Broncho Billy and the Schoolmistress

This documentary traces the history of the B-Western from it's silent movie origins to its demise in the early 1950s. The film contains a large number of scenes from early silents and seldom seen films, as well as old photographs of the stars and one-sheet advertisements for lost films.

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.

Broncho Billy and his pals plot to rob the general store. Broncho Billy is elected to go into the store and engage the proprietor in conversation while the others enter the rear door and rob the till.

Jack Holmes, a squatter, and his daughter, Margaret, settle on land owned by Harry Rawlins. Broncho Billy, gunman, is engaged by Rawlins to eject the squatter or put him out of the way. Broncho is wounded by a half-breed and Margaret nurses him back to health. The gunman then refuses to turn Holmes out.

The girl gets a job on the local newspaper and is sent out to get the story of one of the escapades of a rich bachelor. While she is on her way she determines to break into the house, because she is sure the bachelor will refuse her an interview. She breaks into the house and is blithely gathering the details of her story when the bachelor surprises her and calls the police. Just as the police arrive, the bachelor puts on a housecoat and an old cap. He looks very much like a burglar.

Ethel Walker and Tom Phelps are engaged to marry, but father objects. Later, when the old gentleman finds his daughter writing a note to Tom, promising him to elope, he calls in blacksmiths and has them put bars on the windows and grating in the door.

Pioneer filmmaker J. Stuart Blackton was intrigued by the idea of a film about the history of the movies as early as 1915. He finally released a 52-minute feature called The Film Parade that was shown in New York and favorably reviewed by "Variety" in 1933. He continued tinkering with the film for the rest of the decade, and later filmmakers and distributors used Blackton's footage for stock or to produce their own variously titled and truncated versions. -UCLA Film & Television Archive

Broncho Billy, an outlaw, while being pursued by the sheriff of Bear County, crosses the line into Gulch County. Later he is captured by the Gulch County authorities, who wire to the neighboring sheriff's office to send a man to bring the prisoner back. A deputy sheriff is sent and that night they stop at a small hotel. Broncho and the deputy become quite friendly and Broncho induces him to remove his handcuffs. While Broncho Billy sleeps the deputy steals downstairs and enters a card game. He loses heavily. He returns to the room and tells Broncho of his loss. They then both turn in for the night. While the deputy sleeps, Broncho slips his gun from his pocket, goes downstairs and holds up the gamblers. Without waking his guardian, he places the loot on the table, then writes a note, telling the deputy that he has gone to the boundary and will be waiting for him there.

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.

After the train station clerk is assaulted and left bound and gagged, then the departing train and its passengers robbed, a posse goes in hot pursuit of the fleeing bandits.

Walking along with his bulldog, Charlie finds a "good luck" horseshoe just as he passes a training camp advertising for a boxing partner "who can take a beating." After watching others lose, Charlie puts the horseshoe in his glove and wins. The trainer prepares Charlie to fight the world champion. A gambler wants Charlie to throw the fight. He and the trainer's daughter fall in love.

Willie Duggans, a tenderfoot from the east, arrives in the wild west and soon experiences its violence. Willie discovers the easy money in bounty killing and must choose between that violent lifestyle and the love of a beautiful saloon singer.

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…

A rough criminal gets a second chance at life thanks to a kindly (and wealthy) lady saloon patron. But he hasn't gone straight yet, as he and a partner attempt to rob the home of a rich homeowner-- whose wife is asleep in the next room.

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

Matt Malone, a highwayman and night rider who has long baffled the police authorities, loves Nona McMahon, posing with her as a cowboy from up country.