Recommendations
Senior Film Conservator

The artistic legacy of Jess Robbins was forever changed by He Laughs Last, the thematic layers of this 1920 classic invite a wider exploration of the genre. This list serves as a bridge to other Comedy experiences that are just as potent.
The vintage appeal of He Laughs Last to reinvent the tropes of Comedy cinema for a global audience.
Jimmy, arriving in the town, which is unable to keep a sheriff in office on account of the villainous doings of the villain, gang leader and his band, takes delight in beating up the villain, the latter attempts to kiss the girl against her will. She appeals to him to take the Sheriff's job and he does so. At first it appears as though he may join his predecessors, but the tide of battle turns in his favor; he beats up the villain; scares the gang out of town and settles down in earnest to his job. His plans to marry the heroine are frustrated, when she turns up with her husband-to-be-who proves to be no other than the previous gang-leader. Jimmy, unable face the happiness of the two, turns his sheriff's job over to the reformed gang-leader and leaves the town.
Based on the unique artistic bravery of He Laughs Last, our vault has identified these titles as the most compelling follow-up experiences for fans of Comedy cinema:
Dir: Henry Edwards
A millionaire bets £25,000 that he can earn his own living for six months.
View Details
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: Edgar Jones
A mail-order bride arrives at a Maine lumber camp but doesn't like her prospective husband.
View Details
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: Maurice Campbell
Carver Endicott, a young sophisticate, is rejected by his fiancée for being too foppish and dull. When she feigns an interest in his father, Carver attempts to disgrace his family name by working as a farmhand and later as a busboy in a hotel. However, the newspapers only praise him for his self-sacrificing principles; and finding that he cannot bring shame to the family through menial labor, he takes up with a notorious actress. But when this maneuver also fails, he returns to his former fiancée, who has no further complaint about his being an inexperienced dullard.
View Details
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: Eduardo Notari
A crime drama in the Gennariello-series. The police detective in Naples that is confronted with modern gangsters and crime events.
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 Details
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.
View DetailsAnalysis relative to He Laughs Last
| Film Title | Atmosphere | Complexity | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Amazing Quest of Mr. Ernest Bliss | Gritty | Linear | 86% Match |
| Lunatics in Politics | Ethereal | Dense | 97% Match |
| In the River | Gritty | High | 92% Match |
| Mary's Ankle | Surreal | High | 86% Match |
| An Amateur Devil | Tense | Linear | 98% Match |
This guide was algorithmically generated using the cinematic metadata of Jess Robbins's archive. Last updated: 6/6/2026.
Back to He Laughs Last Details →