The Lone Defender (1930)

Pirate Treasure

An accomplished aviator sets out to locate treasure hidden by one of his ancestors. He encounters interference from various adversaries.

Jungle Raiders

Greedy traders have kidnapped a researcher, hoping he will reveal the location of a treasure in a hidden village. Family and friends of the researcher come looking for him. Adventure ensues.

The Masked Marvel

A team of two-fisted insurance investigators (one of whom disguises himself as The Masked Marvel) endeavor to discover and thwart the loathsome saboteur Sakima.

Congo Bill

Congo Bill is hired to locate an heiress lost somewhere in Africa.

The Purple Monster Strikes

A Martian invader crashes his spaceship conveniently close to the workshop of a scientist who is developing an interplanetary craft. If the extraterrestrial Purple Monster can complete the rocket ship and return to Mars, he will be able to start a full-scale invasion of Earth. Good thing Craig Foster sets out to thwart the Monster's mission!

Manhunt of Mystery Island

Claire Forrest seeks her kidnapped scientist father, hidden somewhere on Mystery Island. He is held and forced to work on diabolical inventions by Captain Mephisto, a costumed villain.

The Lost Planet

Dr. Ernst Grood , having already dominated the planet Ergro, now intends to take over the control of the Earth. Unfortunately for him, reporters oppose his sinister designs.

Flash Gordon

Disaster seems imminent when scientists discover that the planet Mongo is about to crash into Earth. Luckily, heroic young Flash Gordon is on hand to lead an investigative mission into outer space and onto the speedily approaching planet. There, he and his best girl, Dale, who is along for the ride, learn that Ming, the devious ruler of Mongo, has purposely put the planet on a collision course with Earth, and only Flash can stop him.

Adventures of Red Ryder

Calvin Drake employs a group of low-lifes to drive away land owners along the path of a new railroad; Red Ryder opposes this strategy.

The King of the Kongo

A Secret Service agent seeks his missing brother in Africa, and finds his mission complicated by ivory thieves, a girl with a mysterious past, and a troublesome gorilla.

The Phantom Rider

A new town doctor arrives at the same time as local Indians needprotection from troublemaking looters.

The Wolf Dog

The story of a boy, a dog, and a man. The boy discovers he is heir to a shipping line, and travels to Los Angeles, accompanied by inventor/radio operator Bob Whitlock and Irene Blaine. Their journey is aided by Pal, a wolf dog.

Perils of the Royal Mounted

Sergeant MacLane of the Mounties investigates the disruptive activities of a bunch of troublemakers.

King of the Forest Rangers

An Indian rug is the key to the location of a lost treasure. When the rug's owner is murdered, it becomes a case for Forest Ranger Steve King

Federal Operator 99

Jerry Blake (aka Federal Operator 99) teams-up with Joyce Kingston to thwart the plans of escaped crime boss Jim Belmont.

Daredevils of the Red Circle

Escaped Prisoner 39013 impersonates the rich and influential Horace Granville, allowing him to create a variety of disasters. Fortunately, he is thwarted repeatedly by three daring circus daredevils.

The Monster and the Ape

A famous scientist invents a humanoid robot (the titular "monster"), so a greedy rival scientist plans to steal it for use in his criminal plans. His henchmen often kidnap a trained gorilla (the titular "ape") from the zoo, to aid in the schemes.

Jungle Queen

A young girl journeys to Africa to find her father, an explorer who vanished in the jungle.

Winners of the West

Beyond Hell's Gate Pass is territory controlled by a man who calls himself King Carter; he uses a variety of schemes to prevent the railroad from being built, for fear it will finish his control of (what he considers) his land.

Jungle Menace

Mystery and adventure, surrounding a stolen rubber harvest.

Jesse James Rides Again

Jesse James wants to start a new life in a new location, but quickly finds himself wrapped-up in protecting townsfolk from the machinations of evil oilmen.

The Great Alaskan Mystery

The obsessive scientist Dr. Miller is working on a matter-transmitter invention called the Paratron; a conspiratorial team of spies and no-goods pursue him to Alaska, trying to steal the device.

Drums of Fu Manchu

The nefarious Dr. Fu Manchu searches for the keys to the tomb of Genghis Khan, in order to fulfill a prophecy that will enable him to conquer the world. His nemesi, Dr. Nayland Smith and his associates fight to keep the evil doctor from getting his hands on the keys. In 1943 the serial was edited together into a feature movie also called Drums of Fu Manchu.

King of the Texas Rangers

Tom King Jr. seeks to discover who murdered his father, a Texas Ranger; the trail leads to a network of Axis spies.

Spy Smasher

Prior to the United States' involvement in World War II, the masked vigilante Spy Smasher fights Nazi agents operating within the US, led by the treacherous sabotage leader codenamed The Mask.

Flying Disc Man from Mars

Mota is a Martian representative, who has come to impose interplanetary law on the Earth (which has become too dangerous); opposing his authority is Kent Fowler, who resists the alien plot, without understanding its details.

G-Men Never Forget

An escaped criminal impersonates a Police Commissioner, causing no end of trouble to a determined Federal Agent.

The Desert Hawk

Evil Hassan slips back into his native land of Ahad and plots to overthrow his twin bother, Kasim, who has just been crowned the Caliph. Hassan enlists the aid of the chief Chamberlain, Faud and they send several henchmen into the royal palace, who then knock Kasim unconscious. Faud and Hassan dispatch a couple of different hirelings to take Kasim into another part of the town and murder him.Kasin comes to and gets away, but has been wounded. Omar, a beggar, takes Kasim to his home and nurses him back to health. But, it takes a few weeks for Kasin to get healthy and, by that time, Hassan has a firm grip on the duties of a Caliph. In a storeroom, Kasim finds a coat of mail with a great hawk emblazoned across the chest and promptly decides this is the costume he will wear while fighting to get his old job back. Meanwhile, the Emir of Telif shows up with his daughter, Princess Azala, with the intent of marrying her off to the local Caliph.

The Invisible Monster

Man-woman team of investigators uncover a gang whose mad scientist leader has developed an invisibility chemical and plans to build a mercenary army of invisible men.

Red Barry

A police detective is caught up in a plot to steal two million dollars in bonds.

The Yellow Menace

A silent movie serial

Prey

When danger threatens her camp, the fierce and highly skilled Comanche warrior Naru sets out to protect her people. But the prey she stalks turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal.

The Iron Claw

Only Episode 7, "The Hooded Helper," of this 20-Episode Serial is known to survive. All other episodes are believed to be lost.

The Girl and the Game

Irrepressible Helen Rhinelander, the daughter of a railroad president. A dastardly villain, Segrue, however, desires not only Helen but also the plans for a new railroad. Happily, Helen's childhood sweetheart, Paul Storm, now an engineer, is right there to protect the damsel-in-distress through the serial's 15 exciting chapters.

Daughter of Don Q

When the unscrupulous Carlos Manning discovers that an old Spanish land grant recently unearthed will leave a huge section of California real estate to the heirs of Don Quantero, he employs Mel Donovan and his killer henchmen to murder them all. That will leave Manning as the sole heir to millions. However, Delores Quantero tumbles to this plot and enlists the aide of two-fisted reporter, Cliff Roberts to save all her relatives

Mysterious Doctor Satan

A mad scientist named Dr. Satan plots to steal key pieces of technology to enable him to build an army of robots based on his prototype to conquer America. The only one standing in his way is Bob Wayne, who fights Satan as the enigmatic Copperhead. Mysterious Doctor Satan is a 1940 film serial named after its chief villain. Doctor Satan's main opponent is the masked mystery man, "The Copperhead", whose secret identity is Bob Wayne, a man searching for justice and revenge on Satan for the death of his step-father. The serial charts the conflict between the two as Bob Wayne pursues Doctor Satan, while the latter completes his plans for world domination.

The Strings of Steel

The Strings of Steel is a silent Action serial. Episode titles: 1. The Voice on the Wire 2. The First Central 3. Fighting for Love 4. The Power of Might 5. Kings of the Wire 6. Voice of the Continent 7. Telephone Poles 8. War of the Wire 9. When Lightning Strikes 10. Love and Victory.

King of the Wild

Richard Grant, imprisoned in India for a crime he did not commit, escapes and makes his way to Africa.

Cody of the Pony Express

Buffalo Bill Cody battles a gang of outlaws secretly headed by an unscrupulous lawyer.

Bruce Gentry

Famed aviator Bruce Gentry is working with scientist Andrew Benson, setting out to uncover the origin of a deadly secret weapon---an electronically controlled flying disc which can be directed at moving or stationary targets. The disc was master-minded by an enemy agent known only as "The Recorder" because...he speaks entirely via recordings. Aided by rancher Frank Farrell and his sister Juanita "Nita" Hodges, Gentry consistently foils "The Recorders" schemes, which are carried out by "The Recorder's" henchmen, Krendon, Allen and Chandler, including an attack on the Panama Canal.

The Secret of the Submarine

An American adventure film serial comprised of fifteen episodes of two reels (24 min) each. All chapters are presumed lost.

Zorro's Fighting Legion

The mysterious Don Del Oro ("Lord of Gold"), an idol of the Yaqui Indians, plans to take over the gold and become Emperor. Francisco was put in charge of a legion to combat the Yaqui tribe and protect the land, but when attacked Zorro came to his rescue. Francisco's partner recognized Zorro as the hidalgo Don Diego Vega, then ask him to take over the fighting legion as his alter-ego Zorro.

The Adventures of Smilin' Jack

A movie serial in 12 chapters: The famous comic strip character is on a mission to protect a secret tunnel passage between China and India.

Fangs of Destiny

Dynamite -- Universal's answer to Warner Bros.' canine star Rin Tin Tin -- and his owner Jerry Matthews (Edmund Cobb) come to the aid of a beleaguered rancher in this typical low-budget "doggie melodrama" set in the West.

King of the Rocket Men

Prof. Millard pretends to be dead and helps Jeff King ferret out Vulcan, the evil traitor at the science academy. Donning his Rocket Man costume King goes from one hair raising rescue to the next in order to keep the newly invented Decimator out of the clutches of Vulcan and his minions.

The Timber Queen

The Timber Queen follows Ruth Rowland as the inheritor of a wealthy timber business who tries to stay independent of a cruel man who wants to marry her and steal her wealth. The UCLA Film and Television Archive has preserved episodes one, four, eight and nine, and distributor Harpodeon has preserved episode twelve.

The Hurricane Express

The Wrecker wrecks trains on the L & R Railroad. One of his victims is Larry Baker's father. Baker wants to find the evildoer, among a host of suspects, but it will be difficult since the Wrecker can disguise himself to look like almost anyone

Radar Patrol vs. Spy King

The war lords of a potential enemy of the US has the spy ring, led by John Baroda, the Spy King and his aide Nitra, sabotaging the plans for a vast defense system of radar stations along the American borders. Radar Defense Bureau operative Chris Calvert comes to the rescue of a brilliant radar scientist, Joan Hughes, who has been kidnapped by Baroda henchmen in chapter 1 ("The Fatal Fog"), and the two battle together before putting an end to the Spy King in the aptly-named chapter 12, "Day of Reckoning".

The Black Widow

The Daily Clarion hires detective story writer Steve Colt to investigate the deaths of a group of scientists working on an atomic rocket development project. Behind the killings is fortune teller Sombra, a spy from an Asian country intent on world domination, who is determined to pilfer the atomic rocket by luring workers from the project to her parlor and killing them with black widow spider venom when they refuse to cooperate.