Bucking the Tiger

Squire Laurie, the village skinflint, takes a circus tiger as security for a loan. Arthur, who loves Lillian, the old man's daughter, hates tigers, having bucked them, but when Laurie's tiger dies of despondency Arthur skins it, so that Ben, the keeper can pose in its skin before the half-blind miser and save his job, while Arthur warned off the premises by old Laurie, turns tiger occasionally so that he can sit in the cage and make love through the bars to Lillian, despite her hard-hearted Pa. When the old man becomes suspicious he is chased by the fake tiger until he consents to Lillian's marriage.

Directed by Robin Williamson, Bucking the Tiger leans on a strong ensemble — Ben Turpin, Arthur Currier, Lillian Hamilton — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 1917.