The Red Raiders (Silent)

Lieutenant John Scott is a green U.S. Cavalry officer newly arrived from the North, now stationed at a fort in the heart of Sioux Indian territory. John briefly wins the respect of his fellow officers when he thwarts a band of Sioux from raping a woman aboard a stagecoach, but their esteem is short-lived. They present a runaway horse named Tarzan to him as a prank gift, but John surprises everyone by taming the wild mare. He becomes even more of a pariah at the fort when he befriends Lone Wolf, a treacherous Sioux who secretly works to sow unrest among his people. Learning of Lone Wolf's true intentions, John finally wins his spurs when he leads the Cavalry charge against the ensuing Sioux uprising atop his faithful horse Tarzan.

Ken Maynard (1895-1973) was a circus and rodeo rider before he landed in Hollywood in 1923 working as a stuntman. The Red Raiders was one of his earliest successes as a leading man, paving the way for Maynard's smooth transition into the talkies. His unpolished and authentic style have long made him a favorite among hardcore Western buffs, and with his faithful horse Tarzan, Ken enjoyed a long, successful career throughout the 20s, 30s and 40s, eventually appearing in over 300 films. Comic relief Paul Hurst is best remembered for giving John Wayne water in Angel and the Badman (1947) and being shot dead by Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939). This is also one of first film appearances of Native American actor Chief Yowlachie, known for such famous movies as Red River (1948) and The Paleface (1948) where he was much older and heavier. Ken Maynard's stunt work in The Red Raiders was so good that it was reused in later Westerns, such as John Wayne's The Telegraph Trail (1933), where the Duke was dressed in the same clothes as Maynard to match the earlier footage.