Top-Tier Alternatives In the Shadow of No Mother to Guide Him: Cult Guide

Dir: Erle C. Kenton

Harry is a wealthy young idler aspiring to the hand of a beautiful girl in his own set. His trouble commences when he is boldly taken in hand by a robust woman barber who later sues him after a free for all fight in his home. Our hero finally wins back the charming heroine after an automobile chase that is full of surprises, thrills and laughs.

Dir: Erle C. Kenton

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: Erle C. Kenton

The dyed-in-the-wool movie fan who is not content to look at pictures but must see how they are made is richly caricatured in this short.

Dir: Erle C. Kenton

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: Erle C. Kenton

A poor bank clerk is in love with his boss's daughter. To obtain funds for a vacation he takes some money, hides it and in a tough fight (with himself) subdues the supposed thief.

Dir: Erle C. Kenton

A shoe clerk steps out on his wife with a customer. His wife catches them at the beach and a beauty contest. Back at work, the pageant winner shows up for her prize. A trip to the hospital later, the clerk still has an eye for a peach.

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

Dir: Erle C. Kenton

Sam, a young man in a small town, is accused of being a thief. Unable to prove his innocence--and not knowing that he's being framed by a local villain to keep him away from pretty young Mary, the town beauty whom the villain wants for himself--he leaves town and goes to Hollywood to become an actor. He eventually returns home to town as a star, but once again finds himself the victim of the town villain, who this time abducts sweet young Mary. Sam must use all his acting skills to track down the villain and save Mary.

Dir: Erle C. Kenton

Charles Murray and son find themselves in love with Widow and her daughter, Char lot to Mineau, and Mario Provost. Charming romantic scenes "between George Bolgor, the son and Marie Prevost. Romances of both seem to progress favorably until both decide to present their sweethearts with bouquets which happen to be identical. Father seeing son giving his bouquet to widow for her daughter mistakes act and thinks boy is making love to the lady of his choice. Innumerable misunderstandings follow which when cleared up pave way for big misunderstanding which starts when Ford sterling, an adventurer arrives at country hotel where parties are vacationing. Sterling has just had adventure with matrimonial agency, having married a client and deserted her and her son. They follow him to country place arriving just in time to prevent his marriage to charming widow who is not only pretty but wealthy. Boy at first mistakes his victim, he never having seen his step father and administers a terrible beating to poor Charles Murray who has arrived with a little gift and broken heart to wish the widow a happy life. Son is played by Eddie Gribbon and he makes due apology to Murray and proceeds to drag sterling out to merited fate, leaving Murray to resume his suit, and win the widow, while charming Marie is married in double wedding to her gallant lover, Bolger.

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

Dir: Erle C. Kenton

Jack O'Day, a pugilist, is retired because of his mother's antipathy to fighting. He is rediscovered in a steel mill and is drafted to fight the heavyweight "champ", only because he needs money to send his mother to the country. The training starts but O'Day wins the heart of his manager, who had originally tried to frame him, by saving the manager's child who is in danger of death on a railroad trestle.

Dir: Erle C. Kenton

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.