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Devil Dog Dawson

1921 film by Karl R. Coolidge

Manuscripts, fine bindings, an engraving plate and preserved performance ephemera
Arts and lettersInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 26, 2026
Entity authorityQ5267284
Source-derived summary

Devil Dog Dawson is a 1921 American silent Western film directed by Karl R. Coolidge and starring Jack Hoxie, Helene Rosson and Evelyn Selbie. It was produced by Unity Photoplays and released on the states-rights market by Arrow Film Corp.

Many remaining scenes from this film were thought to have been cut at the time because they depicted alcohol consumption, which was illegal at the time.

Plot

A group of three settlers in Oregon have their horses stolen by outlaws. Their horses are returned by three cowboys. The cowboys later save the settlers again when they are threatened by farmworkers.

Cast

Jack Hoxie as Devil-Dog Dawson

Helene Rosson as Mesquite Kane - his daughter

Evelyn Selbie as Widow Larsen - bandit's pal

Wilbur McGaugh as Buddy David - mystery bandit

Arthur Mackley as Sheriff Kane

Preservation

The film was considered lost. Previously, the only surviving footage from this film—38 seconds' worth—was found in a mislabeled tin by a collector in Ohio. The title marked on the tin was Dangerous Hour – Eddie Polo. The canister and its contents were the subject of an investigation in a 2006 episode of the PBS series History Detectives.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Devil Dog Dawson” as 1921 film by Karl R. Coolidge. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Devil, Dawson and film.

Editorial reviewA useful identification and reception guide that helps separate the work itself from editions, performances, ownership and later interpretation. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1921, 2006—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1921-01-01. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Devil, Dawson and film providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Devil Dog Dawson”, the useful work is to connect “1921 film by Karl R. Coolidge” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5267284. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1921 and 2006.

Critical limits

Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.

Best used for
  • Identifying works and editions
  • Tracing reception history
  • Finding collection records
Verify next

The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Devil Dog Dawson”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Devil Dog Dawson primary sources, Devil Dog Dawson archive and Devil research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Devil Dog Dawson”?
  2. Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
  3. How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
Subject index

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Devil Dog Dawson” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.