Recommendations
Senior Film Conservator

After experiencing the artistic bravery of Is Matrimony a Failure? (1922), finding other movies that capture that same lightning in a bottle is a top priority. These recommendations provide a deep dive into the same stylistic territory occupied by Is Matrimony a Failure?.
This 1922 Comedy classic stands as a testament to challenge the status quo through its avant-garde structure.
Mr. and Mrs. Amos Saxby's silver wedding anniversary is interrupted by the surprise elopement of their daughter Margaret with bank clerk Arthur Haviland. Law student Dudley King, and rival suitor for Margaret, announces that the marriage-license clerk is on vacation and that the license obtained by the elopers is invalid; he wires the proprietor of the lodge where the couple plan to spend their honeymoon, and Arthur and his wife indignantly return home. Demanding an explanation from the assistant clerk, Arthur learns that all marriages processed in November for the past 30 years are void because the clerk had not then been sworn in, and in consequence many households dissolve. But the husbands do not relish their newly-gained freedom, and when the license clerk returns, he declares all the marriages legal. Arthur rescues his bride just as King is about to carry her off, and the matrimonial routine begins.
Critics widely regard Is Matrimony a Failure? as a cult-favorite piece of Comedy cinema. Its artistic bravery is frequently cited as its strongest asset, solidifying its place in United States's film legacy.
Based on the unique artistic bravery of Is Matrimony a Failure?, our vault has identified these titles as the most compelling follow-up experiences for fans of Comedy cinema:
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: Hal Roach
An American book salesman (Lloyd) is persuaded to go to the kingdom of Thermosa to impersonate the Prince. He is greeted by a peasants' revolt before the real prince shows up to claim his throne and princess. The revolution succeeds, and the American is elected president of the new republic.
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Dir: James Cruze
Young Jack Wright offers his hand in marriage to the winner of a lottery, but after committing to the winner falls in love with another woman.
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Dir: James Cruze
A young man pursues a young lady with the same energy he applies to his other obsession in life, auto racing.
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Dir: James Cruze
Walsingham Van Dorn, a rather unsuccessful book agent, is stunned to learn that he has inherited forty million dollars from his two uncles. Van Dorn asks his attorney Wilkins to handle the responsibilities entailed in managing the fortune and then retires to his mansion. One evening, however, he is awakened by a young woman named Desiree Lane, who refuses to leave until the two million dollars that his uncles swindled away from her father is restored. Van Dorn tries to return the money but discovers that Wilkins has stolen it and fled. Van Dorn and Desiree set out to find him, but when the hotel in which they have stopped for the night burns down, they are left standing in the street clad only in pajamas. To avoid a scandal, they marry and happily settle down. Two years later, Wilkins, unable to handle the fortune, returns it, but the young couple wonders whether they will continue to be happy as millionaires.
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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: 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: Henry Edwards
A millionaire bets £25,000 that he can earn his own living for six months.
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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: James Cruze
Rival logging companies battle for the Valley of the Giants (redwood trees) when a young engineer returns home to help his father by building a new rail line to transport the logs to the sawmill. A romance between the engineer and the rival's niece complicates the situations.
View DetailsAnalysis relative to Is Matrimony a Failure?
| Film Title | Atmosphere | Complexity | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lunatics in Politics | Ethereal | Dense | 97% Match |
| His Royal Slyness | Gothic | Layered | 92% Match |
| The Lottery Man | Tense | Dense | 89% Match |
| The Roaring Road | Gritty | Abstract | 97% Match |
| Too Many Millions | Gothic | Layered | 86% Match |
This guide was algorithmically generated using the cinematic metadata of James Cruze's archive. Last updated: 5/31/2026.
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