The Definitive Guide Inspired by the Vision of The Unwritten Code: Cult Guide

Dir: Bernard J. Durning

Bill Terry, the virtual owner of the town of Half-Way, wants to gain possession of Joe Blake's ranch. He "plants" calves among Blake's cattle and then accuses him of rustling and orders the town clerk not to serve Blake. Doris Lane, the sheriff's daughter, who has been promised to Terry, loses faith in him when she hears his gang plotting against Joe Blake's son, Jim, the rival suitor. When Jim is wounded in a fight with Terry's men, Doris hides him; Terry and his gang leader, Wolf Gray, abduct Doris; but Jim defeats them in a gun battle and wins the girl he loves.

Dir: Bernard J. Durning

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

Tom Merrill returns home to find that his father has been murdered by Crenshaw, a gambler whom the father tried to prevent from eloping with his daughter, and embarks on a trail of vengeance. Crenshaw, having taken another name as a saloon owner, tires of Grace and has an eye on Cressy, whose sister Tom saves from drowning. Crenshaw has the sister kidnapped, but Tom pursues them on horseback and squares accounts with the gambler, then wins Cressy.

Dir: Bernard J. Durning

A stirring tale of a plotter's efforts to force cattle ranchers to sell their holdings cheap, while keeping them ignorant of the fact that the land contains great oil wealth.

Dir: Bernard J. Durning

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

Wealthy shipowner Lawrence Bradbury is determined to catch silk thieves who operate by means of his ships. His brother Jim, the ringleader, hoodwinks Lawrence into thinking he is a revenue officer. The skipper and a friend are suspected, but the friend proves to be the revenue man and the crooked brother is caught.

Dir: Bernard J. Durning

While visiting New York, lumberman Angus MacDonald is introduced to cabaret dancer Ruth Mayo by his friend Sinclair. Their romance culminates in marriage, and soon MacDonald takes his bride back to the Northwest. Ruth grows tired of the Northwest, and MacDonald returns with her to New York, where their child is born; but his business does not permit him to remain. One night Ruth returns to the cafe, dances with her old partner, and accepts an agent's offer of a European tour. Six years later, MacDonald learns that his daughter is dancing at the same cafe, and through her a reconciliation is effected between husband and wife.

Dir: Bernard J. Durning

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

Bill Higgins arrives in a small western mining town and immediately causes trouble with the residents. He gets into a fight with Buck and is injured. Buck nurses him back to health and discovers that Higgins, a resident of nearby Peaceful Valley, has been thrown out of his house by his wife because of his excessive drinking. Buck travels to Peaceful Valley to try to get Bill's wife to take him back, but he runs into a lot more trouble than he was counting on.

Dir: Bernard J. Durning

Cousins Jim and Ned Thorpe are best friends, but that comes to an end when they both vie for the affections of Eve Marsham, and Ned wins her. Jim leaves for South America, but when he returns some time later he finds that things have drastically changed--Ned is now a hardened criminal and, in addition, is badly mistreating his wife Eve.

Dir: Bernard J. Durning

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

Mad Prince Stefan intends to take over the world as soon as he acquires a new explosive developed at a plant owned by Barbara Hackett. By blackmailing them, Stefan wins the cooperation of Barbara's uncle and the dishonest executive, Glenville, who would like to marry Barbara. Brick McDonald, an employee of Prince Stefan's, wins Barbara's confidence and after many complications--wild chases involving motor boats, airplanes, and submarines; fights with lions; and a rescue from a threatened descent into a pit of molten steel--he frustrates Prince Stefan's plans and reveals himself as the Chief of the U. S. Secret Service.

Dir: Bernard J. Durning

Helen Meriless, a serious young girl, marries a shallow man, while Frances Lloyd, a butterfly type, marries a level-headed engineer. Both start their honeymoon on the same ship. A shipwreck causes a mix-up of the married persons; Helen and her husband remain faithful to each other, but Frances and her husband separately engage in adulterous activities. A rescue ship carries away the faithless couple, leaving the others to their fate; but the latter survive and eventually triumph.

Dir: Bernard J. Durning

Cowboy Stanley Carson is visiting Virginia Martin in a southern city when her brother and his gambler friends try to disgrace her. Then Carson is tricked out of winning a horse race by crooked gamblers who abduct Virginia. He chases them by jumping into a boat, swimming ashore, and leaping aboard a fast train. Jumping from the train into a moving automobile, he arrives at the hotel where Virginia is held captive. Here he pauses to rescue a family from a fire and then proceeds to save Virginia.