Cinematic Discoveries Resonating with the Themes of The Red-Haired ...

Dir: Clifford Smith

"Cactus" Bob Crandall wakes up to find his cattle and his ranch foreman gone, he journeys across the Mexican border to investigate. There he discovers that an American girl, Helen Ware, and her father are being held prisoner by Mendoza, leader of a group of bandits. Cactus and his friend Carter rescue Helen and her father and ride back to the Crandall ranch with the bandits in close pursuit. While the cowboys and bandits are fighting, Mendoza enters the house and carries Helen off, but Cactus overtakes them and kills Mendoza. Soon after, the foreman and missing cattle, who had been delayed on the road by a stampede, arrive.

Dir: Clifford Smith

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

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

Dir: Clifford Smith

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.

Dir: Clifford Smith

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Pretender 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.

Dir: Clifford Smith

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.

Dir: Clifford Smith

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Silent Rider 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.

Dir: Clifford Smith

Frank Borden, who is in poor health, goes West penniless. He faints from exhaustion and is found by Pete Morton, who gives him aid. In shaving off his mustache, Morton is startled to discover that he is Borden's double. He decides to use Borden in his plundering expeditions. Morton holds up a stagecoach while Borden, whom the townspeople think is Morton, stays in town. But the undoing of the bandit is brought about when the father of Nan Christy, who befriended Borden upon his arrival in the west, is shot, and Morton confesses. The picture ends with Nan and Borden plighting their troth.

Dir: Clifford Smith

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

A ranch owner hires a young woman as foreman over a rambunctious group of cowboys.

Dir: Clifford Smith

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.

Dir: Clifford Smith

Bashful ranch hand Aleck is in love. To help him get his girl, Red Saunders goes to town and convinces Lindy, whom Red thinks is the object of Aleck's affections, to come to the ranch. Meanwhile, Ah Sing, "the ranch Chinaman," steals the cowboys' clothes and pawns them. Red and Lindy meet with Ah Sing and the pursuing, half-clad cowboys at a gambling hall and regain the lost clothing. Red discovers he has brought the wrong girl, but the situation brightens when she consents to his proposal.