Universal Weekly (1920, 1923-27)

Vol. 26, No. 10 Universal Weekly 39 Synopses “THE BRONCO BUSTER” Blue Streak Western Starring FRED HUMES (Length: 4,687 ft.) BARBARA FURTH pretty granddaughter of Col. John Furth, of the southern aristocracy, is the owner of Blue Bird, a blooded race horse. The colonel has borrowed a large sum of money from Clinton Harris, who wants to marry Barbara, for the purpose of paying the expenses of shipping Blue Bird East and entering him in the Derby. The old man is confident that the horse will win the race and restore the family fortune. Jim Gray, a crooked trainer recommended by Harris, brings consternation to the household — and joy to Harris — when he tells the colonel that Blue Bird has killed a man and that there is nothing to be done except to shoot a horse that turns killer. The Colonel sadly consents to the shooting, but Gray is stopped in the act by Charlie Smith, a neighboring miner in love with Barbara who tells the girl that he will see what he can do with the mad horse before they shoot him. As the horse has always been a gentle pet, she lets him take Blue Bird with him to the mine he is working with his partner, Sourdough Jones. Two spies employed by Harris are listening at the mine shaft when Sourdough announces to Charlie his discovery of a rich vein. They tell their chief, who goes immediately to Sourdough and makes him an offer to sell the gold claim over his partner’s head. Sourdough proves that Charlie has no legal claim and closes with Harris for a large sum. Harris then accosts Barbara and tells her that he holds notes against the colonel and will ruin him unless she marries him. She consents. The wedding party is on. Charlie, who lost his girl and who believes he has been double crossed by his pal, is despondent. He goes to the mine shack to get his kit bag intending to leave the country. Knowing that Blue Bird will be shot, he sets the horse free. Harris’s henchmen arrive at the shack and force him, at the point of a gun, to leave without his horse, to guard against his breaking up the wedding. Stopping behind the corner of the shack, he hears them laughing over the cleverness of Gray in making the horse crazy with loco weed. Inflamed with revenge, Charlie runs to the road and whistles for Blue Bird, who comes down from the mountain and carries him, bareback, to the wedding. Charlie stops the ceremony and accuses Harris of hiring Gray. The latter confesses. The colonel orders Harris out of the house. Harris reminds him of the notes he holds. Sourdough appears with the money he received for the mine. With Harris’s own money he cancels the notes and then admits to Harris that the mine is worthless. Harris receives a beating from Charlie and is kicked out. Barbara falls into Charlie’s arms and the ceremony proceeds. “THE RETURN OF THE RIDDLE RIDER” Ten-Episode Adventure Picture Starring WILLIAM DESMOND No. 7 — “The Crooked Deal” MADGE, trapped in the rendezvous of the Silencer gang, falls down a flight of stairs. She is picked up unconscious by the gang and placed on a cot in the cellar where she is locked in and placed under guard Vilda Dixon, still wearing Madge’s clothes, gets into the cellar where she is knocked out by Madge. Madge walks past the guard, who thinks she is the girl who just went in. She escapes and rides toward the town where Parker is warning the stockholders in the oil well not to sell out as he knows that the well has been flooded by the Silencer gang for the purpose of making it appear worthless. He also produces Hank Wilson who tells them that he has been held a prisoner at the well. The stockholders ride out to investigate these statements, while Vilda and the guard pursue Madge. She meets the party from town and tells Wilson that the Silencer gang is on its way to destroy the evidence of their sabotage at the well. Parker, Wilson and the girl get to the well first. They are trapped in the pump room where Wilson is attacked by the gang and Madge falls into the deep well, while Parker is knocked out. No. 8 — “The Rock Slide” MADGE is pulled out of the well with a lariat and hustled by the gang into an underground passage, guarded at both ends. The Silencer gang then convince the stock holders that the oil well is worthless, showing them that it spouts water — not oil. The fat printer’s devil interrupts and accuses the gang of keeping Parker and the others from telling what they know. The stockholders decide to hang on to their stock until Parker and Madge have been located. An old, humpbacked man accosts the prisoners in the passage and offers them, in the name of the Silencer, their liberty on condition that Madge resign as sheriff. Parker tears off the whiskers of the “old man” and reveals Thorley. A fight ensues. Parker escapes from the passage, while a company of rangers, summoned by the fat boy, ride to put down the Silencer gang. “BUSTER, DON’T FORGET” Buster Brown Junior Jewel BUSTER has a date with Mary Jane, but jilts her for “the other woman,” Gladys, who has just moved into the neighborhood. Mary Jane looks from her window and sees the couple making love in the garden. She accosts Buster indignantly, points to the kiss marks on his cheeks and scorns him. Then she sics the dog on Buster’s candy. Tige eats it all and gets so sick that the dog catcher takes him for a homeless mutt and captures him. When the dog catcher’s wagon drives away, the flirtation is successfully broken up for Buster runs frantically after the wagon. Tige breaks out and threatens the driver, who jumps from the seat and flees for safety. The wagon crashes into a pole and breaks to bits. Tige is hurled to the street, whence he is picked up by Buster. The family reunited, Mary Jane guards her man with a rolling pin. “THE MIDNIGHT BUM” One-Reel Blue Bird Comedy Starring ARTHUR LAKE AUGUST DAY tries to elope with June Knight, but is intercepted by her father, who throws him off the lot. Despondent, August joins the navy. He visits a Russian city with a bunch of sailors. Knight brings his daughter to the same city thinking to get her thousands of miles away from her hero. Ivan, the terrible, cast covetous eyes on June. He thrusts her father aside and embraces the girl. Knight fights him and is attacked by a lot of Bullshevicks in the employ of Ivan. Ginsberg, an aspiring future American, tells the sailors of the fracas. August and the others clean up the terribles. August claims the girl and her father consents to her marrying the hero. Thorley gets back to Senator McCormack’s house where he gives the senator one last chance to save himself by selling the well at a low figure. Not knowing as yet that Thorley is a double-crosser, the senator is about to sign when the Riddle Rider breaks into the living room on horseback, snatches up the paper and rides out. The Riddle Rider gets back to the passage and leads the girl and Wilson to the opening. The rangers arrive at the top of the cliff over the entrance to the passage. Here they battle with the gang. A boulder is loosened. It rolls down against a cache of dynamite at the entrance and there is an explosion just as the Riddle Rider is bringing Madge and Wilson out.