Beyond the Law

When Deputy US Marshal Frank Dalton is killed in the line of duty, his brothers Bob and Grat are appointed to replace him. However, when they discover corruption in the higher echelons of the Marshals Service, they resign in disgust. Grat is cheated by a crooked gambler and takes back his money at gunpoint, but that winds up getting them labeled as robbers. Grat is wrongly accused of train robbery and imprisoned. When he breaks out of prison he and his brother decide to take their revenge by actually robbing the express company that falsely accused him in the first place.

Directed by Theodore Marston, Beyond the Law leans on a strong ensemble — Emmett Dalton, Harris Gordon, Ida Pardee — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1918.