Universal Weekly (1924-1936)

40 Universal Weekly Vol. 24, No. 17 A PAGE OF SYNOPSES "FOUR SQUARE STEVE" Two-Reel Mustang Picture Featuring EDMUND COBB J\CK BRISK, a roaming cowboy who has had to shoot his horse when the animal broke a leg, is hoofing it with a pack mule when he is accosted by Dick Elder, a dapper ranchman of dubious reputation, who leers at the walking cowboy. Elder then meets Molly Mason of the Cross L Ranch, whom he plans to marry. He forces a kiss from the girl, creating some commotion which causes his horse to run away. He suggests going double on her horse. She objects. He tries to force matters again. Jack walks up and knocks him out. Jack and Mollie ride double to the ranch where he gets a job. Elder sends Mollie a note; "Your father is badly hurt. Come to Mike Logan's shack at once." Mollie goes and is trapped. Elder agrees to let her see her father as soon as she marries him. Her father finds the note and calls the cowboys who ride to her rescue. Jack on the fleetest horse reaches the hut first, breaks through the roof and fights with Mike Logan while Elder escapes with the girl, whom he forces into a cable car in which they reach the other side of a chasm. Jack, following, climbs down and up the chasm walls, meeting them on the other side where he fights with Elder, knocking him out. He throws the limp form of Elder into the car and sends it back to the waiting posse while he engages the admiring Mollie in love talk that appears to be successful. "MOTOR TROUBLE" Two-Reel Stern Brothers Comedy Starring CHARLES KING CHARLEY, just married to a girl whose mother he has not met, has everything that a wife could desire except food and money. After an unsuccessful attempt to steal the neighbors' milk he decides to go to work, and accordingly answers the advertisement of Mrs. Armstrong Butt, a social climber, for a chauffeur, although he has never driven a car. He takes her for a wild ride and gets stuck in a mud hole. He tells her to get out and push while he steers. She falls in the mud and then attacks him furiously, chasing him down the street until he eludes her by running through his own back yard and into the house to the bath where he begins to take a shower. She goes to the front door, knowing , it to be her daughter's address.-' Charley's wife lets her in and she goes to the bath room, where she begins to undress. She sees the chauffeur, who wraps the shower sheet around him and runs down stairs, the mother-inlaw following and throwing things. She corners him in the living room and begins to beat him up when the daughter recognizes her husband. The mother-in-law apologizes. Charley comes to embrace her and steps on her toe. She knocks him down. "WISE OR OTHERWISE" One-Reel Blue-Bird Comedy Stfirnng CHARLES PUFFY AFTER a sanitary wedding at which the guests are sprayed with a disinfectant to prevent their catching the marriage disease. Puffy and Elsie settle down to enjoy their dubious bliss, which comes to an end when a stranger enters the peaceful scene and whispers to Elsie that her husband is the notorious Bluebeard, who has a fad for killing wives the third day out. When Puffy comes into the room innocently sharpening a carving knife, she flees from the evil looking weapon into the arms of the mysterious stranger who tells her that he has made a mistake about her husband being Bluebeard. He goes to Puffy and tells him that Elsie is the infamous Borgia woman who poisons every man she meets and warns him not to eat or drink anything she gives him. Elsie comes on with sandwiches and Puffy claims to be sick. She runs for a glass of water in which she puts a pill. He runs out of the house. The stranger tells her that he was right the first time. Her husband is Bluebeard. She rushes out too. Puffy and Elsie jump in the same car at the same time and speed away. When they recognize each other they both jump off. The stranger is seen in the arms of his keeper being carried back to the insane asylum. "STRINGS OF STEEL" A Ten-Episode Adventure Picture. Starring WILLIAM DESMOND No. 2— "The First Central" NED BROWN and Gloria Van Norton fall to an awning and their lives are saved. To escape the henchmen of Peter Allen, who are lurking in the crowd, they jump in a hansom. Gloria advises Ned to offer his new transmitter to the Bell Company. He interviews the general manager, whoi cannot use his invention but engages ^im to conduct a test of the Blake transmitter, which they count on to revolutionize telephony and give "SNOOKUMS' MERRY CHRISTMAS" A Two-Reel Stern Brothers Comedy 'I'^HE Newlyweds take Snookums J_ on a Christmas shopping tour. Snookums in his cart, with Dovey his horse, shoplifts all the toy locomotives and cars he can lay his hands on, trailing them behind him in a long string. Dovey buys a Christmas tree and tries to get it home through the crowds. After a lot of striving the tree is trampled by the mob. He buys another. The Newlj'weds get on a bus. Dovey, who has rested the tree by the roadside where there are evergreens growing, pulls up a growing tree by the roots, but discovers his mistake and plants it again in time to catch the bus with the Christmas tree. As he climbs the stairs to the top of the bus, the tree gathers all the hats of the passengers and Dovey is the center of grief and anger. He finally gets home with the tree, decorated with all kinds of ornaments that have been snatched by the branches from passers by. Snookums is put to bed while they set up the tree. A burglar, trying to elude capture, gets into the bed room. Dovey discovers the thug and holds him at the point of a gun, but Snookums has taken a liking to the burglar and Dovey compels him to play Santa Claus. The yegg starts down the chimney. A cop sees him and follows him into the house. Dovey pleads with the cop to let Santa distribute the presents. The cop agrees and the burglar takes advantage and escapes. To save the day Dovey gets another Santa Claus suit which he puts on, with the result that he is badly beaten up by the cop who is chasing the burglar. At last the crook is discovered, but Snookums has fallen asleep in his arms and the Newlyweds prevail upon the officer to wait until he wakes up. them the advantage over their competitor. Battling Burns, a disloyal Bell employee who is spjnng for Hogan, tips off the latter, who goes to the Bell Company and tells them he is going to take up his loan, and ruin the company unless the transmitter test proves successful. Then he orders Allen and his gang to make sure the test is a failure. Allen's henchmen pursue Ned to Fort George where the test is to be made. Gloria, who has been informed of Ned's "finish" by the boastful and exultant Battling Burns, follows in a buckboard, determined to save Ned. As she approaches the heights of Fort George her horses bolt. Ned sees and pursues, jumping into her buckboard just as it swerves and goes over a precipice.