Summary
In a frontier landscape simmering with ancestral animosity, 'Anything Once' unfurls a convoluted tapestry of inheritance, mistaken identities, and burgeoning romance, all against the backdrop of a Wild West teetering between lawlessness and burgeoning civility. The narrative ignites with the demise of 'Coyote' Crosby, a ranch patriarch whose dying wish, delivered via a most unorthodox will, stipulates a matrimonial alliance between his niece, Dorothy Stewart, and his adventurous, city-bred cousin, Teddy Crosby, as the sole path to securing the sprawling 'Big Star' ranch. This peculiar mandate, rather than deterring Teddy, only fuels his romanticized vision of the untamed West. Meanwhile, a pair of unscrupulous legal eagles, Teck and Kikal, endeavor to divest Teddy of his newfound inheritance through intimidation, spinning fantastical yarns of the notorious 'Horned Toad' Smith, the very outlaw responsible for Coyote's demise and a rival claimant to the ranch land. Unbeknownst to Teddy, the enigmatic Paprika, a woman with a financial grievance against the late Crosby, descends upon New York, only to narrowly miss Teddy and inadvertently entangle herself in a web of suspicion woven by the conniving fortune-hunter Herbert Wendling, a suitor for Dorothy's hand. This confluence of events propels Dorothy and her skeptical mother westward, convinced of Teddy's moral compromise. Upon his own arrival, Teddy, still clad in his formal city attire, navigates the frontier with an endearing naiveté, inadvertently forging an unlikely camaraderie with 'Horned Toad' himself, neither man aware of the other's true identity. The stage is set for a chaotic Fourth of July, where the ranch becomes a battleground for love, land, and loyalty, culminating in a series of breathtaking rescues, a foiled branding, a drunken Mexican gang's riotous bumbling, and a climactic poker game where the fate of the 'Big Star' ranch and the future of its inhabitants are gambled and won, leading to a surprising double wedding and the ignominious flight of the cowardly Herbert.
Synopsis
"Coyote" Crosby, owner of the "Big Star" ranch is in a feud with "Horned Toad" Smith, an Arizona bad-man, who claims Crosby's house is on his land, "Horned Toad" draws first and kills "Coyote" The first news of the killing reaches Dorothy Stewart, "Coyote's" niece and Teddy Crosby's cousin, and she sends for Teddy to inform him that "Coyote's" will specifies that they must marry to inherit the ranch. This pleases Teddy, who now receives word from two lawyers, Teck and Kikal, executors of his uncle's will, to meet them at a hotel, These men are crooks and try to frighten Teddy so that he will sell the ranch cheap. They tell him a wild and weird take about "Horned Toad" and Teddy, all his life aching for such an experience, refuses to sell and declares he is leaving on the first train for the West. Paprika, a black-eyed, young woman, who has a claim against Teddy's uncle, comes to New York to force Teddy to settle with her. She just misses him at his apartment and goes to Dorothy*n home, where Herbert Wendling a fortune hunter and suitor for Dorothy's hand, learns enough from Paprika to allow him to intimate to Dorothy and her mother that Paprika has been mixed up in Teddy's life, Dorothy refuses to believe the story, but her mother is skeptical. When they hear from Herbert that Paprika went West on the same train with Teddy, they immediately start for the ranch to protect Dorothy's interests. Arriving in the feet, Teddy starts looking around the town, in his evening clothes, in which he was dressed when put on the train by his intoxicated friends, and wine a full outfit of Western togs from a cowboy who in turn dons the formal costume. Teck and Nikal have informed "Horned Toad" that Teddy is wearing evening clothes, "Horned Toad" finds the cowboy with the said outfit and is about to shoot, but the cowboy is too quick and Teddy barely saves "Horned Toad's" life. Neither knowing the other, Teddy and "Horned Toad" become bosom friends. Upon finding Paprika comfortably settled at the ranch, Dorothy, her mother and Herbert are about to leave for the East, when "Horned Toad's" gang raids the place. Herbert is frightened and in attempting to hide, becomes involved in a ludicrous situation with Paprika. Teddy seeing this and learning of the suspicion against himself, turns the tables on Herbert. It is the Fourth of July and Teddy insists on going to town for fireworks, ignoring the warning from "Horned Toad" that the ranch must be surrendered in twelve hours. Teck and Nikal plot to get Dorothy to sign over her interest in the ranch, and to have "Horned Toad" kill Teddy. They send a gang of Mexicans to capture Dorothy; they storm the house and, discovering the wine cellar get very drunk. Pedro, the leader steals Dorothy, while Herbert flees and goes to tell Teddy of the trouble. Teddy rescues her in a spectacular manner, but they are captured by "Horned Toad's" men, Teddy is tied to a tree and "Horned Road" heats a branding iron to brand him. Dorothy is allowed to return to the ranch where she tells the cowboys of the incident and they swoop down on "Horned Toad's" men, but are held at bay. The Mexicans go to Teck and Nikal for their money and, upon being refused because of not delivering the girl, they mob the lawyers, who take refuge in jail. At daybreak the cowboys defeat "Horned Toad's" gang and, to their surprise, find "Horned Toad" wrapped in a blanket playing poker with Teddy. Teddy has won all "Horned Toad's" clothes and his claim to the Big Star ranch. Teddy likes "Horned Toad" and gives him the job as foreman of the ranch. Teddy and Dorothy marry and also do "Horned Toad" and Paprika, who formerly were sweethearts. Herbert speeds Eastward, very glad to be out of the terrible West.
