Helen Gibson

We have included this film in our program to illustrate the work and contributions of our star Helen Gibson.

Let's all give our thanks to Larry Telles for making this film available to the public. Larry  authored a book on the life of Helen Gibson. You can buy a DVD with the film here.

"Ghost of the Canyon" is a short action drama. Scenario and direction are by Robert Myles, story by R.A.Dillion, photographed by Carl Widen. In 1915-1917 Helen Gibson starred a serial by the name of "The Hazards of Helen".  She is considered the first professional stunt woman.  Very few of her films survive, so we are happy to be able to show you this rarity.

Two railroad companies compete for a very lucrative contract.  Helen's father is the first in command, and her fiance the second in one of the companies.  The rival company organizes a sabotage, which is exposed by Helen.  Unfortunately for her, she is alone against three men who tie her up to the railroad tracks.  She faces imminent death unless she finds a way to free herself from the ropes.

Click to enlarge:

Ghost of the Canyon

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  Helen Gibson's boyfriend gets the assignment from her father to win an important contract in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-7.jpg

  Helen Gibson's car is stopped by the rival railway's bosses in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-8.jpg

  Helen Gibson has some tough talk for the rival railway's bosses in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-9.jpg

  Helen Gibson and her boyfriend wish good luck to their team in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-10.jpg

  Helen Gibson and her boyfriend discuss the competition with her father in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-12.jpg

  Helen Gibson and her boyfriend see encouraging initial news in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-13.jpg

  The train engineer sees a ghost-like apparition amid smoke and stops the train in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-14.jpg

  The engineer reports that he could not go any further in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-16.jpg

  Helen Gibson is upset that her father's railway may lose the contract in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-17.jpg

  Helen Gibson is glad that the rival railway also has problems in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-18.jpg

  Helen Gibson and her father discuss a new strategy in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-19.jpg

  Helen Gibson and her boyfriend are closely watched by the rival agents in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-20.jpg

  Helen Gibson's boyfriend takes personal charge of the trial run in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-22.jpg

  Helen Gibson chases the rival agents, but is delayed by a flat tire in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-23.jpg

  Helen Gibson observes suspicious activity by the rival agents in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-24.jpg

  The rival agents intend to run, but come back after seeing Helen Gibson alone in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-26.jpg

  The rival agents overpower Helen Gibson in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-27.jpg

  The rival agents tie Helen Gibson to the tracks in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-31.jpg

  The rival agents leave Helen Gibson tied to the tracks in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-35.jpg

  Helen Gibson's boyfriend sees the ghost again, but doesn't stop in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-36.jpg

  Helen Gibson is fighting for her life in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-37.jpg

  Helen Gibson manages to get under the tracks in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-38.jpg

  Helen Gibson's ropes are cut by the friendly train and she goes free in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-39.jpg

  Helen Gibson finds evidence of the rival agents' malicious activities in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-41.jpg

  The rival agents are detained as Helen Gibson gives them some pep talk in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-42.jpg

  Helen Gibson's father explains what devices were used by the rival agents in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-44.jpg

  Helen Gibson's father shows the device that created the ghost in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-45.jpg

  Helen Gibson joins her boyfriend for the rest of the trial run in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/Ghost-of-the-Canyon/Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-45.jpg

   Helen Gibson

   Helen Gibson

Directed by                     Robert Myles
Produced by                   Capital Film Company
Scenario                          Robert Myles
Starring                          Helen Gibson, William Gettinger, Leo Maloney
Cinematography            Carl Widen?
Distributed by                Capital Film Company
Release date                    1920
Running time                  21 minutes
Country                           United States
Language                         Silent film, English intertitles

This film is part of our series 'Hidden Gems'. It can be watched by registered users who make a donation. For more details, please click here.

We have included this film in our program to illustrate the work and contributions of our star Helen Gibson.

In 1915-1917 Helen Gibson starred in a serial by the name of "The Hazards of Helen".  She is considered the first professional stunt woman.  Very few of her films survive, so we are happy to be able to show you this rarity.

According to Larry Telles, who authored a book on the life of Helen Gibson, this short action drama is a compilation of at least two films with Helen Gibson. The beginning is from "The Broken Brake" (1920), and the ending is from "The Golden Star Bandit" (1920). It is not known if the two films survive in complete versions. So let's enjoy, within these limitations, the performance of our star Helen Gibson, including her breathtaking stunt towards the end of the film.

Click to enlarge:

The Broken Brake

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Broken-Brake-1920-1.jpg

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• William-Gettinger-and-Helen-Gibson-in-The-Broken-Brake-1920-4.jpg

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Broken-Brake-1920-5.jpg

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Broken-Brake-1920-6.jpg

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• Leo-Maloney-and-Helen-Gibson-in-The-Broken-Brake-1920-7.jpg

  https://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Broken-Brake/Leo-Maloney-and-Helen-Gibson-in-The-Broken-Brake-1920-7.jpg

   Helen Gibson and Leo Maloney

Attention please.

Registration and donation are required to watch the films part of the series 'Hidden Gems'. Please complete the steps in the article 'Gems for Donation' before proceeding.

Registered users who made the required donation please click here to watch this gem.

Below is a short preview of the film.

   Helen Gibson in an astounding and life-threatening stunt

This film is part of our series 'Hidden Gems'. It can be watched by registered users who make a donation. For more details, please click here.
 

We have included this film in our program to illustrate the work and contributions of our star Helen Gibson.

"The Governor's Special" is a short action film from a serial by the name of "The Hazards of Helen", featuring Helen Gibson. This is episode 76 from a total of 119 weekly one reel films produced by Kalem, showing just how popular this serial was in 1914-1917. The first 48 films starred Helen Holmes, the remaining 71 starred Helen Gibson. They both played heroines that were independent and adventurous, resolving dangerous situations with quick thinking. Their acting was very physical and they performed their often very dangerous stunts. It is believed to be the longest film series in the silent era and one of the longest ever. Very few of the films survive, and we are happy to be able to show this rarity to our esteemed viewers.

The film is directed by James Davis from a story by Edward T. Matlack. In this episode Helen Gibson performs one absolutely breathtaking stunt, which just shows how dangerous it was to act for silent film pioneers, especially for stuntmen and stuntwomen. 

There is a twist to the plot, and Helen Gibson not only has to save her governor from mortal danger, but also the life of somebody close to her, who has been sentenced to die without guilt.

Click to enlarge:

The Governor's Special

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-1.jpg

  Helen Gibson shows her co-worker a telegram telling him to pick up the governor in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-2.jpg

  Helen Gibson receives a note in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-3.jpg

  Helen Gibson reads the note in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-4.jpg

  Helen Gibson learns that someone she knows is sentences to die in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-5.jpg

  Helen Gibson is desperate upon learning the news in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-6.jpg

  Helen Gibson meets the man who wrote the note in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-7.jpg

  Helen Gibson is asked to let the man go free in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-8.jpg

  Helen Gibson hesitates to let the man go free by firing through the chain in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-9.jpg

  Helen Gibson is heartbroken as the man is arrested in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-10.jpg

  Helen Gibson faces a dangerous situation in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-11.jpg

  Helen Gibson looks at the wild engine in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-12.jpg

  Helen Gibson drives a speedy trying to catch the wild engine in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-13.jpg

  Helen Gibson looks at the governor's train racing head on towards the wild engine in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-14.jpg

  Helen Gibson makes a life-threatening jump from the speedy onto the wild engine in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-15.jpg

  Helen Gibson has a few seconds to tame the wild engine and prevent a catastrophe in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-16.jpg

  Helen Gibson puts the wild engine on reverse and prevents a catastrophe in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-17.jpg

  Helen Gibson meets the train engineers in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-18.jpg

  Helen Gibson meets the governor in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-19.jpg

  Helen Gibson talks to the governor in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-20.jpg

  Helen Gibson asks the governor a special favor in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-21.jpg

  Helen Gibson is worried about the arrested man in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Governors-Special/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-21.jpg

   Helen Gibson

Attention please.

Registration and donation are required to watch the films part of the series 'Hidden Gems'. Please complete the steps in the article 'Gems for Donation' before proceeding.

Registered users who made the required donation please click here to watch this gem.

Below is a short preview of the film.

   Helen Gibson needs a car and won't take 'No!' for an answer.

We have included this film in our program to illustrate the work and contributions of our star Helen Gibson.

This is a short excerpt from an unknown episode of an action serial by the name of "The Hazards of Helen" starring Helen Gibson.  As with all other episodes, this one was likely directed by J.P. McGowan from a story by Edward T. Matlack.  A total of 119 weekly one reel films were produced by Kalem, showing just how popular this serial was in 1914-1917.  The first 48 films starred Helen Holmes, the remaining 71 starred Helen Gibson.  They both played heroines that were independent and adventurous, resolving dangerous situations with quick thinking.  Their acting was very physical and they performed their often very dangerous stunts.  It is believed to be the longest film series in the silent era and one of the longest ever.  Very few of the films survive, and we are happy to  be able to show this rarity to our esteemed viewers.

We have posted for you all available episodes from "The Hazards of Helen" starring Helen Gibson.  Half a dozen other episodes from this serial starring Helen Gibson survive in archives around the globe.  We won't be able to acquire them and show them to you before we obtain your financial support.  In the meantime, let's enjoy these 43 seconds of breathtaking stunts performed by our star Helen Gibson.

UPDATE:

We received a credible tip that the clip is actually from another film, made a year or two later.  Without splitting any more hairs, let's enjoy the few images with Helen Gibson that we have, and try to find ways to obtain and show to the silent film loving public for free the rest of her amazing movies.

   Helen Gibson

This film is part of our series 'Hidden Gems'. It can be watched by registered users who make a donation. For more details, please click here.

We have included this film in our program to illustrate the work and contributions of our star Helen Gibson.

"The Open Track" (1916), directed by James Davis from a story by Edward T. Matlack, is a short action film from a serial by the name of "The Hazards of Helen" starring Helen Gibson.  This is episode 63 from a total of 119 weekly one reel films produced by Kalem, showing just how popular this serial was in 1914-1917.  The first 48 films starred Helen Holmes, the remaining 71 starred Helen Gibson.  They both played heroines that were independent and adventurous, resolving dangerous situations with quick thinking.  Their acting was very physical and they performed their often very dangerous stunts.  It is believed to be the longest film series in the silent era and one of the longest ever.  Very few of the films survive, and we are happy to  be able to show this rarity to our esteemed viewers.

Helen Gibson is a railway station operator who gets caught in a federal investigation of counterfeit money.  There is a lot of action in this episode with one particularly dangerous stunt performed by Helen Gibson as she chases a runaway locomotive on motorcycle.

Click to enlarge:

The Open Track

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-3.jpg

  Helen Gibson fights unwelcome advances in "The Open Track" (1916). The guy eventually gets thrown out of the car.

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-5.jpg

  Helen Gibson finds a counterfeiter's note in "The Open Track" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-7.jpg

  Helen Gibson reads the counterfeiter's note in "The Open Track" (1916).

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• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-9.jpg

  Helen Gibson telegraphs the counterfeiter's note in "The Open Track" (1916).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Open-Track/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-9.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-11.jpg

  Helen Gibson meets two investigators in "The Open Track" (1916).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Open-Track/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-11.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-13.jpg

  The two investigators are caught by the criminals and tied to a runaway locomotive in "The Open Track" (1916).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Open-Track/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-13.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-21.jpg

  Helen Gibson chases the runaway locomotive on motorcycle in "The Open Track" (1916).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Open-Track/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-21.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-23.jpg

  Helen Gibson chases the runaway locomotive in "The Open Track" (1916).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Open-Track/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-23.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-24.jpg

  Helen Gibson gets a hold of the runaway locomotive in "The Open Track" (1916).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Open-Track/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-24.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-25.jpg

  Helen Gibson jumps on the runaway locomotive in "The Open Track" (1916).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Open-Track/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-25.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-26.jpg

  Helen Gibson stops the runaway locomotive and frees the investigators in "The Open Track" (1916).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Open-Track/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-26.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-27.jpg

  Helen Gibson and the investigators arrest the criminals in "The Open Track" (1916).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Open-Track/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-27.jpg

   Helen Gibson in a daring stunt

Attention please.

Registration and donation are required to watch the films part of the series 'Hidden Gems'. Please complete the steps in the article 'Gems for Donation' before proceeding.

Registered users who made the required donation please click here to watch this gem.

Below is a short preview of the film.

   Helen Gibson
 

We have included this film in our program to illustrate the work and contributions of our star Helen Gibson.

Let's all give our thanks to Larry Telles for making this film available to the public. Larry  authored a book on the life of Helen Gibson. You can buy a DVD with the film here.

"The Wrong Train Order" is a short action film from a serial by the name of "The Hazards of Helen", featuring Helen Gibson. This is episode 58 from a total of 119 weekly one reel films produced by Kalem, showing just how popular this serial was in 1914-1917. The first 48 films starred Helen Holmes, the remaining 71 starred Helen Gibson. They both played heroines that were independent and adventurous, resolving dangerous situations with quick thinking. Their acting was very physical and they performed their often very dangerous stunts. It is believed to be the longest film series in the silent era and one of the longest ever. Very few of the films survive, and we are happy to be able to show this rarity to our esteemed viewers.

The film is directed by James Davis from a story by Edward T. Matlack. In this episode everything goes wrong. Helen ends up on the rear observation deck of a runaway express train with the door to the inside closed, with the air-brake of the engine damaged, the engine itself full of steam and inaccessible, and the train speeding ahead on the wrong track.

Click to enlarge:

The Wrong Train Order

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-1.jpg

  Helen Gibson speaks with a co-worker in "The Wrong Train Order" (1915).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Wrong-Train-Order/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-1.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-3.jpg

  Helen Gibson sports a fashionable hat in "The Wrong Train Order" (1915).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Wrong-Train-Order/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-3.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-4.jpg

  Helen Gibson reads a newspaper in "The Wrong Train Order" (1915).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Wrong-Train-Order/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-4.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-7.jpg

  Helen Gibson finds out that there is a serious trouble in "The Wrong Train Order" (1915).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Wrong-Train-Order/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-7.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-9.jpg

  Helen Gibson advances towards the locomotive on top of the speeding train in "The Wrong Train Order" (1915).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Wrong-Train-Order/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-9.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-10.jpg

  Helen Gibson sees the engine room full of steam in "The Wrong Train Order" (1915).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Wrong-Train-Order/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-10.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-11.jpg

  Helen Gibson tries to reach an emergency break in "The Wrong Train Order" (1915).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Wrong-Train-Order/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-11.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-12.jpg

  Helen Gibson almost reaches an emergency break in "The Wrong Train Order" (1915).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/The-Wrong-Train-Order/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-12.jpg

   Helen Gibson

   Helen Gibson

Directed by                     Robert Myles
Produced by                   Capital Film Company
Scenario                          Robert Myles
Based on                        a story by R. A. Dillion
Starring                          Helen Gibson, Leo Maloney, Roy Coulson
Cinematography            Carl Widen
Distributed by                Capital Film Company
Release date                    May 3, 1920
Running time                  26 minutes
Country                           United States
Language                         Silent film, English intertitles

This film is part of our series 'Hidden Gems'. It can be watched by registered users who make a donation. For more details, please click here.

We have included this film in our program to illustrate the work and contributions of our star Helen Gibson.

Let's all give our thanks to Larry Telles for making this film available to the public. Larry authored a book on the life of Helen Gibson. You can buy a DVD with the film here.

In 1915-1917 Helen Gibson starred a serial by the name of "The Hazards of Helen".  She is considered the first professional stunt woman.  Very few of her films survive, so we are happy to be able to show you this rarity.

"Winning the Franchise" is a short action drama. Helen's father is the President of a railroad company competing for a very lucrative government contract.  A rival company organizes sabotage and Helen is the only one who can save the day.

Click to enlarge:

Winning the Franchise

• Helen-Gibson-in-Winning-the-Franchise-1920-1.jpg

  Helen Gibson in "Winning the Franchise" (1920).

  https://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/Winning-the-Franchise/Helen-Gibson-in-Winning-the-Franchise-1920-1.jpg

• Leo-Maloney-in-Winning-the-Franchise-1920-2.jpg

  Leo Maloney is an engineer in "Winning the Franchise" (1920).

  https://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/Winning-the-Franchise/Leo-Maloney-in-Winning-the-Franchise-1920-2.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-Winning-the-Franchise-1920-7.jpg

  Helen Gibson talks to a company executive in "Winning the Franchise" (1920).

  https://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/Winning-the-Franchise/Helen-Gibson-in-Winning-the-Franchise-1920-7.jpg

• Leo-Maloney-and-Helen-Gibson-in-Winning-the-Franchise-1920-6.jpg

  Helen Gibson and Leo Maloney in "Winning the Franchise" (1920).

  https://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/Winning-the-Franchise/Leo-Maloney-and-Helen-Gibson-in-Winning-the-Franchise-1920-6.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-Winning-the-Franchise-1920-8.jpg

  Helen Gibson talks to an engineer in "Winning the Franchise" (1920).

  https://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/FilmStills/Helen-Gibson/Winning-the-Franchise/Helen-Gibson-in-Winning-the-Franchise-1920-8.jpg

   Helen Gibson and Leo Maloney

Attention please.

Registration and donation are required to watch the films part of the series 'Hidden Gems'. Please complete the steps in the article 'Gems for Donation' before proceeding.

Registered users who made the required donation please click here to watch this gem.

Below is a short preview of the film.

   Helen Gibson with a nice dress

This original article was created by Larry Telles, author of a book on the life of Helen Gibson, and is the exclusive property of Silent Hall of Fame. 


Helen Gibson(August 27, 1891 – October 10, 1977) was a trick rider, rodeo performer, film actress, vaudeville performer, radio performer, and film producer. She is considered to be Hollywood’s first professional stunt woman.

 She was born Rose August Wenger in Cleveland, Ohio, one of five girls, to Swiss-German parents, Fred and Annie Wegner. Her father had wanted a son, and encouraged her to be a tomboy. Rose saw her first Wild West show in Cleveland in the summer of 1909 and answered a Miller Brothers 101 Ranch ad for girl riders in Billboard magazine. They taught her to ride, and she performed in her first 101 Ranch Real Wild West Show in St. Louis in April 1910. The Miller-Arlington Show closed in 1911 in Venice, CA. Thomas H. Ince was producing for the New York Motion Picture Company and hired the entire cast for the winter at $2,500 a week. Each performer was paid $8 a week and boarded themselves and horses in Venice. They rode five miles each day to work in Topanaga Canyon, where the films were being shot. In 1912 Rose made $15 a week for her first billed role as Ruth Roland’s sister in Ranch Girls on a Rampage.

                Like many of those riding extras, Rose continued to perform in rodeos between pictures. At the Second Los Angeles Rodeo in 1913 she was featured in the Standing Woman Race. But it was in Pendleton, Oregon, in June 1913, where she met Edmund Richard (Hoot) Gibson. They began working together, and at a rodeo in Salt Lake City they won everything. They went on to perform in rodeos in Winnipeg, Canada and Boise, Idaho, and arrived back in Pendleton a few days before the Pendleton Round-Up was due to begin. However, because rooms were almost impossible to obtain, they decided to “tie the knot” as married rodeo couples were given preference. They won enough money to return to Los Angeles, where Hoot worked as a cowboy extra at the Selig Polyscope Company. Rose also worked for Selig and for the Kalem Studios in Glendale.

 The Hazards of Helen adventure film series. The highly successful series had begun with Helen Holmes in the lead role for the first 48 episodes, but Rose was given her chance to replace Helen Holmes for two episodes when she took ill. The Kalem New York office executives were so impressed by her work, they instructed Glendale to keep her on when Helen Holmes and her husband, Hazards of Helendirector J. P. McGowan, left to form their own company. Now rechristened ‘Helen’ by the studio, she proved to be a capable replacement. Gibson performed in The Hazards of Helen for 70 episodes until the series ended in February 1917. Kalem tried producing another serial starring role for her, The Daughter of Daring. But Kalem was in decline and rather than risking financial failure producing feature films, ceased production in 1917 and was sold to Vitagraph. Universal offered Helen a three-year contract at $125 a week for 2-reel and 5-reel pictures. Her Universal contract ended with the winter of 1919 and she signed with Capital Film Company for $300 a week, but Capital was already losing money and went out of business in May 1920.

  Hoot Gibson, who had joined the Army tank corps, returned from the war on Christmas 1918 and Universal gave him a contract to appear in 2-reel westerns. He found his wife had become a very successful movie star while he was away, but his ego couldn’t handle it and the couple divorced in 1920. That same year Helen created Helen Gibson Productions to produce her own starring vehicles. The first was to be No Man’s Woman. The money gave out before the picture was finished, and it bankrupted Gibson personally. A year later the film was released by another studio with a new title, Nine Points of the Law. In March 1921, the Spencer Production company hired Gibson to star in The Wolverine. They were so pleased with her performance they put her on the payroll at $450 a week. However, before shooting began on her second picture, her appendix ruptured, putting her in the hospital battling peritonitis. The studio replaced her.

 By the time she had recovered from surgery, Gibson’s popularity as a lead had waned. In September 1921 an independent company hired her for a 5-reeler but folded without paying the cast or crew. Horseback riding while filming the picture put Gibson back in the hospital, forcing her to sell her furniture, jewelry and car. She made personal appearances in connection with bookings of No Man’s Woman and The Wolverine in theaters and at rodeos, including visiting her old friends at the 101 Ranch in Ponca City, Oklahoma.

 In the spring of 1924 Gibson got a job trick riding with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus’s Wild West show along with other rodeo performers such as Ken Maynard, and performed in their ‘after show’ for two-and-a-half years. In September 1926 Gibson joined a Hopi Indian act and worked the Keith vaudeville circuit out of Boston.

 She returned to Hollywood in 1927 and began doubling for stars such as Louise Fazenda, Irene Rich, Edna May Oliver, Marie Dressler, Marjorie Main, May Robson, Esther Dale and Ethel Barrymore. She worked constantly as a stunt double and in uncredited or bit parts.

 In 1935, Helen married Clifton Johnson, a studio electrician who had been a chief gunner in the Navy. In 1940 he asked for active duty, and while he was serving in World War II, she carried on working as an extra and became treasurer of the stunt girl’s fraternal organization.

 In Universal’s Hollywood Story (1951), she was cast as a retired silent film actress alongside Francis X. Bushman, William Farnum, and Betty Blythe, and earned $55 for one scene. Tony Curtis, then unknown, was assigned to escort Gibson and Blythe to the premiere at the Academy Award Theater, where The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce gave each silent star a plaque “for your outstanding contribution to the art and science of motion pictures, for the pleasure you have brought to millions over the world, and for your help in making Hollywood the film capital of the world.”

 Helen continued to take character parts and extra work until 1954, when the couple moved to Lake Tahoe. After trying unsuccessfully to sell real estate they returned to the San Fernando Valley. Gibson suffered a slight stroke in 1957, but it did not prevent her working as an extra in film and television. Her last role was in the autumn of 1961, in John Ford’s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, for which she was paid $35; she was 69 years old. She retired in January 1962 on a Motion Picture Industry Pension of $200 a month plus social security. The couple moved to Roseburg, Oregon where she spent her later years fishing and giving the occasional interview. Helen died of heart failure following a stroke in 1977 at age 86.

 
Click to enlarge

Helen Gibson

• Helen-Gibson-in-Winning-the-Franchise-1920-1.jpg

  Helen Gibson in "Winning the Franchise" (1920).

  https://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-in-Winning-the-Franchise-1920-1.jpg

• Leo-Maloney-and-Helen-Gibson-in-Winning-the-Franchise-1920-5.jpg

  Helen Gibson and Leo Maloney in "Winning the Franchise" (1920).

  https://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Leo-Maloney-and-Helen-Gibson-in-Winning-the-Franchise-1920-5.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-Winning-the-Franchise-1920-3.jpg

  Helen Gibson in "Winning the Franchise" (1920).

  https://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-in-Winning-the-Franchise-1920-3.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-13.jpg

  Helen Gibson looks at the governor's train racing head on towards the wild engine in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-13.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-14.jpg

  Helen Gibson makes a life-threatening jump from the speedy onto the wild engine in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-14.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-16.jpg

  Helen Gibson puts the wild engine on reverse and prevents a catastrophe in "The Governor's Special" (1916).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Governors-Special-1916-16.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-8.jpg

  Helen Gibson tries to stop a runaway train in "The Wrong Train Order" (1915).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-8.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-11.jpg

  Helen Gibson tries to reach an emergency break in "The Wrong Train Order" (1915).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Wrong-Train-Order-1915-11.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-00.jpg

  Helen Gibson in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-00.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-01.jpg

  Helen Gibson is tied to the tracks in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-01.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-36.jpg

  Helen Gibson fights for her life in "Ghost of the Canyon" (1920).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-in-Ghost-of-the-Canyon-1920-36.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-002.jpg

  Helen Gibson chases a runaway locomotive on motorcycle in "The Open Track" (1916).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-002.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-25.jpg

  Helen Gibson jumps from the motorcycle onto the locomotive in a life-threatening stunt in "The Open Track" (1916).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-25.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-001.jpg

  Helen Gibson speaks with two investigators in "The Open Track" (1916).

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-in-The-Open-Track-1916-001.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-face-closeup.jpg

  Helen Gibson with a nice hat.

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-face-closeup.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-good-luck-2.jpg

  Helen Gibson - Good Luck.

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-good-luck-2.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-nice-smile.jpg

  Helen Gibson with a nice smile.

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-nice-smile.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-polka-dot.jpg

  Helen Gibson in a polka dot skirt.

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-polka-dot.jpg

• Helen-Gibson-portrait.jpg

  Helen Gibson in a nice portrait with a big smile.

  http://silent-hall-of-fame.org/images/StarPictures/Helen-Gibson/Helen-Gibson-portrait.jpg

Selected Filmography

  Helen Gibson in a breathtaking stunt for the film "The Governor's Special" (1916).