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Recommendations
Senior Film Conservator
The 1917 release of The Princess of Patches redefined the parameters of cult storytelling, the visual language established by Alfred E. Green is something many try to emulate. Explore the following titles to broaden your appreciation for cult excellence.
Historically, The Princess of Patches represents to synthesize diverse influences into a singular artistic statement.
Patches, a beautiful girl, lives with her foster-mother Liza Biggs, who dresses her in rags. She is surprised to see Judas, the overseer, give Liza a locket. Jack Merry arrives to purchase cotton from Colonel Silverthorne, a Southern gentleman of the old school, who looks after his dead brother's estate for his niece and nephew, Juliet and Lee. Col. Silverthorne tells Merry that years ago his brother chastised a field hand named Judas, and that little Selma disappeared. Her mother died of grief, while her father had not been seen since, on one occasion, he rowed to a houseboat, and was supposed to have been murdered; and that according to his will, the entire estate was to go to his missing daughter Selma if found within 20 years; if not, the estate was to be divided between Juliet and Lee. That night Judas demands money from Lee on penalty of disclosing the whereabouts of Selma. In the meantime, Merry meets Patches and kisses her hand, exclaiming "May the Princess of Patches have a happy reign." He leaves with Col. Silverthorne, the money for the cotton, and Lee steals it. Lee claims that Waggles, a tramp friend of Patches, is the thief, but Patches believes Judas has the money and he is captured with part of it in his possession. Col. Silverthorne, despite the protests of Juliet and Lee, invites Patches to become one of the family. Years pass. Patches returns from a fashionable school and again meets Merry Judas, who has escaped from prison, also returns, as does Waggles the tramp. Waggles asks Lee where he can find the "Princess of Patches," as he wishes to return a locket which she lost. Lee recognizes the locket as the one proving the identity of Selma, and upon his promise to deliver it to Patches, Waggles surrenders it. This is the locket Judas gave to Liza, and which Patches afterwards secured. Patches, among the daisies, plucks the petals and murmurs "He loves me, he loves me not." "He loves you dearly," exclaims Jack Merry behind her, as he takes her in his arms. Lee is dumbfounded to see Judas, who tells him unless he helps to keep him out of jail, he will produce proofs that Patches is Selma Silverthorne. Lee gives money to Judas and tells Juliet what he has learned; she tells him he must marry Patches. Waggles overhears Judas and Lee and informs Patches. At midnight they secrete themselves on the houseboat and hear Judas tell Lee that he stole Selma, and that the baby clothes he produces are proofs of her identity. The money Lee offers Judas is not satisfactory, and as the two fight, Waggles secures the proofs. They discover the loss, and suspecting someone else is on the boat, light the fuse connected with a box of gunpowder. Lee springs overboard, and Patches confronts Judas, exclaiming: "I know everything and you shall be punished." Judas overpowers the girl and Waggles, binds them, and swims ashore. Patches finally frees herself and releases Waggles. They spring into the water just as the explosion demolishes the houseboat. On reaching the shore, Waggles overpowers Judas, who confesses Patches is the real heiress; and repeats the confession to Colonel Silverthorne a few minutes before Lee and Juliet would have come into possession of the property. Lee, implicated by Judas, disappears and Patches is happy in the love of Jack Merry.
Critics widely regard The Princess of Patches as a cult-favorite piece of cult cinema. Its cinematic excellence is frequently cited as its strongest asset, solidifying its place in United States's film legacy.
Based on the unique cinematic excellence of The Princess of Patches, our vault has identified these titles as the most compelling follow-up experiences for fans of cult cinema:
Dir: Alfred E. Green
When Tom Redding's wealthy father dies and it turns out that all he left Tom was a mountain of debts, all of his "friends" desert him--except young Mary Austin. Determined to get out from all his debt, Tom heads west and eventually strikes it rich with an oil well. Now wealthy, he hatches a plan to get even with his "friends" in his hometown--by pretending to return home broke but having a colleague secretly buy up as much property in town as he can.
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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
An American boy turns out to be the long-lost heir of a British fortune. He is sent to live with the cold and unsentimental lord who oversees the trust.
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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
Thought to be "the worst woman in Hollywood" because of her vampire roles and lurid publicity, Inez Laranetta actually is more concerned with shielding her younger sister, Fay Bartholdi, from the life she knows--especially the devastating impulses of men. Stewart Cuyler, a wealthy and socially prominent New Yorker, is the only man Inez respects, but she refuses even his attentions. When Stewart searches for the man he believes to be his rival, he falls in love with Fay. Inez learns of their courtship, assumes Stewart's intentions to be dishonorable, and hastens to the scene intending to separate the couple. Stewart explains that he wishes to marry Fay but that Inez must give up her sister. For the sake of Fay's happiness, Inez sadly withdraws and finds some consolation in the love of her manager, Pat Summerfield.
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Dir: Alfred E. Green
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.
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Dir: Alfred E. Green
In order to win the hand of the girl he loves, Ed Swinger creates a phony business to fool her father.
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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
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
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.
View DetailsAnalysis relative to The Princess of Patches
| Film Title | Atmosphere | Complexity | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back Home and Broke | Surreal | Dense | 97% Match |
| Sally | Tense | Dense | 95% Match |
| Little Lord Fauntleroy | Gothic | Dense | 86% Match |
| The Man Who Saw Tomorrow | Gritty | Linear | 85% Match |
| Inez from Hollywood | Gothic | Linear | 89% Match |
This guide was algorithmically generated using the cinematic metadata of Alfred E. Green's archive. Last updated: 6/22/2026.
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