The Masked Rider

The Masked Rider (also known as The Masked Raider[1] ) is a 1919 American silent Western film serial directed by Aubrey M. Kennedy.[2] Scenes were filmed in Mission San Jose in San Antonio, Castroville and Bandera, Texas, and in Coahuíla, Mexico. The serial was thought to be lost in entirety. However, most episodes have since been found, although many of them are incomplete.

The Serial Squadron purchased a surviving color-toned 35mm nitrate print from the estate of a former Philadelphia projectionist in September 2003, who personally re-edited the film into a sort of condensed feature version many years ago. The film seems to be complete except for Chapter 1, the conclusion of Chapter 3 and most of Chapter 11, with footage also missing from five of the other chapters. Chapter One has been recreated by The Serial Squadron using different actors. What remains is available on dvd.[3]

The Masked Rider is considered to be the first film serial about a masked cowboy, and can thus be considered a prototype "Lone Ranger" of sorts. The 15-episode serial is also significant for being the earliest surviving film appearance of actor Boris Karloff, although he only appears in Chapter 2. His appearance in the film is disputed by some biographers who claim that "Karloff was working in Hollywood at the time and would not have traveled all the way to Texas to do that one bit scene for a salary that was probably less than the train fare." But most sources list Karloff as being in the film.[4]