Idaho (lost silent Western film serial; 1925)

Status: Lost

Idaho is a lost 1925 Pathe serial written by Frank Leon Smith, the dean of all silent serial writers, that features Mahlon Hamilton and Vivian Rich in the lead roles. Its working title was "The Girl Vigilante."

Synopsis

Based on the chapter headings, the ten episode serial is about a rancher named Boston Graham (played by Mahlon Hamilton) who runs afoul of a gang of "road agents" (i.e., highwaymen) who are stealing food from the surrounding farms. His life is saved by Beth Cameron, the daughter of David Cameron, a well-to-do rancher, and the two of them team up to fight the highwaymen, who are led by a villain known as The White Streak, who comes to aid them at every turn. Eventually, the two of them capture the highwaymen and unmask the White Streak as David Cameron himself, who had turned outlaw in order to provide for Beth after her mother passed away.

Notes

Apparently, neither Mahlon Hamilton nor Vivian Rich were the draw that Frank Smith was hoping for, as the serial failed at the box office. Smith's insistence on using the above title was also a problem, as a more action-oriented title would have been far better.

References

Continued Next Week (book by Kalton C. Lahue)

Bound and Gagged (book by Kalton C. Lahue)

External Links

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