The Vanishing Rider (1928)

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 Scarlet Horseman

Government agents work to interfere with schemes to trick the Comanches into war with the Texans.

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.

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 Phantom Rider

The Phantom Rider helps Mary Grayson thwart a plot to steal her land.

Overland with Kit Carson

When Pegleg and his Black Raiders threaten the westward expansion of the United States, the government sends Kit Carson and David Brent to straighten things out.

Blazing the Overland Trail

Roberts and Moore played an army scout and a pony express rider who come to the aid of settlers terrorized by a greedy rancher-turned-outlaw.

Perils of the Royal Mounted

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

The Phantom Rider

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

Don Daredevil Rides Again

Stock-footage from Republic Pictures' earlier Zorro serials was served up once again in this 12 chapter cliffhanger, this time without the financially strapped studio having to credit Zorro creator Johnston McCulley or pay any royalties. Zorro simply became "Don Daredevil" (Ken Curtis), a foppish Easterner by day turned masked avenger by night. Like his not too distant relative, Don wore his disguise in order to battle nasty Roy Barcroft who, under a forged Spanish land grant, attempts to take over the surrounding ranch land.

The Lone Ranger

In 1865, Captain Mark Smith of the Confederate Army leads a band of deserters to conquer Texas and rule it as a dictator. In one of his first actions, he captures and assumes the identity of Texas' new Finance Commissioner, Colonel Marcus Jeffries, after having the real man murdered. When a contingent of Texas Rangers enters the territory, Snead, one of Smith's men, leads them into an ambush by Smith's "troopers". The Rangers are apparently wiped out, although one injured survivor is left. The survivor, nursed back to health by Tonto, swears to avenge the massacre and defeat "Colonel Jeffries" and his men.

Ruth of the Rockies

A young woman finds a trunk full of stolen diamonds, takes them and heads westward, pursued by the thief.

Daredevils of the West

A gang of land-grabbers tries to prevent safe passage of the Foster Stage Company through frontier territory.

The Red Glove

On the American frontier in the last decades of the 19th century, Billie is a female cowboy who fights a series of bad men in this film serial.

Lightning Bryce

Two prospectors, one the father of Sky "Lightning" Bryce and the other the father of Kate Arnold, find a large gold deposit belonging to an Indian tribe. They head for home but each sends a note to their respective off-springs advising them of their good fortune. One of the fathers conceives a plan of taking a dagger and wrapping a piece of string around the blade, after which he prints on the string with a lead pencil, the exact location of their find. If something happens to them, the string goes to the son and the knife to the daughter. That night an Indian approaches their camp and blows some mysterious wolf powder which causes a man to see wolves in place of human beings. Lightning's father see his partner as a wolf and stabs him to death; later he is brought into town in a dying condition but before dying, hands the knife and the string over to the sheriff with instructions to deliver to Lightning and Kate.

Son of Geronimo

The self-styled son of Indian chief Geronimo gets himself involved with a gang of nasty whites in this typical low-budget 15 chapter serial, which benefitted from a great deal of footage from the the stock piles at Columbia Pictures. Jim Scott and wagon train boss Tulsa are on to the nefarious schemes of Rance Rankin and Ace Devlin, getting words of warning through to Portico, the Son of Geronimo. With Portico's help, the white renegades are finally destroyed in the serial's concluding chapter, "Peace Treaty." Moore, the future star of the television series The Lone Ranger, was here billed "Clay Moore."

Trailed by Three

The story of a girl who for months was in perpetual peril; on land, on sea, everywhere, Orient, Occident, and the Antipodes.

Custer's Last Stand

Kit Cardigan seeks the killer of his father...among other plot threads leading up to the famous historical incident.

The Valley of Vanishing Men

Prospector Henry Tolliver disappears and his son "Wild Bill" Tolliver comes looking for him.

Gunfighters of the Northwest

Constable Ward is assigned to track down a mysterious villain known only as The Leader. Trying to locate a secret gold mine, The Leader pits the Indians against the Mounties, whom he blames for creating trouble.

Wild West Days

Retired lawman Kentucky Wade and his three buddies, Mike Morales, "Dude" Hanford and "Trigger" Benton come to Brimstone and help their friends Larry Munro and his sister, Lucy , in their fight to retain control of Larry's rich ore mine. "Doc" Hardy , as an old friend of Wade's, joins them in their efforts to keep Matt Keeler , the scheming owner of "The Brimstone News", from his efforts to wrest control of Munro's property and mine. Keller employs a legion of henchmen, and sidelines at running runs guns to Red Hatchet and his tribe so they can also get in on the fray against the Munro's and Kentucky and friends.

The Roaring West

A 15-episode serial involving the land rush, gold mines, stolen maps, etc.

King of the Royal Mounted

The Canadians have discovered a valuable substance called Compound X, which can cure infantile paralysis. When a country at war with Canada learns that Compound X also contains magnetic properties that could aid them in their warfare against the British, they send agents to infiltrate Canada and steal a large quantity of the substance. It's up to Sgt. King (Allan Lane) and his Mounties to track down the agents and put an end to their scheme.

A Lass of the Lumberlands

15-episode serial directed by Paul Hurst and J.P. McGowan.

Perils of the Wilderness

In the 56th (and next-to-last serial) made by Columbia Pictures, Montana Deputy Dan Lawson, posing as an outlaw called Laramie, goes to the Canadian northwest on the trail of Bart Randall who is wanted for murder and bank robbery in the states. In Canada, Randall is a little more upscale and uses a hydra-plane and a fake totem to over-awe the Indians. Laramie is aided in his search by RCMP Sergeant Gray and by Donna Blane, who is suspected at first of giving information to Randall, but who is actually a Canadian secret agent investigating Randall's gun-trading with the Indians.

The Lone Ranger Rides Again

Homesteaders are moving into the valley settled many years ago by rancher Craig Dolan. He wants to keep them out by legal means but his nephew Bart brings in outlaws to drive them out. The Lone Ranger is on hand to help the homesteaders battle Bart's men as he overcomes traps, ambushes, burning buildings and other obstacles in his attempt to bring peace to the valley.

Raiders of Ghost City

During the latter stages of the Civil War, a gang of supposed Confederates, headed by Alex Morel (Lionel Atwill), raid all gold shipments destined for Washington from Oro Grande, California. Can they be brought to justice?

The Mystery Rider

Silent cowboy Western serial.

Heroes of the West

Efforts to build a transcontinental railroad are resisted by crooks and Indians on the warpath. A 12-chapter movie serial.

Gordon of Ghost City

A cowboy is hired to track down a gang of rustlers, but gets involved with a beautiful girl trying to run her grandfather's gold mine and other outlaws who are trying to stop her.

The James Brothers of Missouri

This 12-part serial concerns the efforts of the infamous James brothers (of which Jesse was a prominent member) to become normal everyday citizens. Of course, there's no room in the Wild West for reformed outlaws, and the duo inevitably find themselves caught up in showdowns and robberies.

Son of Zorro

A man returning home after having fought in the Civil War discovers that corrupt politicians have taken over the county and are terrorizing and shaking down the citizens. He dons the costume of his ancestor, the famous Zorro, and sets out to bring them to justice.

Riding with Buffalo Bill

Columbia Pictures elevated a run-of-the-mill B-western supporting player, Marshall Reed, to the title role in this equally run-of-the-mill western serial released in 15 chapters. Like most serials in the '50s, Riding with Buffalo Bill consisted of quite a bit of budget-stretching stock footage telling a highly fictionalized account of Buffalo Bill Cody aiding a group of ranchers in their defeat of a local crime lord. The serial's assistant director, Leonard Katzman, later produced the long-running television series Gunsmoke and Dallas.

The Adventures of Daredevil Jack

Heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey stars in this 15 chapter action serial, of which portions of reels 1, 2, and 4 survive. In the serial he plays the star fullback of his college's football team who gets drawn into an adventure when he stops to rescue a young woman from some thugs on a country road. It includes a gag featuring an exploding football. The rest of the cast includes Lon Chaney, Edgar Kennedy, Bull Montana, Josie Sedgwick and Herschel Mayall.

White Eagle

Serials usually spawned feature film versions, but with this film, it was the other way around. A 1932 Buck Jones Western, White Eagle was made into a serial nine years later, again starring Jones in the title role, a (supposedly) Native American Pony Express Rider defending his people against a gang of evil Whites.

Zorro's Black Whip

Pretty Girl Barbara Mededith takes over her murdered brother's crusading newspaper. She also assumes the dead sibling's identity as "The Black Whip," righting the wrongs of Crescent City very much in the manner of her famous ancestor, Zorro.

Riders of the Plains

B-Western regulars Jack Perrin and Marilyn Mills starred in this obscure, low-budget Western serial released in 15 chapters.

Zorro Rides Again

The California-Yucatan Railroad, being built for the good of Mexico, is under siege by a gang of terrorists hoping to force its sale; no one can prove their connection to profiteer Marsden. Manuel Vega, aged co-owner, calls in the aid of his nephew James, great-grandson of the original Zorro. Alas, James seems more adept at golf than derring-do; but after he arrives, Zorro rides again! Can one black-clad man on horseback defeat a gang supplied with airplanes and machine guns?

Mystery Mountain

Ken Williams is determined to discover the identity of the mysterious Rattler, who preys upon railroads and transportation companies like that owned by Jane Corwin. The Rattler is especially difficult to catch because of his skill at disguising himself as other people.

The Phantom Empire

When the ancient continent of Mu sank beneath the ocean, some of its inhabitant survived in caverns beneath the sea. Cowboy singer Gene Autry stumbles upon the civilization, now buried beneath his own Radio Ranch. The Muranians have developed technology and weaponry such as television and ray guns. Their rich supply of radium draws unscrupulous speculators from the surface. The peaceful civilization of the Muranians is corrupted by the greed from above, and it becomes Autry's task to prevent all-out war, ideally without disrupting his regular radio show.

Idaho!

Frank Leon Smith's well-written story told of Carter's Creek, a bustling mining camp, and of how Beth Cameron (Rich) seeks to avenge the murder of her father (Frederick Vroom) by donning men's clothing and raiding the vicinity.

The Miracle Rider

In 1930s Texas, following the murder of his father, Tom Morgan joins the Texas Rangers to avenge his father's death and to follow in his path as a proponent of Indian rights. His task as a Ranger is to stop the evil Zaroff and his gang, who are smuggling the elements for a powerful explosive from a mine on Indian land.

The Renegade

Town banker John Martin calls on Billy and Fuzzy for help in capturing the men that robbed his bank.

The Oregon Trail

18 episode adventure serial. 1. Westward Ho!, 2. White Treachery, 3. Across the Continent, 4. Message of Death, 5. Wagon of Doom, 6. Secret Foes, 7. A Man of God, 8. Seeds of Civilization, 9. Justice, 10. The New Era, 11. A Game of Nations, 12. To Save an Empire, 13, Trail of Death, 14. On to Washington, 15. Santa Fe, 16. Fate of a Nation, 17. For High Stakes, 18. Victory

The Vanishing Legion

A mysterious master criminal known as The Voice plots with his gang to sabotage the Milesburg Oil Company, but the rightful heir has a secret army of her own to protect her rights.

The Phantom of the West

A young man's father is murdered and the man convicted of the crime escapes prison, leaving a note intimating that seven local men know the real killer's true identity. The murdered man's son sets out to locate the seven men and find his father's slayer in this ten episode serial.

The Lightning Warrior

A Rin-Tin-Tin serial presented in 12 episodes. The mysterious Wolf Man is terrorizing settlers in a western town. With the help of Rinty, young Jimmy Carter unmasks the Wolf Man and foils his evil plot.

The Last Frontier

A frontier newspaper editor Kirby battles outlaw Tiger Morris who is causing indian uprisings to drive away settlers so that he will can claim a gold deposit as his own. With the help of General Custer, right wins out. Presented in serial form in 12 episodes.

Battling with Buffalo Bill

A western adventure serial in 12 episodes. Buffalo Bill battles gambler Jim Rodney who is trying to scare off the townspeople so he can gain possession of a gold strike discovered in the area. A nearby Indian tribe is provoked to attack the town and the cavalry is called in.

Deadwood Dick

Columbia's 11th serial and the first western serial that James W. Horne solo-directed.

The Vigilantes Are Coming

A masked hero called "The Eagle" leads California ranchers in a struggle against Russian Cossacks who are plotting to take over California and turn it into a Russian colony.

Man with the Steel Whip

Saloon owner Barnet wants the Indian reservation land on which he knows there is gold, and organizes a gang, aided by some renegade Indians, to raid and terrorize close-by settlers,hoping to arouse them to drive off the Indians. Rancher Jerry Randall, accompanied by school teacher Nancy Cooper, sets out to defeat the plot. In order to win the loyalty of the innocent tribe members, Randall masquerades as a legendary friend of the Indians, El Latigo.

Tex Granger: Midnight Rider of the Plains

Tex Granger heads toward Three Buttes when he comes across a young boy guarding a gold shipment which he has just rescued from a stagecoach that had been held up by Blaze Talbot and Reno

Desperadoes of the West

A group of ranchers, led by Colonel Arnold and Ward Gordon, are drilling an oil well but getting fierce opposition from an unknown gang of outlaws. Eastern promoter J.B."Dude" Dawson, is behind the gang as he is out to prevent the co-op members from striking oil before their lease expires, so he can secure the property for his company. When Ward, with the help of Arnold and his daughter Sally, arranges for a new driller to be brought in, the replacement man is killed and one of Dawson's men takes his place.

The Painted Stallion

American federal agent Clark Stuart is on assignment in Santa Fe to draw up a trade agreement with the newly installed Mexican governor. Meanwhile, Walter Jamison leads a wagon train from Missouri, hoping to take advantage of the new agreement. Among Jamison's passenger are famed frontiersman Jim Bowie and a very youthful Kit Carson. The destinies of all these personalities intersect when villainous ex-governor DuPrey schemes to undermine the treaty and take over the New Mexico territory for his own vile purposes. Somewhere along the way, Davy Crockett joins the "good guys" in their efforts to thwart the despicable DuPrey.