Film Snail

Western

Black Jack

Black Jack

September 25, 1927

Phil Dolan (aka Black Jack because of his talent at cards), Nancy Dolan, and a rustler all have a piece of a silver dollar with each piece having a portion of an indented map of an ore mine. Phil has to rescue Nancy from the rustlers to keep their portions of the silver dollar from the rustlers. The sheriffs's pose captures the gang of rustlers just as they reach the ore mine ensuring their claim to the mine.

The Border Cavalier

The Border Cavalier

September 18, 1927

Vic Harding, a crooked Eastern land speculator, learns of a proposed railroad spur that will increase the value of the Lawton ranch and conspires with Hank Martin to buy the property. A lost film.

The Courage of Collins

September 4, 1927

In this rare surviving two-reeler for Edmund Cobb's Universal series, the taciturn star plays Constable Collins, a Northwest Mounted police officer assigned to help pretty Rose Foster (Helen Foster) and her brother, Jack (Newton House), who are in trouble with a gang of claim jumpers. Unbeknownst to Rose, the gang is headed by Jim Murdock, whom the girl considers her only friend. Collins, who pretends to be a drifter, immediately becomes suspicious of Murdock's motives and the villain strikes back by having Rose kidnapped. There is a climactic fight in an abandoned shack in the wilderness but young Jack arrives in the nick of time with the Mounties.

Hawk of the Hills

Hawk of the Hills

August 28, 1927

Exciting late-silent 10-episode serial, with all the hallmarks of the genre, including daring cavalry rescues, gold robbers and, of course, the beautiful white girl being burned at the stake by indians. Later re-edited into a feature-length film of the same name.

Arizona Nights

Arizona Nights

August 28, 1927

A miner finds himself swindled by an evil horse trader named Decker.

Border Blackbirds

Border Blackbirds

August 28, 1927

A couple of drifters seeking shelter from a blizzard. In a mountain cabin, they find the body of an old friend and a note that blames his death on the Border Blackbirds, a notorious gang operating on the border of Canada.

The Man Tamer

August 26, 1927

Ed Cobb is in love with very cute Barbara Worth but she won’t marry him until he lowers his temper and stops fighting. When his rascally cousin forces Ed’s horse off the road, Ed falls and, unconscious for a while, develops amnesia and nearly marries a love-starved widow woman.

Tumbling River

Tumbling River

August 21, 1927

Tom heroically saves rancher's daughter Dorothy Dwan from both a raging river and a gang of cattle rustlers led by popular western villain Wallace McDonald.

The Horse Trader

August 20, 1927

Chain Lightning

Chain Lightning

August 14, 1927

Steve Lannon is a retired gunman and reformed-outlaw who has left his ranch and is living in seclusion in San Francisco. He receives word that rustlers are on the rampage in the area of his ranch, and have stolen his horse, Silver. Steve returns to Nevada to take care of this matter.

Nevada

Nevada

August 1, 1927

A once notorious gunfighter takes a respectable job on a ranch. "Nevada" is charged with protecting the ranch owner's pretty daughter, arousing the enmity of ranch foreman Clan Dillon, who is in love with the girl. The villainous foreman leaks a rumor of his rival's dark past to the sheriff, and the former outlaw is soon on the run again.

Spurs and Saddles

Spurs and Saddles

July 17, 1927

Mildred is traveling West in search of her long-lost father when she catches the roving eye of wicked dance-hall proprietor "Hawk" Kent. She turns him down flat and Kent has his henchman Blaze frame her in a crime. To keep herself out of jail, Mildred is compelled to work in Kent's dive, until the gallant Jack comes to her rescue.

Lightning

Lightning

July 15, 1927

A film adaptation of the Zane Grey novel of the same name.

Tom's Gang

Tom's Gang

July 10, 1927

Dave Collins is a young man who is bequeathed a ranch on the condition that he marry the late owner's granddaughter Lucille. But when he arrives at the ranch with young sidekick Spuds in tow, Dave finds that a distant relative of Lucille's, Ray Foster, has taken his place. Foster hires tough Bart Haywood to kill his rival, and soon our hero is hogtied to a handcar in the path of an approaching train.

The Devil's Saddle

The Devil's Saddle

July 10, 1927

Hero is center of plot by a gang of lawless whites to convince Indians he killed one of their number, but finally clears himself.

The Fighting Three

The Fighting Three

July 3, 1927

The touring show's soubrette, Jeanne D'Arcy, as it turns out, is the long-lost daughter of Westerner John D'Arcy. While she is performing at the town opera house, D'Arcy is found murdered and young Jack is accused of the heinous deed.

The Last Outlaw

The Last Outlaw

July 1, 1927

On his way to Steer City, Buddy Hale rescues Janet Lane from a runaway horse. Unknown to Buddy, the woman's brother Ward just shot the sheriff. Heading a ring of indignant ranchers whose cattle are being systematically rustled, Ward suspects that the sheriff and Justice Bert Wagner are leading the gang of thieves. Justice Wagner makes Buddy sheriff and sends him to arrest his predecessor's murderer.

The Circus Ace

The Circus Ace

June 26, 1927

Tom meets his fate when a balloon goes sailing over the ranch: seeing a girl jump with a parachute, he rides to her rescue. Later, during the circus parade, he rides to her assistance, rescuing her from an elephant and thus arousing the ire of the circus manager, whose henchmen begin to chase Tom. Scrambling over the main tent, Tom falls onto the tightrope and lands in a net with the girl while the crowd wildly applauds. Kirk Mallory, who is jealous of Tom's attentions to Millie, frames Tom for a murder; he lands in jail but escapes and reaches Mallory's ranch in time to rescue the girl and administer a thrashing to the villain.

Code of the Cow Country

Code of the Cow Country

June 19, 1927

Jim West, foreman of John Calhoun's ranch, falls in love with Helen, the boss's daughter, after rescuing her from a runaway horse. Her brother, Ted, falls into the companionship of Bill Jackson, a notorious gambler and saloon keeper, who persuades Ted to sign I. O. U.'s while under the influence of alcohol. Jim, in company with Red Irwin, a tough deputy sheriff, confronts the gambler and forces a confession. Jackson plans a raid on the Calhoun cattle, forcing Ted to be his ally. Dolores, a dancehall girl, overhears the plot and tells Jim, causing Helen to misunderstand his motives.

With Sitting Bull at the Spirit Lake Massacre

With Sitting Bull at the Spirit Lake Massacre

June 14, 1927

The story of a controversial white settlement in 1860s Spirit Lake, Iowa. Unbowed by the encroachment, Chief Sitting Bull vows to reclaim the land of his fathers. A long-thought-lost film finally surfaces after being unseen for over eight decades. Created and copyrighted by Sunset Productions in 1925 but not released until June 15, 1927, this silent epic features the superior Native American actor Chief Yowlachie (performing here under the name Chief Yowlache) as Sitting Bull.