Recommendations
Senior Film Conservator

Exploring the cult status in The Princess Comes Across is a journey into United States cinema, the thematic layers of this 1936 classic invite a wider exploration of the genre. If Porter Hall, Tetsu Komai, Bennie Bartlett impressed you, these next recommendations will too.
With William K. Howard at the helm, The Princess Comes Across became to reinvent the tropes of Comedy cinema for a global audience.
A woman pretends to be royalty in order to get aboard a cruise ship.
The Princess Comes Across was a significant production in United States, showcasing the immense talent of Porter Hall, Tetsu Komai, Bennie Bartlett. It continues to be a top recommendation for anyone studying Comedy history.
Based on the unique cult status of The Princess Comes Across, our vault has identified these titles as the most compelling follow-up experiences for fans of Comedy cinema:
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.
View Details
Dir: Jacques Jaccard
Douglas MacLeod of the Royal North West Mounted Police is in love with Suzanne Foucharde, who has adopted an abandoned Indian baby, the illegitimate child of Louis La Rocque and Na Fa Kowa. When La Rocque insinuates that the baby is Suzanne's, her brother Henry defends his sister's honor and kills the villain. In spite of his love for Suzanne, it is Douglas' duty to arrest Henry. He does so, but later allows him to escape, taking the bullet himself that was fired after Henry by Constable Burke. Meanwhile, the dead body of Na Fa Kowa is found, accompanied by a note proving that the Indian was the baby's mother. In the spring, when Douglas recovers from his wounds, he and Suzanne are married.
View Details
Dir: Lloyd Ingraham
While walking along the street one day, Arthur P. Hampton, an impoverished young doctor, and his chums, Stub Masters and Johnny Stokes, are persuaded to part with their last remaining funds by tag day solicitor Mary Jane Smith, with whom the doctor promptly falls in love. Doc's friends then hit upon a get-rich-quick scheme. Knowing that his Uncle George has promised a large sum of money upon his nephew's marriage, they persuade Doc to send out fake wedding invitations naming Mary Jane as the blushing bride. Uncle George, elated at the good news, writes to Mary Jane's aunt, Angelica Burns, an old sweetheart, to invite Mary Jane and Angelica to be his guests on an ocean voyage. Meanwhile, Mary Jane pays a visit to the doctor's office and, upon seeing the wedding invitations, becomes so flustered that she trips and sprains her ankle. Doc comes to her rescue and then begs her to pose as his wife. She agrees, but at ship-side, Stub and Johnnie confess all to Uncle George, who flies into a rage until Doc announces that he and Mary Jane have chosen a wedding at sea.
View Details
Dir: Colin Campbell
Although separated at birth, Siamese twins Fabien and Louis de Franchi remain united emotionally. One day, Parisian Emilie de Lesparre arrives in their Corsican village with her father, and both brothers fall in love with her. Louis goes to Paris to study law and sees Emilie often, but Emilie loves Fabien who has remained in Corsica with their mother. While attending a dinner given by another admirer of Emilie's, M. Chateau Renaud, Louis is drawn into a duel with Renaud and killed. Back home, Fabien senses what has happened and journeys to Paris to avenge his brother's death. After he kills Renaud in a duel, Emilie finally confesses her love to Fabien.
View Details
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.
View Details
Dir: Harry F. Millarde
Desperate because a wealthy man has reduced her father to thievery, Rhoda agrees to rob the poor box of the church, although she finds the act abhorrent. During the robbery, Rhoda's father is shot and dies in the priests's arms, seeking absolution, while the man who ruined him looks on. Penitent, the man appoints Rhoda as his representative to return the ill-gotten gains to those he has robbed. Rhoda enters the underworld as an angel of mercy, gaining the sobriquet of "The White Moll." After many thrilling escapades, she brings The Dangler, the leader of a gang of crooks, to justice, saves others from death and finally wins The Pug, the man of her choice.
View Details
Dir: Henry Edwards
A millionaire bets £25,000 that he can earn his own living for six months.
View Details
Dir: Harry Southwell
A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.
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.
View Details
Dir: Maurice Elvey
A lady marries a horse trainer but withholds herself until her crippled brother is cured.
View DetailsAnalysis relative to The Princess Comes Across
| Film Title | Atmosphere | Complexity | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Fitting Gift | Surreal | Layered | 96% Match |
| Under Northern Lights | Gothic | Layered | 89% Match |
| Mary's Ankle | Surreal | High | 86% Match |
| The Corsican Brothers | Tense | Linear | 92% Match |
| Homer Comes Home | Ethereal | Linear | 93% Match |
This guide was algorithmically generated using the cinematic metadata of William K. Howard's archive. Last updated: 6/7/2026.
Back to The Princess Comes Across Details →