The Cult Collection Inspired by the Vision of Oh, Johnny!: Cult Guide

Dir: Ira M. Lowry

Al Boyd, a wealthy cattle rancher, falls in love with Betty Swiftmore, the sophisticated daughter of an Eastern meat packing tycoon. However, Betty loves fellow socialite Harrison Stevens and dismisses Al's marriage proposal, until a lawsuit threatens to bankrupt her family. She consents to marry Al, but his awkwardness among her society friends and his inability to dress appropriately cause Betty to remain cold throughout their honeymoon. After maligning Al's character, Harrison convinces Betty to travel with him to a cottage in the mountains, falsely assuring her that his mother and sister will act as chaperons. Al follows, part of the way on an iceboat, and arrives in time to stop Harrison's assault on Betty. Her coldness toward Al soon melts away, and she acquiesces to his request that they "travel the straight road together."

Dir: Ira M. Lowry

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

In World War I China, Princess Tsu, who leads a secret group dedicated to eradicating German influence in China, learns that the Chinese viceroy, in order to further his own ambitions, has organized an army to help Germany win Russia. She steals their written agreement and smuggles it to American agent Robert Kenyon, with whom she has fallen in love. The princess' jealous fiancé, Prince Kang, tells her that Robert is betrothed to an American girl and, bent on revenge, she informs German agent Von Richtman that Robert possesses the secret papers. In Washington, Von Richtman sends his henchmen to apprehend Robert before he can reach the Secretary of State, but Princess Tsu, whose love of country has triumphed over her personal concerns, foils the plot. Aware of her great love for Prince Kang, she returns to China and marries him.

Dir: Ira M. Lowry

After Sandy Burke rescues orphaned seven-year-old Dolly Morgan from Jim Diggs, who gunned down her father, he gives her to the Widow Mackey to rear. Learning that the widow's mortgage soon is due to Digg's partner, Lafe Hinton, Sandy goes to rancher Jeff Kirby for a job, but is mistaken for desperado Slim Dillon, and captured by Kirby's daughter Molly. After Sandy proves his innocence, he masquerades as Dillon and robs a stagecoach to help the widow. Sandy wins the mortgage money playing poker with Hinton. Kirby hires Sandy to stop the thieves rustling his prize steers. Sandy suspects Diggs and Hinton, and after he rescues Molly from Diggs, he finds a letter from a packing firm which proves his suspicions. Diggs recaptures Molly, and Sandy, pursuing, falls into Diggs' trap. As Diggs prepares to brand Sandy's bare back, Molly's pleas give Sandy the opportunity to pry loose. After capturing Diggs, Sandy, who loves Molly but thinks that she loves another, says goodbye. Molly then takes his revolvers and orders him to put his hands up and around her.

Dir: Ira M. Lowry

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Sandy Burke of the U-Bar-U perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

The Skipper is appointed chief of the newly organized Toonerville fire department and runs it with the same thoroughness and love of his job that characterizes his remarkably efficient control of his trolley car. There are great doings in town the first day the company parades, but the real excitement starts when an honest-to-goodness fire wakes up the town. The skipper, his book of rules under his arm, sees to it that every- thing is done according to the best authorities, even if they fail to put out the fire until the house is almost destroyed. When the engine does get to pumping it drenches everything in sight, which includes nearly every man, woman and child in the place.

Dir: Ira M. Lowry

The skipper advertises an auction by tacking up bills on every convenient spot while making a run from the depot and stopping every few feet, to the disgust of the passengers.

Dir: Ira M. Lowry

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Toonerville's Fire Brigade perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

U.S. Marshal "High Pockets" Henderson discovers the body of Bud Blythe near the town of Farewell. After leaving his fingerprints on a photograph of Blythe's sister Joy, who traveled West with Blythe to start a ranch, High Pockets informs the sheriff. As Joy packs to go East, cattle thief Max Manon enters her home. After Joy forces him out, she goes to town, where Max's partners, Jim Stute and Bull Bellows, try to get her to drink. Recognizing her from the photograph, High Pockets intercedes and takes her to a hotel. When Manon climbs to her window, High Pockets lassoes him and drags him down. After High Pockets convinces Joy to stay and gets her work at the general store, the sheriff tries to arrest High Pockets for Blythe's murder because of the fingerprints, but High Pockets imprisons the sheriff and his aides. When Blythe's twin brother arrives, High Pockets makes Manon's sweetheart believe that the brother is Blythe's ghost. She screams that Manon was the murderer. High pockets stops Manon's escape, rounds up the others, and marries Joy.

Dir: Ira M. Lowry

A crooked lawyer is thwarted in his designs on the heroine by the hero, who discovers oil in the outfield of the diamond where he is playing baseball.

Dir: Ira M. Lowry

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Skipper's Scheme perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

After his assistant, Bud Lester, is killed, Texas Ranger Speedy Meade bids farewell to his girl friend, convent student Mary Dillman, and sets out to break up a gang of cattle thieves operating on the border. After arriving at the scene, Speedy dons different disguises, including that of a derelict bartender and an old man selling stolen cattle. Speedy obtains valuable information and learns that the leader of the band is Henry Dillman, Mary's father. Mary arrives and complicates Speedy's plans. He trails the gang to their secret rendezvous, but Mary causes him to lose his advantage and he is captured, bound, and gagged. Dillman is accused by the others in the gang of having betrayed them to the ranger. A fight ensues in which Dillman is shot and Mary is seized by a bandit. Speedy frees himself and knocks out Mary's assailant. Dillman confesses he is not really Mary's father, and Mary goes off with Speedy.

Dir: Ira M. Lowry

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Ira M. Lowry

Despite the "Prohibition" laws, the Skipper brews up a batch of potent "raisin cider".