Land of the Lawless

The film follows the title character—a legendary frontiersman—as he seeks retribution against outlaws. It served as a direct sequel to How Richard Harris Became Known as Deadwood Dick (1915) and was followed by Deadwood Dick and the Mormons (1915).

William S. Hart directs and stars in a film that is a typical Western of the era. He plays Jim, a prospector who lands in the town of Broken Hope, and the name pretty much describes its inhabitants. Jim meets and falls in love with Jennie (Margery Wilson), whose father (Walt Whitman) is gravely ill. Jim rounds up a reluctant doctor from another town to tend to the old man, but he dies anyway. The doctor, however, gains Jennie's trust and she runs off with him. Only then does he tell her he's already married. She leaves immediately, but is too proud to go home so she finds work as a dance hall girl at Tacoma Jake's saloon. Jim, meanwhile, finds gold near Broken Hope, which raises its inhabitants' attitudes considerably. But the bad element is still there, and Jim is chasing after a group of kidnappers when he enters Tacoma Jake's saloon and sees Jennie. Jim not only overcomes the bad guys, he gets the girl, too.

When a cowpoke steps into a fight and saves the life of a disreputable gambler, the gambler decides to reciprocate by revealing to his new-found friend the truth about the cowpoke's fiancée.

A soldier returns home from World War I with a beautiful black horse that he saved on the battlefield, and names Thunderhoof. He enters the horse in a local race, hoping to earn enough money to save the family ranch of the girl he loves. However, the crooks intent on taking the ranch manage to capture a notorious wild horse and enter it in the same race, believing that it can beat Thunderhoof and thereby ensure that they're able to take the ranch.

California cowpuncher Jim Kern and his pal enlist in the war against Germany and, shortly thereafter, meet Frank Akuri, who has pledged to colonize the United States for his homeland, Japan. While Jim and other white males are fighting in France, Akuri forces Jim's sweetheart Mary to sell her ranch, as she is not able to run it because the only men left, the Japanese, have pledged not to work for the whites. With the ranch, Akuri begins his colony. Mary counters by organizing her society women friends to appeal to Congress against the "yellow menace." When it seems that his plans will be thwarted, Akuri issues orders for the death of Mary and her friends, but Jim and his pal return and rescue them. Akuri then kidnaps Mary and takes her to his apartment, but with the help of Akuri's wronged Japanese lover, Jim learns her whereabouts. He organizes a posse of American Legion locals and rescues Mary just as Akuri is about to murder her. Akuri's group is routed out.

This silent Western features Tom Mix as a rancher who goes to Washington to affect better conditions for the anonymous man of the soil. Having lost his money to some scheming lobbyists, Mix, unaware that oil has been found on his property, stakes his possessions on wonder horse Tony winning the big race.

A description of the surviving scenes: Two girls are dancing in the inn, one wearing a white dress, the other in black - a bandit arrives - the bandit has an argument with another guest about one of the girls - the fight continues on the rocks - the bandit throws his rival off the cliff - the girl in black mourns the dead man - a cowboy appears on a horse - the girl in black laments the crime to him - the cowboy catches up with the bandit, he disarms him and ties him to a tree - the old man who is to watch over the captive gets drunk and falls asleep - the girl in white, armed with a revolver, frees the bandit, her lover, and they both tie the watchman to the tree instead - the cowboy returns and again fights with the bandit - the girl in white is accidently shot during the ensuing duel - the cowboy leads the handcuffed bandit away.

The sheriff is in love with a beautiful widow. The widow has a brother who is in secret a rascal and a member of a gang of bandits. The sheriff and the widow have arrived at an understanding and she is wearing his ring. One day four masked men ride into the village, loot the bank, terrorize the community and ride away with a big sack of gold. The sheriff goes in pursuit, and after a lot of shooting, fast riding and acrobatic horsemanship, the bank looters are caught. When the masks are removed, the sheriff discovers to his consternation that the brother of the handsome widow is the chief of the band. Duty stares at him with unsmiling face.

Cowhand John Marvin, in a cattlemen-vs-sheep-men range war, comes to the aid of a pretty and defenseless young sheepherder, Kate Bowers. This angers the other cattlemen, especially Palque Powell, who employs deceptive methods against Kate, while pretending to help her.

Chasing the man who had caused the death of his sister, Jack Walsh rescues Mary Winters from the unwanted attentions of a drunk, and learns that she has been lured to Mexico by the false promises of an ex-prizefighter "Kayo" Mooney. The latter kidnaps Mary but Jack wins the showdown and Mary, and finds that Mooney is the man he was looking for.

Early silent screen leading man Roy Stewart played a dual-role in this independently produced "Northwestern" about identical twins, separated at birth, who grow up on opposite sides of the law.

Langley Barnes goes to the North Country to seek peace, after being deserted by his wife, and falls in love with Christine, the daughter of Angus Garth, a factor made mad by the isolation. Despite the fact that he is not divorced, Langley marries Christine in an illegal ceremony. Captain Churchill arrives to erect a radio transmitter and, returning to the United States, marries Langley's wife, who has in the interim obtained a divorce. Churchill broadcasts news of the divorce to the North Country, and Langley and Christine can now become legally married.