The story of the defense of the mission-turned-fortress by 185 Texans against an overwhelming Mexican army in 1836.

Theatrical manager Isaac Shuman has a reputation for "taking advantage" of young girls who want to become stars on Broadway. Reporter Tom Warder investigates these stories and exposes Shuman in his newspaper.

Mary Green works in a railroad restaurant. Here she becomes acquainted with a traveling salesman, who misses his train because a group of capitalists get in his way at the ticket window. Going to the telegraph office to send a message, he picks up a telegram left by the capitalists which states that a valuable mine belongs to Mary Green, who does not realize its worth.

Louise and Ray are newly married. At heart Ray is in love with Louise, though he is a bit of a flirt. Resentful, because of his neglect, Louise writes her parents that she is coming home. She learns that Ray is infatuated with his stenographer, and hires a detective to trail him.

Mistaken identity is the theme. The husband, who neglects his wife, is watched by two detectives, who make up to appear like him. When mother-in-law arrives the action begins

Ike's uncle dies and leaves him a lot of money. He decides that he and his wife will buy a hotel. His first customers are a traveling circus, and when they can't pay the bill they leave Ike an elephant as payment.

Universal Ike and the sheriff, the best of friends, each entertain a commonplace sentiment in regard to his wife; namely, neither is interested in her so long as she doesn't burn the biscuits.

Ike loves Louise. She accepts him without consulting her mother. Therefore when the mother chooses the sheriff for her son-in-law, Ike is forced to win the girl by other means than gentle words.

Ike and a pretty new schoolteacher help a young runaway boy by making sure he goes to school.

Ika marries a widow, figuring he's set for life. Unfortunately for him, the first thing she does is put him to work. Ike hatches a scheme with his doctor to fake illness to get out of work, but his new wife has planned for that, too.

Ike is made the ranch's cook. When a traveling theatrical troupe get stranded nearby, Ike asks them back to the ranch, mainly so he can get next to their pretty leading lady, but he finds that he has to compete for the girl's affections with her pet monkey.

John de Rockingchair, oil magnate, is a suitor for the hand of Louise. The young lady, however, has long since decided that she will not marry any man who has money. Aside from this she loves Universal Ike.

Universal Ike accepts the position of ranch-foreman. Practically the first thing he does is to get in "'Dutch" with the cowboys. To further increase his troubles Mrs. Ike develops a platonic friendship from the ranch owner.

Universal Ike in the Battle of Little Tin Horn

Universal Ike Goes Astray

Universal Ike is badly treated by his nagging wife.

"They died for love. Locked in each other's arms, they capsized the boat and sank beneath the surface of the dismal waters without a murmur." Thus the romantic Mary reads and her youthful imagination is first with the noble sentiment.

Universal Ike Gets a Goat

Jeremiah Green receives a letter from his niece, stating that she is coming west, and is in the market for a husband. The news scatters fast throughout the western town, and when the fair Sophie arrives, her callers are numerous. One look at the three-hundred-pound debutante is enough to convince the men that they are not eligible for the marriage certificate, especially if Sophie is to be the bride.

Shakespeare the Second and Dan Rice the Third, would-be ham actors, blow into the town of Barnstorm. That afternoon they give a "free" performance, which is indeed terrible. Dan Rice passes the hat, only to receive cat-calls for his trouble. The hotel proprietor orders them to pay their bill and leave town.

Alkali Ike, a cowpuncher, is given his walking papers for neglect of duty. He has little trouble, however, in securing a position on Sophie Clutts' ranch. His trial is a hard and tedious one, the gladiatoress standing over him with a powerful six-shooter, and every time he drops his work, a bullet from the aforementioned piece of artillery hastily reminds him of his necessary toil.

Alkali Ike dons a bearskin to chase away his rivals.

Marguerite discovers a personal in the paper asking for information concerning Wallace Jones, and stating that he is heir to an immense fortune, which she shows to her mother. That morning, when a man applies to Mrs. Joslin for a room in her house and the landlady discovers his valise is marked "W. Jones," both she and her daughter insist on his taking one of their rooms, and make a great fuss over him. Mr. Jones is at a loss to understand their overwhelming attentions, but as Marguerite is extremely pretty, he accepts the fussing good-naturedly, as far as she is concerned.

Alkali Ike and the Wildman

Alkali Ike eludes his wife and attends a performance at the Snakeville Opera House, where Prof. Hippy is demonstrating his wonderful hypnotic art. Alkali Ike is finally persuaded to go up on the stage. The professor hypnotizes him. The clever and eccentric situation that derive from Alkali being hypnotized, are excruciatingly funny.

Sofie Clutts, the belle of Lizardville, returns from her visit to the East, and the men clamor to see her. Alkali Ike is robbed of his suspenders, his hat and coat, so that three of the men could look presentable. Sofie tries to entertain her three suitors, one in the parlor, another in the dining room, and the last in the kitchen. Alkali Ike calls to see the fair Sofie, and is shoved by suitor number one from the parlor into the dining room, his next trip from the dining room into the kitchen, and the last trip, the one that hurt the most, was from the kitchen through the window into some shrubbery.

For some unknown reason or other, Alkali Ike cannot get along with his wife. To make matters worse, Mrs. Alkali invites her mother to visit her. Mother-in-law starts right in trying to reform her son-in-law. Alkali meets her at the railroad station, and instead of hiring a bus to carry up her baggage, she makes Alkali carry three or four hat boxes, a parrot, and a trunk, on his back to the house.

During Alkali Ike's visit to the East, Slippery Slim made rapid progress for the hand of Soffie Clutts. On this particular day in February, Slippery Slim is very much dejected when he calls on Soffie and discovers that she is admiring several photographs of her old friend Alkali. To give him a better sailing. Slim shows Soffie a fictitious note

John Steppling is Billy McGrath in this popular series directed by Archer McMackin, of which this is the only existing example. Billy wants to be a Broadway producer but finds is isn't so easy.

Comedy in which Charles retaliates when Louise breaks off their engagement. Louise breaks off her engagement to Charles. Out of revenge, Charles and his friends turn Kees the milkman into a Scottish lord, who is meant to make a big impression at the ball. He dances very rudely with Louise, and out of nervousness admits that he is only a milkman. Charles responds angrily, and pretends that this was a joke that his friends had arranged; he then tries to hit Kees and his friends. Louise stops him, and they kiss, once again in love.

One night all the boys of the Seven Up Ranch are invited to the house to meet Bud Simpson's niece from Lizardhead. After hours of brushing up his dusty best clothes, Alkali Ike finally rigs himself out and, with a freshly washed rubber collar roped about his neck, chases into the ranch house where he finds the lovely Sophie seated at the organ, surrounded by the boys, who are industriously screeching their heads off in an endeavor to sing. Alkali Ike vainly attempts to elbow his way through and get a sight of the fair Sophie, but in vain, and is finally thrown out of the house by the boys. But his wooing is not in vain, and the next morning a motorcyclist arrives at the ranch and stops for a while. Alkali immediately sees possibilities in the machine, buys it outright, and invites Sophie to take a spin with him along the trail.

"Alkali" Ike, with a luxuriant growth of beard that he has carefully fostered, determines to see the city for the first time. He arrives, and not being a good dodger, is knocked insensible by the first automobile he encounters. His disfigured face is shaven by a doctor, who adorns it with several large strips of plaster, gives him some new clothes and turns him loose. Arriving back in his home town he meets his wife's sister, attempts to embrace her and she, not recognizing his shaven face, summons the aid of a group of punchers who immediately put Alkali through a course of rough treatment, including a ducking in the watering trough, and finally land him in the town jail.

A romantic Western in which John saves his beloved Mary when she is about to marry a criminal.

This time Alkali Ike is dissatisfied with his boarding house and, when the buxom Sophie, a two-hundred-pound widow arrives in town, buys out Tony's place and nails up cards announcing that it will be opened on the following Tuesday as a first-class boarding house, Alkali is the first to see it, rushes back and begins to lay plans for switching at once.

Coyote Simpson and "Alkali" Ike both love the buxom Sophie, pride of Buckskin, Ariz. Coyote has a long curling mustache that is his one pride and joy, but Sophie objects to it when he kisses her and orders him to trim it down.

Alkali Ike receives some good news one morning in the form of an invitation from the boys of a nearby town to attend a masquerade ball with his best girl. Much elated. Alkali calls on Sophie and she gladly agrees to go. Alkali now goes to the town postmistress, secures the address of a costume firm and writes for a costume. It arrives in the nature of a Mephisto garb, horns, tail and all.

Old Silas Gregg lives with his pretty daughter, Vedah, in the western hills, unknown to the girl. Gregg is the leader of a band of smugglers, who have their rendezvous in his barn. Vedah is loved by Brant Graham, a sturdy young Hillman, and to insure his future, Graham gets the sheriff to appoint him a deputy, receives his badge, pins it inside his sleeve and is ordered to be on the watch for smugglers, who are continually getting goods across the Mexican border, Graham promises and leaves. Later he goes to Gregg's shack, puts the ring on Vedah's finger and asks to see her father, to gain his consent. Finding he has gone down to the barn they start in search for him. In passing the barn Graham suddenly discovers Gregg and his gang sorting over their goods inside.

Alkali is considered the ranch seamstress by the boys on Hard-Up, and consequently has to sew buttons on coats and do other sewing stunts that finally wear on his nerves and decide him on the matrimony thing. One day Alkali gets the town paper and sees a "Husband Wanted" ad. A widow with a small boy and loads of money, wants to hitch up with some nice western gentleman. This is pie tor Alkali, He instantly dispatches a letter to the widow to come to Snakeville, get off at his ranch and not to "fergit her dust."

Bridget, the cook on the Hard-Up Ranch, is some eat specialist on everything but soup. This, the boys declare, is bad, and select "Alkali" as the martyr to so inform her. "Alkali" does the test he can, but is bombarded out of the kitchen by the irate Bridget, who proceeds to drive the boys to the shelter of the hayloft for protection.

When rancher Arthur Mackley welcomes his daughter (Florence Perkes) to his ranch for a visit, all of the cowboys compete for her affections.

Tom Fleming, a Western bandit, and his pal, Morgan, hold up the stage. Fleming dispatches Morgan to town to inform him when the stage leaves. Fleming now receives a letter from his wife back east, in which she tells him she and their little girl pray every night that he will always remain an honest, faithful husband and father.

Old Perkins, a ranchman, has a bevy of pretty daughters, ranging in age from five years up to twenty. Perkins will not permit any love making between the girls and the cowboys, the most ardent of whom is "Alkali" Ike. "Alkali" likes Jennie, and the other boys each have their individual sweetheart.

Pretty Bessie King has all the cowboys' hearts thumping ragtime jigs against their ribs whenever she comes to town, and Alkali is the hardest hit of all. After a series of flirtations she finally takes Alkali for better or worse and they are married. A year later a small son and heir keeps Alkali doing Marathons across the midnight floors.

A grouchy old western landlord takes the Widow Jones' motorcycle belonging to her deceased husband, because she cannot pay rent. He puts a 'For Sale' sign on the machine and waits to drive a good bargain. A brisk young man agrees to buy it, but wants to try it out first. He gets on with the old man on the back and they finally strand for lack of gasoline near the railroad.

Alkali Ike is in love with the daughter of Ranchman Brown, who is very much opposed to the match. Alkali, to prove that he is brave solicits the help of two of his cronies, who are to disguise as hold-up men and waylay Ranchman Brown. The hold-up occurs, but when Alkali pulls the masks off the highwaymen he finds they are not his friends, but two of the most desperate bad men of the country.

"Broncho Billy and the Schoolmistress" (1912, 14 minutes) is a comedy-drama about yet another girl from the East who doesn't need to be protected from the local dangers. Broncho Billy plays a passive role, and even takes a bullet when a jealous villain tries to eliminate him from the new teacher's dance card. Filmed in the wilds of Fairfax, California and at Essanay Studios in San Rafael.

When Widow Jenkins publishes the news that she has been left a valuable estate and other properties, including a grocery store, all the eligible men of the neighborhood seek to win her hand. The most persistent of her admirers is Alkali Ike, who absolutely refuses to remove himself from her immediate vicinity and guards her so well that none of the other suitors are given a fair opportunity to propose.

The forceful reformation of a lazy scrounger.

Jim Riley is to be arrested for horse stealing and when the sheriff knocks at the door of Jim's shack, he asks his little girl Nellie to go and tell the man he is not at home. Nellie tries to persuade the big sheriff that her father is out, but to no avail, for Jim is arrested and taken away, while he promises his little girl he will soon return.

Fairfax, California, is the location used for this film, one of the earliest Broncho Billy films. Anderson includes his usual mix of comedy and drama as Broncho Billy gets caught in the middle of a family dispute between a jealous hotel owner and his daughter when she flirts with her boyfriend, a cowboy her father dislikes.

It's Christmas, and a young woman is on her way to celebrate the holidays with her parents. A group of drunk cowboys startle her horses making her wagon, with the woman on it, speed off. By chance Broncho Billy saves her life and the grateful girl invites him over for Christmas dinner. Little does he know that the young lady is the Sheriff's daughter…

The boys want Simp to take a trip with them, but he fears his wife's objections. These, however, are circumvented, when a doctor, who is to be one of the party, pronounces Simp an invalid and argues that he must have a change of climate. Arrived at the resort, Simp has a great time until the clerk gets the letters mixed. Wifey soon scents something wrong

Tom Perkins, a Chicago youth, is arrested, charged with being one of the carbarn bandits, to whom is attributed a series of bold robberies. The disgraced parents also suffer for their son's crimes, the elder Perkins being thrown out of a job, and they are forced to leave their rented cottage, on account of the bad character of their son.

Old Jim Lacey and his daughter operate a stagecoach in the west. One day, Alice, the girl, meets Tom Percival, a prospector, green from the east, and they fall in love. A few weeks later Tom writes Alice that he has struck it rich and for her to accompany her father on the stagecoach that day and she can ride with him to the claim office.

Two wandering thespians, whose one lone trunk bears the legend "Schulz Brothers, in Vaudeville," are hitting the grit back to New York. They are sore and tired when they reach "Snakeville." They decide to stop overnight, and if fortune favors them to give a performance and gets enough money to ride back to Broadway. Thereat they bill the town and make ready for the performance at the Town Hall that evening. Their efforts to please the critical Snakeville audience are futile and before they have rendered their first selection the audience bowls them off the stage and all leave. Furthermore the management in the box office has decamped to the "Red Eye" saloon with all the proceeds of the performance and they are in as bad a fix as before.

Young Jim Logan, a miner at the "Little Jonny" mine, is in financial straits owing to the long illness of his wife. Other misfortunes follow when Jim learns of the discontent of other miners and their grumbling at the present wage scale they are receiving. It is finally decided to make demands to the mine owners

Broncho Bill of Snakeville, is on one of his sprees. Loaded down with all kinds of artillery, he comes up Main Street, firing both pistols. He first visits the town bar and chases everybody out; he breaks into the hotel and causes a panic there; breaks up a prayer meeting; puts an English tourist to flight; grabs the boot off of "Alkali" Ike's foot and shoots at it in the air. Finally, tired of his sport, he borrows a horse and starts for home, shortly after to be pursued by the sheriff and his posse.

Young Harry Farman and Eloise Wendell are engaged to be married. Harry is a wealthy young fellow and Eloise is a society girl, and both find pleasure in their clubs and other such luxuries that the city affords the fashionable, wealthy set. Eloise, who has rode a hobby of philanthropy is engaged with her club and other clubs, who are holding a tag day, the funds to go to the children of the poor. Eloise, with another friend, invades a saloon in a fashionable hotel, and are invited to have a drink by two men seated at a table. Eloise, in fun, lifts the glass to her lips when Farman enters. The match is broken off and the next day Farman, with a friend, goes west.

Upon the death of her father, Ann Newton is made the heiress of an extensive and valuable ranch in Arizona, when she is visited by the officials of the S.W. Railroad Company, who, seeking to extend the tracks of their company, find it necessary to buy a portion of the ranch. Ann refuses to part with the ranch at any price

Two hobos, Shorty and Skinny, are very hungry, and finally Skinny gets an idea how to get a good meal without paying for it. Stealing a policeman's suit which is hanging on a line in a nearby yard, Skinny is dressed in it and they go to a restaurant, which Shorty enters, and seating himself, orders a large meal.

Mrs. Graham and her baby boy are on their way from the east to an uncle's ranch in Wyoming, and they have completed the long journey in safety up to the time they are to take the stagecoach to Snakeville, near which the ranch is located. Through an accident Baby "Bumps," as he is fondly called by his mother, is carried off by the coach and Mrs. Graham left behind.

George Maxwell, a young cowboy, rescues a fever-stricken Mexican prospector and carrying him to an inn in the vicinity like a good Samaritan, pays the innkeeper a sum of money to care for the stricken man until he recovers.

Alkali Ike and Mustang Pete are both wooing the same woman. Ike hopes to take her for a horseback ride, but she chooses instead to go with Pete, who has a horse and carriage. Ike trades his horses for an automobile, hoping to win her over that way, but things do not work out as planned.

Harvey Barton, a young cowboy, is happily in love with Kate Bowers, a pretty western girl. One day he calls at her home, shows her a handbill advertising a barn dance to be held at one of the nearby ranches, and asks her to go with him. On his way back to the ranch he comes upon a beautiful young woman, whose horse has met with an accident and Harvey dismounts and bashfully asks her if he can be of any assistance. She accepts his help and invites him to accompany her home. She is inclined to flirt and easily turns the foolish young cowpuncher's head, and the meeting ends with him inviting her to accompany him to the dance.

Jake Walters and his wife, Millie, arrive at Lizardhead, Arizona. They have learned that Mrs. Riley, proprietress of the hotel, has advertised for a waitress and Millie is sent to take the position. Millie is pretty and soon has all the village swains breaking their necks to gain her favor. From "Stump" Willetts to "Lank" Henderson, every cowboy within a radius of ten miles of Lizardhead is led to believe that he is the pretty lady's choice.

Lank sees a young lady drop her purse and upon recovering it is invited by the damsel to see her home. It is with envious eyes that Hank watches his pal and then resolves to try to make a hit himself.

Young Frank McLain loses his position in the east, and resolves to go west to prospect for gold. Arrangements are made that he leave his wife at home, and send for her later, as soon as he has found a position. Frank's prospecting proves a failure, and he is without funds, when his plight is made more severe by receiving a letter from Alice, his wife.

The scene is laid in the West and presents a French count, in immaculate attire, suddenly dropped among the cowboys. Following an altercation he offers to fight a duel, but when the results of a scheme arranged by the cowboys to show his opponent killing duelists by wholesale are seen, he breaks away and barely succeeds in catching the stage on his way back to the effete East, while the cowboys make merry over their successful joke.

Andy Carson, puncher on the Lazy X ranch, is in love with Gladys, daughter of Col. Pierce, the ranch owner. Gladys likes the young puncher, but when Jack Brinsley, a young Eastern friend of her father, comes to spend Christmas at the ranch, she speedily transfers her affection to the Easterner.

Always on the lookout for easy money. "Hank and Lank." our favorite comedians, see an opportunity to get a square meal when they are inspired by the methods of a blind man, preying upon public charity.

A Western story turning upon the cleverness of Shorty Blair, an express messenger, who assumes to be a tenderfoot and outwits a gang of desperadoes that follow him for the package of money he carries.

Circle C Ranch's Wedding Present is a silent Western

Hank and Lank have inside information that it's meal time, but it looks as if they would have to skip a meal or two until Hank's fertile brain maps out a royal road to a big feed.

Hank and Lank: Lifesavers is a Silent Comedy short.

Jason Watkins, a real estate and loan agent, enters his office in the little Arizona town of Navajo, to find that during the night robbers have visited the place and broken into his safe, taking with them a large sum of money and other valuables. Watkins immediately notifies the sheriff, a posse is hurriedly organized and a search made for the culprits.

The scene opens in the bunk house of the Lazy K Ranch, where we see Jack Hartley and his pal Jack Smythe. Hartley has just received a letter from the east, in which his mother asks him for money. Hartley is much depressed. He is broke and sees no immediate prospect of recouping his fortunes. Smythe, learning of Hartley's dilemma, offers his roll to his pal, who gratefully accepts it.

Hank and Lank have not experienced a good feed for several days, and, on the lookout for a meal or a handout, pass by the Summerford residence, just as Mr. and Mrs. Summerford, carrying suitcases and handbags, hurriedly lock the front door and leave. A sign, informing callers of their absence during the summer, is conspicuously placed in the window.

Nellie Blair, the niece of a wealthy ranchman, and an orphan, comes in make her home with her uncle, and shortly after her arrival finds that the whole "Circle A" outfit, every manjack on the place, is in love with her.

In this instance Hank and Lank step into good fortune quite by accident. Pausing in front of a bargain dry-goods store, a young lady rushes up and asks Hank to hold her baby while she goes inside to make a few purchases. Shortly after she returns and liberally tips the little man for his services as nurse.

Patricia Watkins and her father are proprietors of the Lariat Saloon and dance hall but because of his small size and his tendency to keep in a state of perpetual drunkenness the old man has little to do with the business. Patricia as a barmaid meets all the riffraff of humanity drifting across the plains to the west and the Lariat Saloon is noted far and wide, not so much for the quality of its poisons as for the pretty maid who always offers a smile with the drink.

Hank and Lank have experienced a little rough weather since we last saw them and the fact that they are disreputably clothed has not been overlooked by them. They need something new. But how? After some thought Hank's cheerful countenance lightens. He goes on to explain his little scheme in detail.

Mr. Pest is a certain type of nuisance with whom you are all more or less familiar. A silly egotist with an exaggerated notion of his own importance, be believes that every woman he meets will fall an easy victim to his charms.

"Bullets" Brown, the hero of our story, is a rare track tout, and a true type or this particular parasite.

Mr. Marc and his wife are at breakfast when the butler announces an early caller and tenders his master a card bearing the name of Mr. Bunco. When Marc hurries into the reception room he is greeted by a gentleman of prepossessing appearance, who, after a warm handshake, introduces himself as the agent of the Silver Sucker mine. He has heard that Mr. Marc is seeking a profitable investment and was advised by a friend of Mr. Marc's to see this latter. The gentleman offers other credentials, but the mention of the friend's name is enough for the unwary Marc, and he refuses to put the gentleman to such an inconvenience. At length it is arranged, and Marc informs the gentleman that if he will call at his office at 2 o'clock they will close the deal. Mr. Marc wears a beard, and on his way downtown he suddenly resolves to shave.

In this instance our friend Hank, the little fellow with the big ideas, longs for an auto ride and communicates to Lank a plan by which they may obtain one. The suggestion he offers is this: They will spot a good car and when the chauffeur is near Hank will throw a fit and the sympathetic Lank will induce the chauffeur to take his stricken friend to the hospital. The scheme works perfectly. Hank approaches the car, is suddenly stricken, and doubles up spasmodically in an awful epileptic fit. Lank is the first on the scene and waves violently to the driver of the car. This latter proves sympathetic and offers to get Hank to the hospital with all possible speed.

"Weary" William, who is hungry and obsessed with a desire to make some easy money, hits upon a really excellent idea. The inspiration comes when he finds a stray pup, which appears to be in about the same fix as he, hungry and homeless. "Weary" appropriates the dog and plans his campaign.

Our friend Blink is a baseball bug and a devotee of the sport. One day he finds he will have time in the afternoon to visit the ball park, and from that moment until noon he is in an excited fever, refusing to talk anything but baseball to the business men who call on him.

Jimmy Little, a reporter for the Daily Howl, is in love. The object of his affections this time is pretty Dorothy Alexander, daughter of a millionaire, and this is the unfortunate part of it, because Dorothy's father suspicions the reporter of wanting the millions more than Dorothy. However nothing could be furthermost in the mind of Jimmy

The custom of young women "tagging" men on the public streets (on a day specially set aside and called "Tag Day") to secure funds for various charitable purposes is the basis for this Comedy short.