Essential Cult Cinema Drawn from the Same DNA as Truthful Tulliver: Cult Guide

Dir: William S. Hart

Hawk Parsons and his gang of ruthless outlaws escape from jail and ride far into the New Mexican desert, where they discover a band of emigrants stranded without water. Hawk is so smitten with Ruth Ingram, the wife of the Rev. Luke Ingram, that he agrees to lead the wagon train to safety, but on the way, the party is attacked by Indians. In the distance, Hawk sees U.S. cavalry troops on horseback, but because several members of the posse assigned to track him down are included in the band, he hesitates to send them a distress signal. Finally, Hawk allows the travelers to send their message on the condition that he may leave with Ruth, and as the wagon train is rescued, he reaches his mountain lair with the woman he loves. When Ruth attempts suicide, Hawk then realizes his selfishness, and after returning her to her husband, he turns himself over to the sheriff.

Dir: William S. Hart

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

Jack o' Diamonds and his partner, Two Spot Hargis, are known as square sports in the desert town of Oxide. Jack gives liberally to all charities, and is surprised when one day a pioneer missionary refuses to take his money as he considers it ill-gotten. About this time Col. Ransome enters Jack's gambling place. The colonel, a big ranch owner, intoxicated and loaded down with money received in a cattle deal, insists on a game for the highest stakes. Jack consents, wins the colonel's money and also a deed to the ranch. In the fight that follows Colonel Ransome is shot by one of his own foremen, Anastacio, who has previously planned to rob his master and hates to see the money get away from him. The onlookers think that Jack killed the colonel, but as there is a general shooting no fuss is made about the matter. Jack becomes disgusted with his present mode of life and quits the gambling game. He takes up the ranch that has been deeded to him by the dead colonel. When Jack and his partner, Two Spot, arrive at the ranch they discover that the colonel has left an only daughter, Virginia Ransome, who is being educated in New York. Jack determines to put the ranch in order and hand it over to the rightful heiress. When things are in shape he writes to Virginia to come west. When Virginia arrives she treats Jack as a hired servant. He still keeps on with the work around the ranch, but is hampered by Virginia's attitude, as this encourages Anastacio and the hands to almost open mutiny. After plotting to dethrone Jack and secure both the ranch and Virginia for himself, Anastacio tells Virginia that Jack Diamond is the murderer of her father. Virginia dismisses Jack and makes Anastacio her foreman. Jack and Two Spot leave the ranch, but determine not to leave "the little lady" to the mercy of Anastacio. Jack dispatches Two Spot to the nearest fort for the rangers and returns in time to rescue Virginia from Anastacio and the rangers arrive in time to clear up the ranch. One of Anastacio's associates tells Virginia that her father was shot by Anastacio and not by Jack. Virginia apologizes to Jack for her past unkindnesses and offers to turn over the ranch to him as rightful owner. Jack will only entertain a proposition that involves a half ownership, and eventually wins Virginia as his wife.

Dir: William S. Hart

Prospector Jim Alton stumbles upon a dying woman, while traveling across the desert, she implores him to care for her little boy Joey. Jim takes the boy to town, where he encounters Joey's brutal father, Razor Joe, and falls in love with Jennie, a young girl whose father is dying. After running Joe out of town, Jim settles down to make a home for Joey. Jim rides to the neighboring town to bring back Dr. Howard after Jennie's father takes a turn for the worse. Soon after, the old man dies and the doctor convinces Jennie to return to his home and marry him. Upon discovering that the doctor already has a wife in New York, Jennie leaves him, but, too proud to go home, accepts a position in a dance hall. Meanwhile, Razor Joe and his gang kidnap Joey. Jim follows, confronts them with his guns drawn, and rescues the boy. All ends well as Jim and Jennie are reunited and, together with Joey, begin life anew as a family.

Dir: William S. Hart

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

"Selfish" Yates operates a disreputable saloon on the desert's edge in Arizona. Sisters Mary and Betty Adams, who lost their father crossing the desert, arrive in the town of Thirsty Center and appeal to Yates for help and work. Yates is none too helpful, suggesting dance-hall work for Mary. She refuses, instead taking a menial job assisting Yates' cook. Yates is a hard case, but little by little Mary's influence works a renewal of humanity in him, until at last he finds himself tested by crisis.

Dir: William S. Hart

Robert "Bob" Sands a rowdy cowboy, leads his friends in tearing up an Arizona town that has gone distressingly "dry," until members of the Law-and-Order League hog-tie Bob and ship him East on a passenger train. Bob, out for adventure, goes on to New York and becomes the guardian of the wild-tempered Larry Harrington, a millionaire's son. Larry commissions Bob to deliver love letters to waitress Mary Lee, an entanglement forbidden by Harrington, Sr., but Bob falls in love with the girl himself. Mary decides that she prefers cowboys to millionaires, and Bob and Mary wed and return to the West.

Dir: William S. Hart

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

Tom "Wolf" Lowry, the owner of the Bar Z ranch, tolerates no intruders into his life. When he hears that settlers have entered his valley, he goes to confront them but has a change of heart when he sees Mary Davis, a young woman who has come West to find her missing sweetheart, Owen Thorpe. Mary nurses Lowry back to health after he is wounded by Buck Fanning, the real estate agent who sold Mary her claim, when Lowry prevents Banning from raping Mary. Lowry soon falls in love with Mary and she agrees to become his wife, having lost all hope of finding her former sweetheart. By coincidence, Lowry finds Owen, but when Owen and Mary meet and plan to run away together, Lowry insists that she honor her agreement to wed him. On the day of the wedding, however, Lowry has a change of heart and takes Owen and Mary to the minister and tells him to marry the two lovers instead. Lowry then leaves Mary a note saying that he is going to Alaska. Five years later, Mary and Owen are the parents of a young son, named Tom, and the recipients of a letter from Lowry who now lives in isolation in Alaska.

Dir: William S. Hart

Angus McConnell is factor of the outpost of the Hudson Bay Company which is dignified by the name of Fort Lu Cerne. The summer has been disastrous for the trappers, and they are deeply in the company's debt for provision. Angus keeps account of what they owe in a little book, and one night this precious book disappears. Angus vows all manner of vengeance on the culprit who has taken it. He keeps close watch on the office, and at last he beholds Lois Le Moyne, belle of the outpost, rummaging about his desk. Unknown to him, she has come to make him a gift of a beautiful pair of moccasins, made with her own fair hands, so he concludes she is the thief, and has her thrown into the goal. Then Richard Sylvester, the company inspector, comes to Fort Lu Cerne on the rounds. He sees Lois, falls in love with her, and has her released. On his promise that he will have Angus dismissed as factor and himself appointed, she agrees to wed him. This he accomplishes, and Angus takes to the trail alone. But before the wedding can take place an epidemic of sickness breaks out, and in terror the cowardly Sylvester flees with his bodyguard. Angus, who has heard that the Blackfeet Indians are about to descend on the outpost to demand a white person to be sacrificed as an offering to the god who has brought down the plague, happily returns at this time and resumes the reins of authority. The Indian attack takes place, and after a thrilling fight, in which the whites are greatly outnumbered, Angus goes forth to offer himself as the victim. He is miraculously saved, however, and returns to the fort. But he finds that all the garrison have gone save Lois; and with these two great enemies along in a terrible situation there comes about a great finish to a remarkable film. -- Moving Picture World, June 3, 1916.

Dir: William S. Hart

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

Yukon Ed has asked saloon owner Ruby McGraw to marry him several times, and has been turned down each time. She falls for Jack Sturgess, a no-account who has seduced and abandoned a poor young girl and is escaping from his father's anger. She takes up with Jack to Ed's dismay, and soon the thing that Ed feared would happen does happen.

Dir: William S. Hart

Gambler "On-the-Level" Leigh gives up his profession for his little sister, Alice, whose precarious health demands that she move to the mountains. There, the gambler meets the fiery dance hall girl Coralie whose advances he rejects. His funds exhausted from the expense of the move, Level unwillingly returns to his old profession, but Coralie induces the dealer to "cold deck" Level, and he loses every cent. Out of desperation, Level decides to hold up the passengers of the stagecoach while unknown to him, Black Jack shoots and kills the driver for the express box. Learning of the driver's death, Level surrenders himself to the law and is jailed. Escaping from his cell, Level discovers Black Jack uncovering the express box and arrests him. Level returns to town with the real murderer, is cleared of all charges and is reunited with his sweetheart, Rose Larkin.

Dir: William S. Hart

Cliff Hudspeth, the leader of a band of outlaws in Arizona, has won his place by the killing of notorious gun-bullies. At their headquarters, in the Gila Mountains, in consultation with "Ace High," his lieutenant, he plans depredations on the neighboring settlements. Although Hudspeth is powerful, their rule is disputed by El Salvador, a half-breed, and his following of desperadoes. Desert Pass is the scene of many conflicts between the contending bands. Rumors of the arrival of miners with gold causes El Salvador to send "Cactus" Fuller, his henchman, to levy tribute by a hold-up, which is successful. Flushed with triumph, he boasts in the "Golden Fleece" saloon of the ignominies to which he would treat Cliff Hudspeth if he ever met him. Hudspeth arrives and makes Cactus, whom he throws out of the saloon, realize that something must be done to retrieve a shattered reputation. Coming out of the saloon, Hudspeth sees Norma Wright, a milliner, standing at the door of her little store, and waves her inside, as he anticipates trouble. The shooting commences and Cactus is defeated. As Hudspeth is preparing to leave town Norma denounces him as a cold-blooded murderer. Stung almost to madness by the girl's accusation, he seizes her and gallops out of town. At his retreat he locks the stupefied girl in a room and seeks to drown the memory of her words with whiskey. The whiskey, and his awakened conscience, bring him to review his life, and, half delirious, he sees his victims pass reproachfully before him. The girl, too, becomes aware of the human side of the man and next morning she brings him around to her way of thinking and extracts a pledge that he will never willingly kill another human being. Soon after there comes from a member of the legislature offer of a pardon and restoration to citizenship if Cliff will undertake to rid Arizona of El Salvador. Hearing of Cliff's new appointment, El Salvador is wild with rage, and burns the town and drags Norma away to the mountains. Cliff Hudspeth rescues her and kills El Salvador, although mortally wounded himself. He places the girl on a horse, which bears her to safety, and passes away consoled that his last killing was in her defense.