Recommendations
Senior Film Conservator

If you found yourself captivated by the character-driven intensity of The Match King (1932), the profound questions raised in 1932 still require cinematic answers today. Experience the United States influence in these recommendations that echo The Match King.
The Match King remains a monumental achievement to provide a definitive example of Howard Bretherton's stylistic genius.
A janitor rises through graft and deception to control his uncle's match factory in Sweden, building a global monopoly via manipulation and seductive allies until a beautiful woman distracts him from his precarious empire.
Based on the unique character-driven intensity of The Match King, our vault has identified these titles as the most compelling follow-up experiences for fans of Drama cinema:
Dir: Hugh Ford
The 'dead' wife of a steel process inventor returns, as does her 'dead' husband, a war amnesiac.
View Details
Dir: Harley Knoles
Jim McDonald, the foreman of a shipbuilding plant and head of the labor union, strives to combat the anarchistic propaganda being put forth by Klimoff, the leader of a Bolshevik gang whose goal is to disrupt the country with strikes and anarchy. Despite McDonald's efforts, a strike is called, resulting in chaos. McDonald's child is knocked down by runaway horses abandoned by their striking driver, and dies. Mob scenes take place in America, as well as in Russia. Eventually, the unrest is quelled with an armistice called between Capital and Labor for a year, during which time wages are to be increased to reflect the cost of living, and leaders are to work out a common plan for their mutual advantage. The strikers now realize that they have been pawns of the Bolsheviks and call off the strike, agreeing to the plan.
Dir: Alexander Butler
In Alberta, Canada, a Cornish emigrant unmasks a rustler posing as the girl's "blind" father.
View Details
Dir: Victor Heerman
In the gold fields of the Canadian Northwest, a man is falsely accused of a crime and determines that a lookalike is responsible.
Dir: William Parke
Bruce Wendell, the son of West Virginia coal mine owner James Wendell, graduates from West Point and prepares to lead a fighting unit to the front during World War I. As his father lies dying, however, he convinces Bruce to remain at home and guard the mine. Bruce's fiancée Ann Blair assumes that he is a coward and breaks off their engagement, but her brother Bobbie remains Bruce's loyal friend. Meyer, a German agent, persuades railroad president Parrish to refuse to transport Wendell's coal, but when Bruce adamantly refuses to close the mine, the spy's men decide to blow it up. While Ann is being abducted by Meyer, Bobbie is buried in an explosion at the mine. Bruce rescues Bobbie and then sends a plea to Lieutenant Parrish to rescue Ann. Meyer and his gang are captured and Ann renews her vow of love to Bruce.
View Details
Dir: Bruno Ziener
A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.
Dir: Dallas M. Fitzgerald
Confidence artist Flossie Golden attempts to fleece foolish but wealthy James Venable with a breach-of-promise suit. Venable's shrewd attorney, Richard Harding, outwits Flossie by proposing that she marry Venable and live on an allowance of $3,000 per year. Flossie is determined to get even with Harding for ruining her plans. In an attempt to con him, she poses as Innocence Page, but falls in love and marries him instead. Larry, Flossie's former accomplice, endeavors to blackmail her with her errant past, but Harding is already cognizant of the facts and Larry fails.
View Details
Dir: Maurice Elvey
A lady marries a horse trainer but withholds herself until her crippled brother is cured.
Dir: Robert N. Bradbury
A simple country girl, brutally mistreated by her stepfather, awakens first the sympathy, then the love, of The Boy. The Spider, who lusts after The Girl, makes a bargain with the stepfather and takes her to the city where, kept prisoner, she is soon broken in health and spirit. Cast out and near death, she is taken in by The Boy. Following the demise of The Spider, The Boy takes her to church, where he prays, and after many hours she is restored to health.
View Details
Dir: Edgar Jones
A mail-order bride arrives at a Maine lumber camp but doesn't like her prospective husband.
View DetailsAnalysis relative to The Match King
| Film Title | Atmosphere | Complexity | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Great Day | Surreal | Layered | 90% Match |
| The Great Shadow | Gothic | High | 94% Match |
| The Night Riders | Ethereal | High | 96% Match |
| The River's End | Gothic | Linear | 91% Match |
| The Key to Power | Gritty | Dense | 91% Match |
This guide was algorithmically generated using the cinematic metadata of Howard Bretherton's archive. Last updated: 5/26/2026.
Back to The Match King Details →