The Essential Watchlist Similar Cinematic Experiences to A Roaring Adventure: Cult Guide

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The story of a circuit-riding, sagebrush parson who flew in the face of providence with both guns blazing.

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A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Silent Rider perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Driven to desperation by the cattle rustlers who have nearly ruined him, ranch owner Jim Carson appeals to the Texas Rangers for help, and soon afterward he hires a cowpuncher named Bob Gordon. The handsome young rider quickly develops an attachment to Jim's pretty daughter Jean, which incurs the enmity of ranch foreman Dave Merrill, who is also in love with the girl. Shortly after Bob's arrival, he catches Dave branding a calf and hints to Jean and her father that the foreman may be one of the cattle rustlers. To save himself, Dave tries to cast suspicion on Bob, but the plan backfires. Cornered, Dave abducts Jean into the hills, but Bob, who is actually a Texas Ranger, locates the hideout, kicks in the door and kills the outlaw.

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On the Mexican border, Jim Jason forms a partnership with Don Felipe Arrello although he is troubled by a clause in their contract which states that if one of the partners dies, the other will inherit their ranch. When the ranch begins to prove profitable, Felipe hires an assassin to kill Jim, but the cowboy discovers the plan and gives the killer a sound beating. Jim's sweetheart, Ruth Allen, who has come to the area with her father to restore the old Spanish architecture, sees the fight and assumes that he is mistreating his men, but his concern for little Carmelita, who is suffering from typhoid fever, convinces Ruth of Jim's kindness. Felipe tries once again to kill Jim, who leads his cowboys in pursuit of the villain, but upon reaching Felipe's hideout, they learn that Dolores, his betrayed lover, has already killed him.

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A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Untamed perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

After Bob Baldwin is fired for playing too many jokes on the tenderfoot owner of the Diamond K Ranch, he sets out for the nearby town of Freloe Beanos and meets Percival Longstreet on the way. Percival has been seriously injured in an accident and is therefore unable to assume his duties as the town's new schoolmaster. Distressed, Percival confesses that he and his sister Dolly, who is en route to the town, are doomed to starve, which so moves Bob that he agrees to serve as the schoolmaster during Percival's convalescence. Although the uneducated cowboy suffers great discomfort in the classroom, he pleases the town authorities and charms Dolly, who soon falls in love with her supposed brother. Actor Otheloe Actwell becomes jealous of Dolly's affections for Bob, and upon discovering that the cowboy is an impostor, he has Bob fired. Soon afterwards, Bob prevents Actwell from robbing the box office, whereupon the townspeople elect him the new sheriff.

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Jim Benton has been too busy making money to learn to read and write, but he persuades Evelyn Hastings to open school on his ranch and he is her most devoted pupil. The sheepmen carry out their threat to cut off Benton's water supply and Evelyn makes him promise to shoot only in self-defense. He keeps his promise, but still he has to kill, and a packed jury of sheepmen bring in a death verdict. The cattlemen attempt a rescue, but it is Evelyn who saves the day.

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A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Pretender perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

The heroine of "The She Wolf" walks into "The Last Hope" saloon in "Mad Dog" one night, and discovers the Chinese owner and a crooked sheriff cheating a stranger at a game of cards. Drawing her shooting irons she starts to take a hand in the game herself. During the fighting that follows, the stranger is wounded, and the heroine carries him off to her shack and takes care of him. Several days later, the sheriff, who is the head of a band of outlaws, robs the mail coach and leaves a number of letters scattered on the road. The two-gun young woman picks up one of the letters and learns that it was written by Sallie Bigby to her sweetheart, John Williams. It tells him that Sallie's father is in the power of the Chinese saloon keeper, and that she will be compelled to marry him unless she is rescued. "The She Wolf" goes to the place, starts a lively scrap for the second time, and carries Sallie off to her cabin. Here matters are arranged properly. Sallie and her sweetheart meet and the stranger lets it be known that he intends to make the girl who nursed him back to health his wife.

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Bob Allers, an unfortunate consumptive, and his wife are traveling to Arizona for medicinal purposes. On the way, a highwayman robs them of horse and money. Destitute, they are befriended by William "Red" Saunders, whose sympathy and innate love for his fellow man lands Allers a job in the local saloon. Soon after, when the same highwayman attempts to rob the saloon, Allers kills him with a hammer thrown in self-defense, unaware that the outlaw is the brother of the sheriff. Convicted for murder by the vengeful sheriff, Allers is defended by "Red." The corrupt jury makes its final decision based on whether a crawling fly reaches the top of a window pane. Allers is acquitted, then reunited with his happy wife and newborn child, and they all leave together.

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A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Learnin' of Jim Benton perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Charles Easton returns to his ranch to find his property in a shambles and his chances of marrying politician Oscar Davison's daughter Rose extremely slim, after losing the election for sheriff of Pyramid County to Ethan Ransford. However, Rose appears and begs him to find the man who robbed and beat her father. Charles rides into the desert with Ethan but quarrels with his rival and shoots him. With a price on his head, Charles takes refuge at Hawk's Nest, a seemingly invulnerable retreat for bandits, and soon gains the outlaws' respect and confidence. Later he rides into town leading the two guilty men in handcuffs and explains that Ethan's shooting was merely a ploy to gain entrance into the outlaws' stronghold. Ethan appears, confirming the story, and turns his office over to Charles, while Rose gladly accepts the new sheriff's proposal of marriage.

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Meg Carter is the daughter of the man who runs the "Hell's Agony" saloon. He is killed in a row, and Meg takes it upon herself to keep the business going. This requires her to mix in and put a stop to any and all fights, which she does with the assistance of her constant companions, her two revolvers. Brian McTavish, who is supposed to help maintain law and order in the town, tries to take advantage of Meg, and a man by the name of Bad Lands O'Connor prevents him. For this McTavish determines to get even. A number of murders have been committed near O'Connor's cabin, and McTavish fastens them on his rival by lying. The crowd is about to hang the innocent man when Meg effects his rescue. She gets McTavish to consent to a test of marksmanship with her and defeats him, the life of O'Connor being her prize. There is a wedding in town shortly and Meg and O'Connor are the principals.

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After a serious argument with his father, Calumet Marston drifts around the west for several years. He returns to his home, the Lazy Y Ranch, after his parents are killed by a pair of vicious brothers, Tom and Neal Taggart. Before his death Marston's father had appointed pretty young Betty Clayton as ranch manager, and now the Taggart brothers are determined to take over the ranch, no matter who they have to kill to get it.