Recommendations
Senior Film Conservator

The Western sensibilities displayed in The Untamed are unparalleled, the emotional payoff of the 1920 classic is what fans crave in similar titles. Our criteria for this list were simple: only the most character-driven intensity and relevant titles.
The cultural footprint of The Untamed in United States to define the very concept of character-driven intensity in modern film.
Rancher Joe Cumberland finds "Whistling Dan" in the desert and gives the boy a home, rearing him with his daughter Kate. Dan, grown to manhood, remains untamed, possessing a hot temper which ignites his eyes into a yellow glow when he is angered. Dan's eyes glow and he vows revenge when outlaw Jim Silent tries to kill him in a saloon brawl. Kate goes to the outlaw camp to prevent Dan from killing Silent, but is taken prisoner. The confrontation between the two men escalates when Dan captures Lee Haines, one of Silent's men, and Silent retaliates by imprisoning Kate's father. After a trade of prisoners, Dan trails the outlaws and exterminates the entire gang except for Silent. The two adversaries then slug it out, with Dan strangling his tormentor. His revenge accomplished, Dan is somewhat tamed and settles down with Kate.
The influence of Emmett J. Flynn in The Untamed can be felt in the way modern Western films handle character-driven intensity. From the specific lighting choices to the pacing, this 1920 release set a high bar for atmospheric immersion.
Based on the unique character-driven intensity of The Untamed, our vault has identified these titles as the most compelling follow-up experiences for fans of Western cinema:
Dir: Emmett J. Flynn
When a group of Arizona ranchers discover that an Eastern syndicate has cheated them out of options on their cattle, they send Buck Lindsay to New York to straighten things out. He confronts syndicate head Casper Whitford, who it turns out didn't know about the swindle, and he tries to help Buck nail the chief perpetrator of the swindle, Clarendon Bromfield. Things get complicated, however, when Buck falls in love with Whitford's daughter Beatrice, but a misunderstanding results in Beatrice accepting a marriage proposal from Bromfield, who then joins with his colleague, gangster Jerry Durand, to frame Buck for a murder he didn't commit.
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Dir: Emmett J. Flynn
A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.
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Dir: Emmett J. Flynn
Successful Parisian dancer Yvonne Halbert grows tired of the overwatchfulness of her aunt and runs away to America. Disguised and hiding out in the steerage of a boat, Yvonne meets violinist Luigi. She dances to Luigi's accompaniment in a Greenwich Village cabaret, where she is discovered by David Marston, the producer who had negotiated to bring the famous Yvonne to America. Marston signs the supposed unknown performer and intends to bill her under the name of Yvonne, whom he believes has broken her contract with him. Apache dancer Cecile claims to be the real Yvonne, but matters are straightened out with the arrival of Aunt Marie. Yvonne marries Lawrence Bartlett, the author of the play that features her in America.
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Dir: Wilfred Lucas
Brian O'Farrell (Snowy Baker), is an English 'new chum' who takes a job at an Australian cattle station. He is teased by station hands because of his appearance (including spats and a monocle) but he soon impresses them with his skills at riding and boxing. The station manager, John MacDonald (Wilfred Lucas), takes O'Farrell to Sydney to meet his daughter Edith (Kathleen Key) who is working in the slums. Edith is kidnapped by criminals after witnessing a crime but O'Farrell rescues her. It is later revealed he is the owner of the station.
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Dir: Emmett J. Flynn
Lucille Cameron, the spirited daughter of a Kentucky colonel, discovers that her father is nearly bankrupt as a result of his dealings with New York horseman and stock promoter Jim De Luce. At a Red Cross benefit at the Cameron estate, which the family is sorely in danger of losing, Lucille meets and falls in love with Lieutenant Gregory Haines, who has been sent home from active duty in France to convalesce. Hoping to retrieve the family fortune, Lucille enters the Cameron filly, Southern Pride, in a horse race. Despite De Luce's plotting, Southern Pride wins the race, and Gregory, who has proved his love for Lucille, wins a wife.
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Dir: Emmett J. Flynn
Mrs. Bernice Bristol Flint threatens to destroy the reputation of an innocent woman unless her wealthy husband John grants her a divorce, and although John has not betrayed his wife, he agrees to give her a large sum in alimony in order to maintain her silence. Bernice hopes to marry millionaire Howard Turner, with whom she has been carrying on a flirtation, and when he confesses that he does not love her, she angrily resolves to ruin him. Howard falls in love with the refreshingly innocent Marjorie Lansing, who agrees to become his wife. Because of Bernice's interference, however, their marriage is a stormy one, and finally Bernice and her unscrupulous lawyer, Elijah Stone, suggest that Marjorie sue for divorce. She refuses, and later, Howard's attorney, William Jackson, discovers Bernice's schemes and succeeds in reuniting Howard and Marjorie. Defeated, Bernice shoots herself.
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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.
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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.
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Dir: Alexander Butler
In Alberta, Canada, a Cornish emigrant unmasks a rustler posing as the girl's "blind" father.
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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 DetailsAnalysis relative to The Untamed
| Film Title | Atmosphere | Complexity | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastward Ho! | Surreal | Dense | 85% Match |
| The Bondage of Barbara | Gritty | High | 90% Match |
| Yvonne from Paris | Gothic | Linear | 98% Match |
| The Jackeroo of Coolabong | Ethereal | High | 85% Match |
| The Racing Strain | Ethereal | High | 88% Match |
This guide was algorithmically generated using the cinematic metadata of Emmett J. Flynn's archive. Last updated: 6/26/2026.
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