues to be a top recommendation for anyone studying Action history.
Based on the unique artistic bravery of Hands Up!, our vault has identified these titles as the most compelling follow-up experiences for fans of Action cinema:
Dir: Clarence G. Badger
Homely schoolteacher Sam Lyman arrives from New England to settle in the Mississippi Valley town of Old Ebenezer, Arkansas while he studies law. During a game of forfeits given at the annual town social by Banker McElwyn, the richest man in town, Sam marries the banker's daughter Eva, the prettiest girl in town, in a fake ceremony. The couple later discovers that the marriage is legal and Sam offers to bow out, but Eva, who does not want to marry her father's choice, rich mule dealer Zeb Sawyer, persuades Sam to continue the marriage in name only. After Sam withstands slander from Zeb and McElwyn, they send night riders to horsewhip Sam and run him out of town, but he stays. When Zeb launches a run on McElwyn's bank, Sam saves it by depositing money he receives from writing a novel and bags marked $20,000, which are filled with horse shoes. Afterward, Eva refuses to have the marriage annulled.
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Dir: Clarence G. Badger
A burlesque dancer overcomes the puritanism of a repressed small town.
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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.
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Dir: Clarence G. Badger
A young woman reads tales of a gallant White Knight and imagines that such a knight might come to rescue her from her dull existence. Although she is wooed by a wealthy industrialist, she rejects his suit in hopes that her romantic ideal might come. One day a young writer comes to her village, and it seems as if he might be the hoped-for White Knight.
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Dir: Clarence G. Badger
Susan, a wealthy young Easterner, is making her way across the country when she accidentally becomes separated from the train carrying her west. She finds herself in the clutches of a gang of bandits, who discover they've got more on their hands than they bargained for.
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Dir: Clarence G. Badger
Dorothy Dean, a wealthy young woman with modern ideas, abhors the institution of marriage but discovers that she must be wed in order to receive a wealthy relative's inheritance. Through Judge Roan, the family lawyer, Dorothy meets Don Morton, who agrees to accept a $10,000 check to marry her and then leave her in peace. After the ceremony, however, Dorothy's new husband takes her to a lonely island retreat where he tries unsuccessfully to win her love. Defeated, he leaves the island. In his absence, she is attacked by thieves and is fighting for her life when Don returns and rescues her. Dorothy now realizes that she is happy to have a husband, and the two embark on a real honeymoon.
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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.
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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.
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Dir: Clarence G. Badger
Rosie Mendelsohn, the daughter of a kindly Jewish tailor in New York City's East Side ghetto, ends her romance with struggling author George Howard at the behest of her father, who prohibits her marriage to a gentile. George disappears from her life, and Rosie attempts to find him by becoming a private secretary to publisher Joseph Rayberg. She persuades Rayberg to host a contest in which authors submit endings to an unfinished manuscript she claims to have discovered. Rayberg, intent on seducing Rosie, agrees to publish the manuscript only after Rosie promises to have sex him when the contest is over. In reality, the manuscript is a portion of George's novel, a humorous story based on Rosie's life. After receiving George's ending to the story, Rayberg locks Rosie in his office, but she escapes into George's arms. Her father relents and blesses their union.
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Dir: Clarence G. Badger
Coarse country girl Sis Hopkins and general store clerk Ridy Scarboro are so engrossed in their dalliance that a basket is overturned and a large can of oil spills into a pool, creating a slow leak. Wealthy villager Vibert thus becomes convinced that Sis's farm is located on a pocket of oil, and he schemes to gain control of the property by marrying Sis. Vibert sends her to a young woman's seminary for refinement. Sis creates chaos in the school and is a problem for principal Miss Peckover. Vibert eventually realizes Sis will never measure up to his standards for a wife. Ridy, who has been jealous, is overjoyed when Sis returns home. Vibert entices Pa Hopkins into selling the property for a small amount, but Sis shrewdly succeeds in tripling the price. Finally Vibert discovers the can in which he has invested so heavily.
View DetailsAnalysis relative to Hands Up!
| Film Title | Atmosphere | Complexity | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almost a Husband | Surreal | Linear | 90% Match |
| A Perfect Lady | Surreal | Linear | 86% Match |
| Kids Is Kids | Tense | Layered | 94% Match |
| Day Dreams | Tense | Dense | 85% Match |
| Leave It to Susan | Tense | Dense | 88% Match |
This guide was algorithmically generated using the cinematic metadata of Clarence G. Badger's archive. Last updated: 6/19/2026.
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