Essential Cult Cinema Drawn from the Same DNA as The Show Down: Cul...

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

Clay Burgess, a rover, returns to his home town to find his father, a banker, dead and his property in the clutches of "Big" Dave Dawley by means of a fake will. The real will is possessed by Ben Davis, who works on Della Bowen's ranch outside of town. After visiting Ben and promising Della that he will return to marry her, Clay recruits the help of a gang that have been fighting Dawley's henchmen for control of the town. After a series of adventures, including a brutal fight in which Dawley is killed, Clay and his men exterminate the rival Dawley gang. The wandering cowboy then retrieves his property and marries Della.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

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

Daws Anthony, a boy of 16, is cared for by three old men: Judge Morgan, Roger Appleby, and Caleb Talbot. One day, Northerner Ray Preston comes to their Southern town and proceeds to buy some of the judge's property. He also succeeds in breaking up the romance of village belle Carolyn Dillon and Wallace Turner. When traces of oil are discovered on the purchased property, Preston, at the suggestion of Major Dillon, consents to sell a half-interest in the land to the townsfolk for a large sum of money. Daws is suspicious, however, and undertakes an investigation, only to discover that Preston has oiled the land to swindle the town. Threatened with tarring and feathering, Preston returns the money and leaves town, thus removing all obstacles in the path of Carolyn and Turner's romance.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

Optimistic in the face of failure, Daniel Webster Opp finally attains success as a traveling salesman for a shoe firm, but just when his prospects are best, he receives word that his stepfather is dead. He leaves at once to meet his brother Ben at Cove Junction, where they settle the estate according to Ben's demands. Ben takes the money, while Mr. Opp is given the homestead and custody of their feeble-minded half-sister Kippy. Sacrificing all to remain with his sister, Mr. Opp founds a newspaper, "The Opp Eagle," and starts to promote the town. His optimistic editorials are read by John Mathews, a wealthy promoter who comes to investigate the possibility of coal in the area. After convincing the townspeople to invest their money, Mathews discovers the mine to be worthless and decides to sell out to the competition, against Mr. Opp's wishes. Next, Mr. Opp loses his sweetheart Guinevere Gusty to Mathew's secretary, Willard Hinton. Throughout, Mr. Opp remains cheerful and is rewarded for his optimism when the townspeople nominate him to be mayor of Cove Junction.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

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

Annette finds a baby in the snow alongside her dead mother and takes it to Baptiste Dupre and his wife, where the two of them grow up. A corrupt sheriff is infatuated with her, and Jean Rivard (Tom Mix), an officer in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, must rescue her from him.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

Rancher John Stafford hires daredevil cowboy Ned Ferguson to hunt down cattle rustlers. En route to the ranch Ned is bitten by a rattlesnake and nursed by Mary Radford, who is writing a Western novel. Ranch foreman Dave Leviatt is jealous of Mary's interest in Ned and convinces Stafford that Mary's brother Ben is the head of the rustlers. Leviatt shoots Ben in the back, and Ben is convinced that Ned is responsible. Mary will have nothing to do with Ned, even after he rescues her from a cattle stampede. Finally, Leviatt is captured and confesses the truth, and Mary accepts Ned as her real, rather than fictional, hero.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

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

When McAndrews was a boy his father took him to Lost Lake for a vacation, and a childish friendship was established between Vaughan and Jude Clark. He now goes to Lost Lake for recreation. Because the hotel accommodations are insufficient, Abner Clark takes Vaughan to his home, where in daily association with Jude the childhood friendship is renewed, and it gradually intensifies. Judge West, sensing the trend of events, charges Vaughan with "trifling" and reminds him that Jude is engaged to marry Dave Bean, a man of her own style. Harrison has induced Jude to pose for him, promising payment of $50 for the service, but the completed picture shows Jude in a pose she had never assumed. When Vaughan sees the picture, the opinion he has formed of the mountain girl suddenly changes. Several of the gossips get a view of the canvas and Harrison says he understood that Jude posed exactly as she was painted. Jude spurned the artist's $50 when she discovered the trick he played upon her, but when her father falls ill and needed hospital attention,, she pockets her pride and calls to get the cash. While she's at Harrison's camp Dave Bean, guided by the village gossips, enters and accuses her of lax morality, punishes the artists, and declares that the mountain girl shall never become Mrs. Bean. When Abner Clark dies, Jude is left without a protector or means of support, but Judge West intercepts her as she is about to leave Lost Lake and installs her at his own camp as full partner with him in his gold prospecting. Vaughan had left Lost Lake heartbroken because he believed ill of Jude. Months later, he writes to Jude that he has reconsidered and asks her to invite him to return. Jude's eager answer is unhappily stowed in Judge West's pocket for an indefinite time, and it is not until they strike gold that the missive is accidentally revealed. Discovery of the letter leads to a speedy understanding.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

In New Mexico, one of the large tungsten mines is owned and operated by William Morton, affectionately known by his associates and employees as Uncle Billy Morton. At the outbreak of the war, he increases his activities as this metal is of great value to the Government for war purposes. Uncle Billy lives near the shaft of the mine with his niece Suzanne. When things at the mine are humming, a man giving his name as Gage arrives in the town. He is in reality an agent of the German government, come with the purpose of instigating a strike among the miners. His accomplice turns out to be the superintendent of the mine. About the same time, Jim Logan comes to town. He shortly wins Suzanne's gratitude and admiration by shooting a Gila monster as it is about to strike at her and then rescuing her from a perilous position on the side of a cliff, where in her nervous fright she fell. Gage is successful in persuading the miners to call a strike, but Logan succeeds in frustrating his plot for the present by breaking up the meeting. To discredit him with Suzanne, Gage circulates stories about his relations in a public place with chorus girl Dolly Dugan. Uncle Billy is beset by four of the plotters and is rescued by Logan. But Gage again plays against him. On a trumped up charge Logan is arrested by the sheriff. Dolly aids in his escape. Gage kidnaps Suzanne and lays plans to blow up the mine. But Logan at last gains the upper hand. He routs the strikers with the assistance of some mule skinners and their animals and captures Gage and Suzanne after a long pursuit. Only then does he disclose the fact that he and Dolly are Secret Service operatives and so, of course, all ends happily. Motion Picture News, September 28, 1918

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Treat 'Em Rough perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Lawrence Percival Van Huyler, a society fop, protests against the necessity of living up to his snobbish family's blue-blooded traditions. His fiancée, Alicia Vanderveldt, abandons him for Richard Barnaby, who ridicules the pampered Lawrence and brags of his own daring exploits in foreign countries. While the Van Huyler estate is undergoing renovation, Lawrence uncovers a box containing a confession written by the family's founder, Peter Van Huyler. In it, the patriarch admits that he was actually an Irishman of humble birth who made his fortune engaging in piracy on the high seas. Delighted, Lawrence takes a construction job and adopts a fighting attitude, challenging those who had previously made fun of him. After learning that Richard's tales of derring-do were borrowed from a book, Lawrence exposes him and regains Alicia's love.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

Lorenzo Todd, in his childhood had been strictly dealt with; in his youth the girl he loved deserted him; and, growing into manhood, he became morose and grouchy. The only ones he cared for were Dudley Phillips, his youthful rival for the love of the girl Phillips married; her daughter Virginia; and his own son Warren. Virginia and Warren were betrothed and Warren was sowing his last "wild oats" before settling down and becoming a partner in his father's business. Dudley objected to Warren's pranks, while Todd liked the idea of his boy displaying a little "ginger." Finally, Warren was sued by a chorus girl for breach of promise and Dudley declared that he should never marry Virginia, while Todd declared he would not allow Warren to marry her. When Warren told his father that he still intended to make Virginia his wife or leave home forever, Todd told him to go and when he left Todd's soul shriveled even smaller, and he became more of a grouch than ever, until his heart was actually affected and the doctor ordered him to go to Arizona. While he is snowbound in a trapper's cabin at Christmas, a little boy makes him rejoice in the realization of God's great works, and touches the spring that opens his shriveled soul. Fate restores Warren to his father, and Dudley, having heard of Todd's predicament, takes Dorothy with him; there is a general reunion. Warren thoroughly cured of his wildness, completes the pact that he and Virginia had made: and the boy, who had been the cause of Todd's rejuvenation, starts life as a millionaire.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

Tex Taylor has met the heroine on one of his visits to Los Angeles. He is owner of one of the biggest ranches in Texas and she is a daughter of a Colonel buying horses for the Government. He is invited to a dance by the Colonel and comes in his old clothes, as he is traveling light, yet has given his promise to appear. The foil to the hero is another horse buyer, agent for the Allies, who loves the girl. The bandit messenger mistakes him for Tex and entices him out of the ranch while the punchers are doing the honors to the Colonel and his daughter. The girl follows this man out and is captured by the Mexicans, for Phul. This gives Tex a chance to ride over the Rio Grande to rescue her by his own right arm and skill. The cowboys, after being fooled for a minute, beat off the raiders and then the girl and the hero come riding back on the same noble steed.