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After experiencing the artistic bravery of Temptation and the Man (1916), you are likely searching for more films that share its specific artistic vision. Unlock a new level of cinematic understanding with these cult alternatives.
This 1916 cult classic stands as a testament to push the boundaries of conventional storytelling.
Jim Crosby has shifted for himself since his early childhood. He has become a gangster, feared by all his companions because of his strength. In a fight, which he enters for his sister's sake, he is arrested and sent to jail for a term of months. In the meantime Ann Payton, a society girl, has rented a saloon which she has turned into a mission. She is engaged to be married to Temple Vaughn, her father's young secretary, but decides to wait a year before marrying. The day that Jim is released from prison he gets mixed up in a brawl, and knowing that the police are just waiting a chance to arrest him again, he seeks refuge in the old saloon, a former hangout. Ann takes him in and shelters him from the police. Vaughn has been leading a fast life and has become involved with a woman by the name of Costello and a gambler called Johnson. He loses heavily, and to pay the debt forges a check. Jim, who has been given a position in the bank, recognizes Johnson when he comes to cash the check. He discovers that Vaughn is not able to meet the check, and in lieu of settlement Johnson forces Vaughn to invite a number of his wealthy friends to his house for a game of cards. Jim overhears the two planning the card party and, knowing Ann's love for Vaughn, he decides to get the check and so prevent any further blackmail. At the party Vaughn stands seeing his friends fleeced as long as he can and then accuses Johnson of cheating. Then a figure appears at the door, holding a pistol. He rifles all their pockets, taking the money on the table and the forged check. But in robbing Vaughn, Jim slips in his pocket the forged check. Jim is caught while trying to make his escape and is sentenced to a term in prison. Some time later Vaughn finds in his pocket the forged check and realizes that Jim has committed the crime only to save him. He offers to take all the blame, but Jim will not listen. After his marriage Vaughn again gets connected with Johnson and his mistress. There is a quarrel and Johnson is arrested for running a gambling house. In prison he meets Jim and tells him that the first thing he does upon his release from prison will be to kill Vaughn. Later they are both released on the same day. Jim goes at once to warn Vaughn who arrives a few moments after and who accuses Jim of paying attention to his wife. Jim tries to warn him, but Johnson steps out from behind a screen and shoots him through the heart. In the last scene Jim and Ann are seen together, establishing another mission in the Bowery. It is left to the spectator whether or not Jim will ever succeed in overcoming the great social gap which lies between them.
The influence of Robert F. Hill in Temptation and the Man can be felt in the way modern cult films handle artistic bravery. From the specific lighting choices to the pacing, this 1916 release set a high bar for atmospheric immersion.
Based on the unique artistic bravery of Temptation and the Man, our vault has identified these titles as the most compelling follow-up experiences for fans of cult cinema:
Dir: Robert F. Hill
Octavia Lowden (La Plante) is the mainstay of a family consisting of Aunt Minnie (Titus), firmly convinced that she is "not long for this world," Eloise (Ricksen), a younger sister with a twisted disposition, Uncle Eph (Barrows), who fought with General Grant at Appomattox, Bob (Messinger), a kid brother with a sleep-and-mischief complex, and Grandma (Lee), the only regular sport in the outfit, but tied to her chair. Octavia is a photographer in Pritchett Spence's (Barnes) gallery and much, but hopelessly admired by Spence. With a family of sick people Octavia cannot give Spence a moment's attention. Finally he ventures to her house one Sunday afternoon, with such results that he is driven to a desperate trick. To get her away from her bloodsucking relatives, he sends her on an out-of-town assignment and then has a doctor friend quarantine the house. Detectives keep Octavia and the other inmates of the house within, and of course Octavia worries over her family, all of them probably starving or dying. As a matter of fact, they are all - but Grandma - at work, facing a realization that they either work or starve. Meanwhile, Spence and Dr. Hiram Smith sit back and chuckle - until Grandma gets sick. Then Spence goes to the country place to bring Octavia home, and has to whip the very detectives he put around the house because they do not know him. But a skunk releases the "prisoners" and in a short time Octavia finds herself at home - and a strange home it is, with Bob in overalls and Eloise and Aunt Minnie in aprons. And then Spence seeks forgiveness for his "trick" and receives punishment extraordinary - a life sentence with Octavia.
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Dir: Robert F. Hill
Criminals steal a death ray that concentrates the rays of the sun. The inventor's daughter and a government agent try to retrieve it.
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Dir: Robert F. Hill
Reluctant to arrest Billy Carson, a crook who once befriended him, Officer Quinn forces him and Dan, his confederate, to spend a year in a small town. There, Carson falls in love, reforms, and saves his future father-in-law's business. Dan also settles down and marries.
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Dir: Robert F. Hill
Jack Foley, a tough policeman who patrols the city's worst beat, loses his nerve when he believes he has hurt Tillie Miller, the girl he loves, but he recovers his confidence after he finds that her injury was inflicted by Spike Kennedy, a gangster. He beats up Spike, thereby permanently cleaning up the neighborhood.
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Dir: Robert F. Hill
A man struggles to survive after being shipwrecked on a deserted island.
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Dir: Robert F. Hill
When Sheldon Polk's father, a banker, makes a loan to businessman Frank Farnsworth, Sheldon is sent to deliver the money. However, he is attacked and robbed before he can deliver the funds. Circumstantial evidence leads the police to arrest Sheldon for the robbery, he is convicted and sent to prison. He escapes in order to clear his name and discover who framed him for the robbery and then murdered his father.
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Dir: Robert F. Hill
Reformed criminal Boston Blackie is outraged when a judge refuses to grant a pardon for a dying friend. He hires Norine, his now-dead friend's daughter, to get to the judge through his son Rudy. However, things don't work out quite as Blackie had planned.
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Dir: Robert F. Hill
Kerry Reynolds' friends pull off a prank by tricking him into thinking he has discovered a damsel in distress. After becoming involved in a sticky predicament involving a diamond necklace he marries the girl, and a happy ending prevails for all.
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Dir: Robert F. Hill
Colonel Faraday asks his daughter, Diana, to recover some letters he wrote to Yvette, an adventuress, when she tries to blackmail him. Diana is vamping Gerald Skinner, Yvette's partner, so as to get the letters when a football hero in love with her, Royall Randall, piqued at being stood up, bursts into the cafe, starts a fight, and manages to recover the letters.
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Dir: Robert F. Hill
When Jane is abducted by Arab slave traders, Tarzan comes to her rescue, only to see her kidnapped again by Queen La of Opar. To save Jane, Tarzan must battle both the queen's minions and William Clayton, who seeks Tarzan's family title.
View DetailsAnalysis relative to Temptation and the Man
| Film Title | Atmosphere | Complexity | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Young Ideas | Gothic | High | 93% Match |
| The Flaming Disc | Surreal | Dense | 96% Match |
| The Breathless Moment | Gothic | Dense | 98% Match |
| Jack O'Clubs | Ethereal | Dense | 88% Match |
| The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe | Tense | High | 94% Match |
This guide was algorithmically generated using the cinematic metadata of Robert F. Hill's archive. Last updated: 5/7/2026.
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