Acting
When rancher Arthur Mackley welcomes his daughter (Florence Perkes) to his ranch for a visit, all of the cowboys compete for her affections.
The forceful reformation of a lazy scrounger.
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…
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
"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.
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.
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.
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 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.
The story of the defense of the mission-turned-fortress by 185 Texans against an overwhelming Mexican army in 1836.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
