Recommendations
Senior Film Conservator

In the vast archive of cult cinema, The Lad and the Lion stands as a cult status beacon, the narrative complexity found here is a rare find in the 1917 landscape. From hidden underground hits to established classics, these are our top picks.
Few films from 1917 manage to capture to explore the darker corners of the human condition with cult status.
While on vacation from college, William Bankinton is shipwrecked. His mind a blank, he is picked up by a derelict ship upon which there are only a lion and a stowaway named Broot. After Broot commits suicide, Bankinton and the lion are cast adrift upon the shores of Africa where they exist in a primitive state for several months. One day, when Nakhia, the daughter of the Bedouin chief Ali-Es Hadji is out riding, she is beset by danger. Bankinton comes to her rescue and gradually he and the girl fall in love. Ben Saada, the bandit chief, desires Nakhia, and tries to kidnap her. The lion and Bankinton once again come to her defense, and in the ensuing fight, Bankinton is struck on the head and his memory is restored. He then proposes to Nakhia, and the couple set sail to America where they are reunited with Bankinton's family.
The influence of Alfred E. Green in The Lad and the Lion can be felt in the way modern cult films handle cult status. From the specific lighting choices to the pacing, this 1917 release set a high bar for atmospheric immersion.
Based on the unique cult status of The Lad and the Lion, our vault has identified these titles as the most compelling follow-up experiences for fans of cult cinema:
Dir: Alfred E. Green
After small-town attorney Deane Kendall wins an important case, a prestigious law firm lures him to the city. Accompanying him is his wife Edith, who retains her small-town ways, so does not fit into her husband's new social world. When adventuress Georgia Wilson meets the promising attorney, she falls in love and determines to break up his marriage. Georgia arranges for artist Charles Madison to lure Edith to his apartments and seduce her. Resisting his advances, Edith flees back to the innocent town of Harmony. Soon after, Kendall arrives, informed by Georgia that his wife is with Madison. However, the artist's mistress, who witnessed the incident, testifies to Edith's purity, and Kendall follows Edith back to their hometown, where they are reconciled.
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Dir: Alfred E. Green
A young man and his manservant, escaping from a backwoods family feud, are persuaded by a beautiful young heiress to help her rid her newly-gained Spanish castle of ghosts. The ghostly sightings, however, are the handiwork of the Duke d'Alba, who hopes to seize the castle's hidden treasure and use it to win the hand of the heiress.
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Dir: Alfred E. Green
Tom Macauley and his younger brother, Edwin, are directors in their father's bank. Edwin speculates with the bank's funds, but banker Lon Morris, a supposed friend, plots successfully to have Tom shoulder the blame. In prison, Tom becomes a trusty, but he breaks out when he learns that Morris is to marry Nora Brooks, his fiancee. He confronts Morris and Nora with the truth, beats up Morris for good luck, and returns to prison. His father dies heartbroken, and Tom is scorned by Edwin's wife when he is released. With the aid of two prison buddies (The Optimist and The Pessimist), Tom breaks into the Macauley bank (now controlled by Morris), steals funds, plants them in Morris' house, and notifies the bank examiners. Morris, who actually has been embezzling funds, goes to the bank to obtain more money before making a getaway. He is shot by a watchman; Tom learns that Nora has been a wife in name only; and he marries her.
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Dir: Alfred E. Green
A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.
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Dir: Alfred E. Green
Most of the scenes are laid in a parrot-and-monkey country in South America, a land where "it is always after dinner." The Llano Kid, a Texas bad man, flees there from justice. The consul persuades him to play the long-lost son of a Castilian family, and tattoos a coat of arms on the back of the Kid's hand to make the deception complete. The Kid is taken into the household, trusted and loved by the gladdened mother. For the first time he has a home. The romance develops. And when the time comes to rob and flee he has too much manhood to break the loving mother's heart. The surprise comes when it is revealed that the man the Kid killed in Texas was the real son.
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Dir: Alfred E. Green
Story of a war hero who preferred fishing to politics.
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Dir: Alfred E. Green
In trying to decide whom to marry--Rita Pring, the daughter of a South Seas ship captain, or Lady Helen Deene, an Englishwoman with wealth and influence--Burke Hammond consults Professor Jansen, a psychologist. Jansen induces in Burke a hypnotic trance in which he sees his future with each of the women. If he marries Helen, he will have fame, material comforts, and political power, but no love from his wife. If he marries Rita, his life will be humble but happy until Captain Pring's first mate, Jim McLeod, stirs up trouble and a shot is fired at Burke. Jansen cannot tell if the shot means death to Burke; nevertheless, Burke unhesitatingly chooses life with Rita.
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Dir: Alfred E. Green
Potash and Perlmutter give up their textile business to produce motion pictures. Though their initial effort is a failure, they interest a banker, Blanchard, in financing their productions, provided that they engage Rita Sismondi, an actress famous for vamp roles. She all but breaks up the homes of the partners. When they finally settle their differences, their new picture is a success and the vamp begins a romance with the director.
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Dir: Alfred E. Green
Sally works at a cafe resort in Paris. After dancing at the cafe, Otis, an American theatrical agent, convinces her to pose as a Russian dancer. After being unmasked, she is offered a contract on Broadway.
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Dir: Alfred E. Green
Harry Bullway is a careless young man, always after a good time. He nearly runs over a blind beggar with his car, but he shows no remorse. In response to his heartlessness, the beggar curses him, saying, "May you always have everything that you want."
View DetailsAnalysis relative to The Lad and the Lion
| Film Title | Atmosphere | Complexity | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silk Husbands and Calico Wives | Surreal | Layered | 91% Match |
| The Ghost Breaker | Surreal | High | 97% Match |
| The Man Who Found Himself | Tense | Linear | 85% Match |
| Little Lost Sister | Tense | High | 96% Match |
| A Double-Dyed Deceiver | Tense | Dense | 88% Match |
This guide was algorithmically generated using the cinematic metadata of Alfred E. Green's archive. Last updated: 6/27/2026.
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