Masterpiece Selection Resonating with the Themes of The Fighting Tr...

Dir: William Duncan

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: William Duncan

Re-edited version of the 1919 serial of the same name, released as a feature.

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

Dir: William Duncan

When sawmill owner Helen Cole is kidnapped by bandits, it falls on lumberjack Dan Stevens to rescue her, but "Wirenail" Hedges is not willing to give up without a fight.

Dir: William Duncan

Roaming cowboy Jerry Hoskins wins Old Man Webb's newspaper in a poker game and resolves to help rid the town of crooked Sheriff Gideon. In the guise of "Terrible Terry," Jerry robs stagecoaches, ridicules Gideon as a coward, and proclaims his fear of Bill Rucker. Rucker is elected sheriff; Jerry discloses his ruse and wins Beth Webb.

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

Dir: William Duncan

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: William Duncan

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

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

Dir: William Duncan

Ethel Kendall arrives at a mining town in search of her husband and is rescued from "Butch" Dorgan's disreputable cabaret by Frank Worthing, a declared woman-hater, and delivered to a respectable lodging. Worthing promises to see Ethel to her destination safely and makes an enemy of Dorgan. In a neighboring town, Ethel and Frank visit an engineer friend, and while examining a mine shaft they are trapped by a slide instigated by Dorgan's men. With death before them, Ethel and Frank confess their love; then, believing her husband to be dead, she marries him after they are saved. Dorgan and Colter, the latter an alias for Ethel's first husband, are killed in a gun battle, and all ends happily.

Dir: William Duncan

In a prologue, Jim Gorson, a handsome woodcutter, persuades the wife of Richard Stratton to elope with him. Twenty years later, Dick Stratton, Richard's son, a Northwest Mounted Policeman, is ordered to capture Bill and Doug Gorson. Circumstantial evidence points to the Gorsons as murderers of Dick's father, but the Gorsons escape, leaving behind their father wounded by the Mounties. Elizabeth Stratton, who has adopted two orphan children, Anne and Ethel, is abducted by Bill and "Sledge" Morton, a czar of the river district. Meanwhile Dick tracks down Doug Gorson, but he releases him on his pledge to aid in rescuing Ethel and Anne. Following an extended fight with Morton and Bill Gorson, the Gorsons explain that the elder Stratton died of heart failure; the 20-year-feud is ended, and after the death of Elizabeth, Dick and Doug return to civilization with the girls.

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

Dir: William Duncan

Mrs. Austin is a penniless society matron whose only hope is in a wealthy marriage for her daughter, Ethel, who favors engineer John Manning while the mother prefers wealthy lawyer Frederick Apthorpe. Manning, determining to secure his position, leaves with Milton Hulst, a crooked lawyer, in search of gold in the North, secretly marrying Ethel before departing. Manning, Hulst, and a third partner, MacRoberts, strike it rich, but Hulst steals the gold and murders MacRoberts with Manning's revolver. Manning is arrested but escapes the police and is cared for by an Indian. Meanwhile Ethel marries Apthorpe, who has become district attorney; when Hulst tries to blackmail her with evidence of her previous marriage, Manning intervenes and Hulst is killed by Ethel. Manning confesses to the crime, is prosecuted by Apthorpe, and is sentenced to be hanged. When Apthorpe is elected governor, he refuses to keep his promise to pardon Manning until Ethel threatens to expose Apthorpe and kill herself. When Manning is freed, Ethel and Apthorpe separate and she is reunited with Manning.

Dir: William Duncan

Ray Chapman becomes intrigued with veiled Frania Caravalle at a dance, but he is unable to learn her name. Soon afterward, he attempts to help a robbery victim, is injured, and is taken to the Caravalle home, where he is nursed by Frania. In his dazed condition he neither recognizes Frania nor remembers their encounter; therefore, when Ray agrees with Francisco Caravalle to become betrothed to his daughter, he still does not recognize Frania. She is infuriated and plots with her hated former suitor, Jacob Holnar, to kill Ray. Instead, Ray's friend, Jim Barker, is killed, and Ray is suspected of that murder. Just as he is about to be lynched his horse drags him away, but Frania, who now understands the situation, arrives to save him. Holnar confesses, and the lovers are united.