Best movies like The Necessary Evil
A tremendous drama of tangled loves-and a youth who came back from the depths to claim his own-made by Earl Hudson who gave you "Black Oxen" and other big successes.
A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like The Necessary Evil Starring Ben Lyon, Viola Dana, Frank Mayo, Thomas Holding, and more. If you liked The Necessary Evil then you may also like: Naughty Nanette, The New Commandment, The Only Road, Open Your Eyes, Revelation and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.
Ben Lyon and Viola Dana co-star in this heavy society drama
You may filter the list of movies on this page for a more refined, personalized selection of movies.
Still not sure what to watch click the recommend buttun below to get a movie recommendation selected from all the movies on this list
The New Commandment
Billy Morrow (Ben Lyon), who comes from a wealthy family, is sailing to Europe with his father (Holbrook Blinn) on their yacht. Along for the ride is Mrs. Parr (Claire Eames) and her stepdaughter. Near the French coast, Billy discovers that Mrs. Parr wants to arrange a marriage between him and the girl, so he escapes and takes a lifeboat ashore.
The Only Road
Tomboy Nita, a vegetable seller in a small Californian town, believes herself to be the daughter of poor ranch workers, but she is actually the daughter of Clara Hawkins, a wealthy neighbour who was stolen at birth and presumed dead. (NFA Catalogue)
Revelation
Paul Granville becomes a famous painter for his portraits of great women as modeled by the beautiful Joline Hofer. When one of Paul's paintings appears to result in a miracle, Joline's life is changed forever. She leaves her previous life to live one of service and piety, a decision that ultimately saves Paul's life.
Kosher Kitty Kelly
The story is a variation on the Abie's Irish Rose theme, detailing the marriage between an Irish Catholic and a Jew.
As Man Desires
The story of a man who was robbed of his greatest love and the South Seas wildflower who found it for him, in the land of pawn trees where men of all nations gather; some seeking vengeance and some forgiveness.
The Gilded Lily
A hostess at a Broadway cafe marries one of her many suitors, and finds out her new husband is prone to drinking heavily.
Murderball
Quadriplegics, who play full-contact rugby in wheelchairs, overcome unimaginable obstacles to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.
The Great Love
Struggling young doctor in a rural community, Dr. Lawrence Tibbits, cures Norma, a circus elephant, when she is injured in a fire. The circus moves on, but Norma, who has become quite attached to the young doctor, keeps coming back, trampling everything in her way.
Ladies Love Brutes
The movie stars George Bancroft, Mary Astor and Fredric March who are all excellent in their roles. The story begins as Joe Forziati (Bancroft), an Italian immigrant who has battled his way to success as a New York building contractor, decides to embark on a social career.
The Lyons in Paris
The second in the series of films about the Lyon family, based on the BBC radio series Life With the Lyons. Ben Lyon appears to have forgotten his wedding anniversary making his wife Bebe furious. When his son sees him dining with a glamorous French singer he thinks the worst. But Ben has laid false evidence in order to surprise the whole family with a trip to France. Only, once in Paris, all the day's previous misunderstandings pail into insignificance at the compromising situations the Lyons get themselves into.
A Lesson Before Dying
In the 1940s South, an African-American man is wrongly accused of the killing a a white store owner. In his defense, his white attorney equates him with a lowly hog, to indicate that he didn't have the sense to know what he was doing. Nevertheless convicted, he is sentenced to die, but his godmother and the aunt of the local schoolteacher convince school teacher go to the convicted man's cell each day to try to reaffirm to him that he is not an animal but a man with dignity.
Ever Since the World Ended
Twelve years ago, a plague swept through, wiping out most of the population; in San Francisco, only 186 people remain. Two of them use jury-rigged batteries to power a camera and make a documentary. We see a variety of approaches to survival, from the artist and engineer who trade for their needs, to the surfers and woodsmen who fish and hunt, to the scavengers, and a communal farm. We also see how the community deals with those who threaten it, and how the youth are growing up with different values from those who knew our world.
The Hot Heiress
Classes clash when a poor riveter and wealthy society woman fall in love with each other, much to the shock of her friends and family.
What Men Want
A playboy's mistress falls in love with another man. Her younger sister arrives in town. Complications ensue.
Specter of the Rose
Ballet dancer Sanine may have murdered his first wife. A detective thinks so, and he's not the only one.
Two Sisters
Twin sisters, one good and honest and sweet, and the other given to totin' pistols and pulling robberies, keep confusing a detective about which one he his chasing for what, since he has different reasons for chasing both.
The Quitter
Neal Abbott (Ben Lyon), a disgraced surgeon, regains his self-respect after operating on and saving the life of cafe-owner Duffy Thompson (Fred Kohler).
Lily of the Dust
Lily, a poor and friendless orphan, is married to a sensual and elderly Colonel in the German army who divorces her when he finds her with a former officer sweetheart. Introduced by a girl friend to Bohemian society, Lily loses the love of the young officer and marries her former lover, a wealthy art connoisseur.
Bred in Old Kentucky
Katie O'Doone is left a worthless, run-down estate and a thoroughbred race horse. She mortgages the property in order to get the money needed to enter her horse in the Derby. Dennis Reilly, a wealthy sportsman, also has a horse in the race and his jockey accidentally runs Reilly's horse into Kate's horse, causing her horse to lose. She swears vengeance on O'Reilly. She is forced to go to work for a crooked bookie, Jake Trumbull, and a crooked competitor of Reilly's,Tod Cuyler, who plan on switching a dead-ringer horse for Reilly's favored-to-win horse, and clean up betting against Reilly's horse.
The Crooked Circle
A group of amateur detectives sets out to expose The Crooked Circle, a secretive group of hooded occultists.
That Certain Thing
Gold-digger Molly marries the heir to a fortune, but things go badly when he is disinherited and starts working as a ditch digger.
The White Moth
When a girl tries to drown herself in the Seine, she is rescued by dancer Gonzalo Montrez. She then becomes a famous dancer known as the White Moth.
Thru Different Eyes
Harvey Manning is placed on trial for the murder of Jack Winfield, his closest friend, whose body was found in the Manning home. During the trial, the prosecuting and the defense attorneys put forward sharply different versions of the character of Manning and his wife, Viola, and of the events leading up to the murder. The jury returns a verdict of guilty, but a young girl then comes forward and confesses that she killed Winfield for having wronged her.
Ben Lyon and Viola Dana co-star in this heavy society drama
A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like The Necessary Evil Starring Ben Lyon, Viola Dana, Frank Mayo, Thomas Holding, and more. If you liked The Necessary Evil then you may also like: Naughty Nanette, The New Commandment, The Only Road, Open Your Eyes, Revelation and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.
Naughty Nanette