Hidden Genre Gems for Fans of Tony Runs Wild: Cult Guide

Dir: Paul Cazeneuve

Chick Crandall, half owner of the Flying A Ranch, returns home after a five-year absence and, because he is suspicious of his foreman Sam Curtis' activities, decides to proceed incognito. Disguised as Harold Montague, his partner's son, Chick works among the ranch hands and discovers that Curtis is rustling cattle and is responsible for driving Barbara Hampton and her aunt from their home. After a series of skirmishes between Chick and Curtis, Curtis is expelled from the ranch, Chick reveals his true identity, and Montague is so pleased with his partner that he relinquishes his share of the ranch to him. Chick, now full owner of the Flying A, offers his home in a marriage partnership with Barbara.

Dir: Val Paul

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

Finding himself out of funds, cowboy Dick Rainboldt accepts a job from an employment agency which sends him to the Torpedo mine in San Clemente. En route, he meets Katie Wigfall and is immediately attracted to the girl. Upon his arrival, Dick is amazed to discover that he has been employed as a strikebreaker, but determines to see the job through even though he disagrees with its objectives. Upon learning that the owner of the mine is being misled by his manager and superintendent, Dick determines to rectify the situation. After accepting money from the conspirators to blow up the mine tunnel, Dick uses the incident to expose the plotters, winning for himself a hefty promotion as well as Katie's love.

Dir: Lynn Reynolds

Tex Benton, riding across the country, sees a turtle, catches a jack rabbit and tests out the old fable of the tortoise and the hare; when the rabbit wins, Tex vows to model his behavior on that style. In a border town, he rescues an Indian, "Bat," and the two become friends. In Wolfville, Tex enters a rodeo. Meanwhile, a stalled Eastern train carries Alice Marcum, the girl Tex decides he wants. Tex competes with an Easterner for the girl's attentions, but Tex, the "hare," loses to the Eastern tenderfoot, the "tortoise." Tex then concludes that he is not the marrying kind.

Dir: Edward A. Kull

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

A "square" gambler first breaks and then saves the lover of a girl whom he later loves himself. The girl gives up her lover in favor of the gambler after learning the former's weakness and the latter's strength.

Dir: George Ridgwell

Young Buffalo sets out on the trail of a criminal sheriff who works recklessly and commits murders and holdups with considerable regularity and no evident fear.

Dir: Lambert Hillyer

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

Tough outlaw 'Sierra' Bill falls in love with traveling violinist Nelly Gray and forces her to marry him. They have a child, but their cozy family life is interrupted by gambler Ringo, who not only persuades Nelly to leave her husband but also ruins Sierra at the gaming table. With thoughts of vengeance, the angry Sierra breaks out of jail and goes after Ringo.

Dir: Harris Gordon

A man named Chandler, claiming to be a novelist in search of local color, arrives at a town near the Mexican border, where he makes advances toward Jo, a girl living a solitary life on a desert ranch. Manning, a cowboy, suspects Chandler's motives, and his suspicions are strengthened when Chandler is caught cheating at cards. Following a gang of Mexicans to their mountain retreat, Manning learns that Chandler and the Mexicans are smuggling opium across the border. Two gang members are killed in the ensuing fight, but Chandler, wounded by Manning after a chase on the cliffs, escapes to Jo's home, where he denounces Manning as a smuggler. Manning arrives and dispels Jo's misgivings about him by revealing that he is a Texas Ranger, sworn to secrecy. Chandler is allowed to escape, and Manning and Joe are united.

Dir: Clifford Smith

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

Sergeant Tim Ryerson of the North West Mounted Police is commissioned to round up a gang that smuggles Chinese laborers across the border. While visiting his fiancée, Sylvia Sturgis, at her father's ranch, Tim becomes suspicious of ranch foreman Ferdinand Baird, who is the leader of the smugglers. One night, Tim catches Baird smuggling Chinese across the border to the U.S., but Baird escapes and flees to the Sturgis house where he abducts Sylvia. Tim pursues Baird to Vancouver's Chinatown, raids the smuggler's headquarters, and rescues Sylvia.

Dir: Emmett J. Flynn

Rancher Joe Cumberland finds "Whistling Dan" in the desert and gives the boy a home, rearing him with his daughter Kate. Dan, grown to manhood, remains untamed, possessing a hot temper which ignites his eyes into a yellow glow when he is angered. Dan's eyes glow and he vows revenge when outlaw Jim Silent tries to kill him in a saloon brawl. Kate goes to the outlaw camp to prevent Dan from killing Silent, but is taken prisoner. The confrontation between the two men escalates when Dan captures Lee Haines, one of Silent's men, and Silent retaliates by imprisoning Kate's father. After a trade of prisoners, Dan trails the outlaws and exterminates the entire gang except for Silent. The two adversaries then slug it out, with Dan strangling his tormentor. His revenge accomplished, Dan is somewhat tamed and settles down with Kate.

Dir: Kenneth Brampton

Two brothers, Dick and Jim Marsden, become involved with the bushranger, Captain Starlight. They romance two girls, work on the goldfields, and are captured by the police after Starlight is shot dead