Universal Weekly (1924-1936)

40 Universai, Weekly Vol. 24, No. 21 A PAGE OF SYNOPSES "BUCKING THE TRUTH" Blue Streak Western Starring PETE MORRISON Directed by MILBUKN MOBANTE Story by JAY INM.'iN KANE CAST: Slim I>iiane Pete Morrison "Coarse Gold" Charlie Brinsley Shaw Matt Holden Bruce Gordon Eben Purkiss William La Roche Ann lone Reed (Length: 4.305 ft.) OLIM DUANE takes the motor bus 1^ that has supplanted the old time western coach to look for his stolen horse. In the coach is "Coarse Gold Charlie" who tells Slim that the west is just as tough as ever and that he knows where there is a smugglers' hangout. Slim poo-poohs the story. Then he sees his horse at a drinking place and jumps off the bus to be held at the end of a gun by Matt Holden, a fugitive from justice, wanted by the local sheriff for the killing of Jim Findley in another town. The fugitive forces him to change clothes with him and then rides on Slim's horse to the home of Ma Findley where he begs a meal, while Slim hoofs it to town broke and arrives in front of the lunch room just in time to hear a scuffle that is going on between Ann, the pretty waitress, and Eben Purkiss who slinks out the door. He notices that the stranger is wearing clothes that tally with the description of the fugitive and rides to tell the sheriff's posse. The sheriff stops at Ma Findley's and meets Matt Holden, who gives his name as Slim Duane, showing Slim's letters to prove his identity. The sheriff tells him to come along and help make the arrest. Ann, who has given him a meal, and who believes him to be the fugitive (but she loves him anyway) warns him when she sees the posse approaching. The posse come in the lunch room as Slim goes out. He slaps his horse on the fiank, causing the animal to bolt up the road. The posse, thinking he has escaped, chase after the riderless horse, which they bring back after they find they have been tricked. While they are gone Slim gets the drop on Holden, but falls for a hard luck story from the latter and gives him back his gun. Holden immediately turns on him and forces him into the lunch room, but Slim escapes with the help of Ann, gsts back his horse and rides all night. At dawn he comes to the camp of "Coarse Gold Charlie," who takes him to the smugglers' hideout. Here Slim finds Purkiss, his accuser, who is mortally wounded in the ensuing fight. Ho points to a trap leading to the cellar where the "murdered" Findley is still alive, held captive for wliat he knows. In the meantime Holden has been identified as the fugitive and the gang are about to hang him to a tree when Slim and the missing Findley ride up and free him, arresting the accomplices of the smugglers. While Holden is being untied Slim and Ann are arranging to be tied up for life. "STRINGS OF STEEL" Ten-Episode Adventure Picture Starring WILLIAM DESMOND No. 6 — "A Voice of the Continent" NED and Gloria pick themselves up from the wreckage of the stage and hire a carriage for New York. Hogan demands payment of $10,000 by three o'clock. Failing to raise the money the manager of the Bell Company is practically helpless when Hogan returns with the sheriff to attach the Bell holdings, but Ned and Gloria come in with the old farmer who invests $10,000 in time to pay Hogan and save the project. An unscrupulous adventuress hired by Allen lies to Gloria about her relations with Ned. Gloria, believing her, breaks off their engagement, but still loving Ned in spite of herself, attends a meeting conducted by Ned to interest the public in telephone stock. Hogan and his henchmen are there, as well as the adventuress, demanding her money. Hogan refuses to pay her, so she tells Gloria that it was all a frame-up, but before Gloria can get to Ned, Hogan gives his bullies the word to break up the meeting. There is a general fight in which Ned is forced to a balcony. The rail breaks and a figure falls to the street below. "A THRILLING ROMANCE" A Two-Reel Stem Brothers Comedy Featuring WANDA WILEY WANDA, a struggling authoress, just starting a new story, is interrupted by the postman, who returns hundreds of rejected manuscripts. She walks down the street dejectedly and is knocked over by a taxi. The driver picks her up and she falls in love with him as she meets his sympathetic eyes. Later she gazes hopelessly into her empty purse. As she does so a roll of bills falls into it from an upper window where a crook, who has just stolen the money accidentally drops it out. The crook, carrying stolen diamonds, comes down and makes a getaway in his car. As he "THE LOVE DEPUTY" Two-Reel Mustang Picture Featuring EDMUND COBB JOAN SUMMERS, whose father has recently died leaving a ranch which is heavily mortgaged to the rascally Joe Doakes, is dismayed when she receives the news that the ranch efl'ects, including the mare, Czarina, a thoroughbred worth $10,000 are to be sold at auction on the day of the cross country race. Don Pear.son, the young deputy -sheriff assigned to the duty of camping on the ground until the sale, sees that Doakes has appointed the sale on the day of the race to assure himself that the crowd will be at the doings on that day enabling him to buy Czarina for a song. Pearson .sympathizes with the girl and decides to help her. He rides in the race and at the last post the hirelings of Gus Doakes, Joe's son, who covets the girl, cut the saddle strap and it falls off, giving Pearson a spill and a loss of ground. He remounts and rides bareback for a win. With a $5000 cash prize in his pocket he races to the ranch and outbids Doakes for the mare. When he looks for the girl he finds beneath the tree a note from Gus, urging her to come quickly to a mountain shack where Pearson is injured. A boy confirms the fear that she has gone to meet Gus. He gallops to the mountain shack, wh.<}re Joan, double crossed by Gus, is being forced by the latter into a distasteful situation. Pearson breaks the window and downs Gus in a fist fight, forcing from him the information that the mortgage his father holds against the ranch is a forgery. With the two rascals in jail, the girl agrees to become Mrs. Love Deputy. passes her, his crook handled cane, protruding from the car, catches the purse from her hand. She runs after the fleeting motor and overtakes her chauffeur lover who drives her in pursuit. She leaps from the taxi to the crook car and wrests the purse from the crook's henchwoman. They stop the car and fight on the street while the jew.-3ller drives up and claims his gems. During the new fracas the chauffeur and the girl escape with the monev and rush for the n. mister. Chased by the crook, who regains his car. Wanda swerves and goes over a cliff. The scene changes back to the rooming house where she is still poundinathe tviJewriter and finishing the thrilling account of the foregoing adventure, written from her imagination, which she ends bv writing, "they fell and fell and fell, until they fell in love and were married."