Film vs Film
Select two cult films to compare side by side.
The Mysterious Rider Synopsis
In the California desert, homesteaders who are struggling for an existence find their land titles are jeopardized when Cliff Harkness obtains a Spanish land grant superseding their claims. He offers to sell them his title for $25,000; Bent Wade advises them to buy off Harkness, and after desperate efforts the money is turned over to Wade. Meanwhile, Mark King, a city capitalist representing a power company, offers Harkness a much larger sum; Harkness doublecrosses Wade by signing his receipt with disappearing ink and resells the land to King. Faced with eviction, the homesteaders try to lynch Wade, but his friend Lem intervenes and he is jailed. Wade escapes and goes from ranch to ranch, warning the ranchers not to give up their homes without a legal fight; he threatens Harkness with torture, forces him to confess his treachery, and proves the original receipt is legal. He finds happiness with King's daughter, Dorothy.
Blackmail Synopsis
Confidence artist Flossie Golden attempts to fleece foolish but wealthy James Venable with a breach-of-promise suit. Venable's shrewd attorney, Richard Harding, outwits Flossie by proposing that she marry Venable and live on an allowance of $3,000 per year. Flossie is determined to get even with Harding for ruining her plans. In an attempt to con him, she poses as Innocence Page, but falls in love and marries him instead. Larry, Flossie's former accomplice, endeavors to blackmail her with her errant past, but Harding is already cognizant of the facts and Larry fails.
"The Mysterious Rider" holds a slight edge in general audience appreciation, but "Blackmail" offers its own unique cult appeal.
Suggested Watch:
The Mysterious RiderBoth films share